Arlen Specter

Washington, D.C. -- May 7, 2008 -- U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and U.S. Representative Peter King (R-NY), Ranking Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, today announced the introduction of the Free Speech Protection Act of 2008.

This bill would protect American journalists from libel suits brought in foreign courts that do not have the same protections for free speech that are found in the U.S. constitution. It mirrors H.R. 5814, legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative King.    » read more »

Amendments Follow Specter’s Field Hearing on Philadelphia International Airport

May 5, 2008 -- U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) filed two amendments to the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act which is currently being considered by the Senate.

Rocking chairs at Philadelphia International Airport: Photo by Jon Protas (CC)

The amendments seek to reduce overflights over Delaware County and delays caused by flight over-scheduling at Philadelphia International Airport. Senator Specter investigated both of these issues at a field hearing he convened in Philadelphia on Friday, April 25th.    » read more »

Washington, D.C. -- April 15, 2008 -- Senator Arlen Specter today announced that he has been diagnosed with an early recurrence of Hodgkin’s disease. Hodgkin’s disease is a cancer of the lymph system.

Senator Specter’s recurrence was diagnosed based on a routine follow-up PET scan (Positron Emission Tomography) which showed small lymph nodes in his chest and abdomen.

Senator Arlen Specter: Photo by musicFIRSTcoalition (CC)

A follow-up biopsy of one of the chest lymph nodes was positive for recurrence. A bone marrow biopsy was negative.    » read more »

Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Announces He Will Resign April 18th, 2008

Washington, D.C. -- March 31, 2008 - Today, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) issued the following statement concerning the resignation of Secretary Alphonso Jackson from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“I did not call for Secretary Jackson’s resignation, but since he decided to do so I think it maybe helpful in getting the $40 million released to provide more housing for the poor people of Philadelphia”

“The need for new leadership in the Department is especially urgent for the sake of the people that rely on public housing.    » read more »

GAO Report Reveals Flaws

Washington, D.C. -- March 25, 2008 -- With more than 10,000 schools across the country identified as low-performing under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA), a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report written at the request of U.S. Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) has found that the Education Department failed to properly oversee one of the most critical sources of NCLBA funding.    » read more »

Letter sent to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

March 14, 2008 - U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) today sent a letter to Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) urging him to extend Philadelphia’s Moving-To-Work (MTW) agreement for one year. Moving-To-Work has allowed innovative approaches to provide housing to low-income families. The current program is set to expire on March 31, 2008.    » read more »

Budget Amendment Provides Additional Funding for Health Research, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program

Washington, D.C. -- March 13, 2008 -- Today, U.S. Senators Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Ranking Member and Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, successfully championed through an amendment to the FY09 Budget Resolution. The amendment, soundly passed by a vote of 95-4, increases funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by $2.1 billion.    » read more »

At Congressional Hearing Following Peach Bottom Security Lapse

February 28, 2008 - Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) today testified at a congressional hearing on nuclear plant safety held by the Energy and Public Works Committee Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety. The hearing was held at the request of Senators Specter and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) after recent security lapses at the Peach Bottom Atomic Power station in York County, PA.

Senator Specter’s testimony is below:    » read more »

Will Ensure Continuous Treatment For Sick Children Upon Exiting NIH Studies

February 13, 2008 - Today U.S. Senators Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) introduced legislation that seeks to provide continuous care to children as they transition out of research studies with National Institutes of Health (NIH). Nino’s Act (S.2629) will ensure that successful treatments received through the studies are covered under Medicaid if the child’s insurance carrier does not recognize the experimental treatment.    » read more »

February 12, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chairman of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, and Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) today introduced legislation to regulate robocalls.

The measure introduced by Feinstein and Specter would not ban robocalls, but instead places sensible restrictions on how and when the calls can be made – including limiting the hours within which calls can be made, limiting the number of calls that can be made to each household, and requiring callers to identify themselves at the beginning of the call.    » read more »

Washington, D.C. -- February 4, 2008 - Washington, D.C. - Senator Arlen Specter, (R-Pa.) Ranking Member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, made the following statement today regarding the Administration’s proposed Fiscal Year 2009 budget:    » read more »

Washington, D.C. -- January 29, 2008 -- Landmark bipartisan legislation authored by Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) to provide justice for victims of state-sponsored terrorism was signed into law yesterday by President Bush. The law will give victims their day in court and help them pursue the assets of countries that support terrorism. The measure was included in the final conference version of the FY 2008 Department of Defense Authorization bill.    » read more »

Washington, D.C. -- January 28, 2008 -- U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) made the following comments after President Bush’s State of the Union Address tonight:

“The President’s speech demonstrated that he is not easing off in his final year but continues to push important initiatives: prompt passage of the economic stimulus package; action against greenhouse gases and global warming; and protection for homeowners on the subprime issue.

“I especially liked his emphasis on completing the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Treaty by the end of the year.    » read more »

Washington, DC -- January 24, 2008 - U.S. Senators Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today introduced an amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act currently pending on the floor. The amendment would substitute the United States in place of any electronic communication service provider who provided communications in connection with an intelligence activity that was (1) authorized by the President between September 11, 2001, and January 17, 2007, and (2) designed to detect or prevent a terrorist attack against the United States.    » read more »

Washington, D.C. -- January 22, 2008 -- Today U.S. Senator Arlen Specter spoke on the Senate Floor to introduce two pieces of legislation designed to help stimulate the sluggish American economy.

Full text of his speech follows:    » read more »