Congress

Montana's Senior Senator At Negotiating Table, Says New Bill Win For Producers

May 8, 2008 -- (Washington, D.C.) – At a press conference on Capitol Hill today, Farm Bill negotiators announced a new Farm Bill deal has been reached. Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus, highlighted that there are many good provisions for Montana in the bill including a permanent disaster assistance fund.    » read more »

May 8, 2008 -- (Washington, DC) - Today House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) introduced H.R. 5994, the "Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2008," to establish an antitrust remedy for anticompetitive and discriminatory practices by broadband service providers.

The legislation requires internet service providers (ISPs) to interconnect with the facilities of other network providers on a reasonable and nondiscriminatory basis. It also requires them to operate their network in a reasonable and nondiscriminatory manner so that all content, applications and services are treated the same and have an equal opportunity to reach consumers.    » read more »

May 8, 2008 -- WASHINGTON – Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Senator George Voinovich, R-Ohio, co-chairmen of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, today introduced the bipartisan Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2008 to expand on legislation passed six years ago. The bill aims to clean up contaminated expanses in the Great Lakes known as “Areas of Concern” within 10 years.

Lake Michigan breakwater: Photo by Tom (CC)    » read more »

Bill would limit speculation in oil trading and close loophole for trades on foreign exchanges using U.S. terminals

May 8, 2008 -- WASHINGTON – Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today introduced the Oil Trading Transparency Act to ensure that energy commodities traded on foreign exchanges using trading terminals located within the United States are subject to the same speculative trading limits and reporting requirements as energy commodities traded on U.S. exchanges.    » read more »

Week of May 11, 2008 Designated to Raise Awareness of Women Health Issues

May 8, 2008 -- Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate has passed a bipartisan resolution reintroduced by Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) recognizing May 11-17, 2008 as National Women’s Health Week (NWHW).    » read more »

May 8, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) today urged the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to ensure adequate market protections for the trading of U.S. energy future contracts on international markets.

Oil refinery at sunset: Photo by LinBow (CC)

Senators Feinstein and Snowe have been the lead sponsors of legislation to help prevent manipulation, excessive speculation and fraud in electronic energy markets. Since 2000, the trading of electronic commodities, like oil or natural gas, has been exempt from federal regulation under the so-called “Enron Loophole.”    » read more »

May 8, 2008 -- Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today after the House approved comprehensive bipartisan legislation to address the housing foreclosure crisis:

“The New Direction Congress acted today to protect the American Dream of homeownership with a comprehensive package of housing policy reforms that will help protect families facing foreclosure and stem the continuing drop in home values around the country.    » read more »

Iraq Veterans Urge Lawmakers to Vote Yes on GI Bill Funding

NEW YORK -On Thursday, May 8, the House of Representatives will vote on a World War II-style GI Bill for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation's first and largest nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, strongly endorses this critical legislation.    » read more »

WASHINGTON (Wednesday, May 7, 2008) – The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing later this month to examine the rising price of crude oil and its effect on gas prices across the country, Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced today.

Giant 5 mpg SUV: Photo by Financial Aid Podcast (CC)    » read more »

May 7, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) today introduced a bipartisan bill to help prevent injured veterans from losing their homes while awaiting adjudication on their disability claims.

The Disabled Veterans Homeownership Preservation Act would help disabled veterans who are caught up in the extensive backlog of claims pending in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Wounded Iraq veterans: Photo by soldiersmediacenter (CC)    » read more »

Montana's Senior U.S. Senator Stands Up For Consumers

May 7, 2008 -- (Washington, D.C.) – At a press conference on Capitol Hill today Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus announced his plan to crack down on big oil by getting rid of current tax breaks for the country’s major oil companies.

Baucus, chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee – the panel with jurisdiction over taxes and revenue – proposed repealing the Section 199 manufacturing deduction for the major integrated oil companies, while tightening the rules that govern how much U.S. taxes are due on income earned overseas by oil and gas companies.    » read more »

May 7, 2008 -- Washington, DC - Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers issued a subpoena to David Addington, chief of staff to the vice president, compelling him to testify before the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties on June 26 at 10 a.m. Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General John C. Yoo, who has agreed to testify voluntarily, will testify on that day as well.

The subpoena and its cover letter are below:

David Addington subpoena - page 1

David Addington subpoena - page 2    » read more »