Dianne Feinstein

March 28, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to promptly issue regulations to give consumers a list of establishments that sold tainted meat during a recall. Current USDA policy does not allow consumers access to this information.

A similar disclosure requirement was included in legislation introduced earlier this month by Senator Feinstein to improve food safety at slaughterhouses. This will help distributors, retailers and consumers to better identify and more quickly get recalled meat products off their shelves and out of their homes.    » read more »

March 19, 2008 -- Washington, DC – In a letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), His Holiness the Dalai Lama today commented on the current crisis in Tibet and indicated that he believes the best way forward to resolve the issue is through dialogue.

This letter comes in response to a statement by Senator Feinstein which called for an end to the Chinese crackdown and for personal talks between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese Leadership.

Dalai Lama Receiving the Congressional Gold Medal, October 2007

Feinstein’s statement follows:

“A wave of protests has swept across Tibet, and these protests have been met with violence and a crackdown by the Chinese.    » read more »

Expert Panel had provided “overwhelming scientific evidence” that ozone exposure leads to adverse health effects; recommended stricter air pollution standard

March 14, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today called on EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson to explain why he overruled the recommendation of scientific advisors, and decided to issue a weaker standard for air pollution. Senator Feinstein chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies.    » read more »

Bush Administration licensing proposal mirrors Feinstein-Martinez legislation

March 14, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) today called for swift passage of their legislation to create national licensing and oversight standards for mortgage brokers and lenders.

Senators Feinstein and Martinez introduced the legislation earlier this year. The President’s Working Group on Financial Markets included a similar proposal in a report released this week.    » read more »

Snowe-Feinstein-Levin Passed Legislation would Close the “Enron Loophole”

March 12, 2008 -- WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Carl Levin (D-Mich.) called on Senate leaders to include legislation to strengthen regulation of energy trading in the Farm Bill reauthorization conference agreement. The Senate passed similar legislation co-sponsored by Senators Feinstein, Levin and Snowe as part of the Farm Bill in December of 2007 that would increase federal oversight authority to detect and prevent manipulation in U.S.    » read more »

March 12, 2008 -- Washington, DC –The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, chaired by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), today held a hearing about in-person voter fraud, and whether requiring photo identification disenfranchises vulnerable voters.    » read more »

President mentions tragic death of Californian Ryan Haight in weekly radio address

March 3, 2008 -- Washington, DC – Following President Bush’s weekly radio address in which he spoke about the dangers of prescription drug abuse, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today urged Congress to pass legislation that would stop rogue online pharmacies and protect consumers who fill legitimate prescriptions online.    » read more »

February 29, 2008 -- Washington, DC – The Senate has unanimously approved a measure sponsored by U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer (both D-Calif.) to help soundproof the Lennox and Inglewood schools from nearby airport noise.    » read more »

February 29, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today strongly urged Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to not ease Reagan-era restrictions on carrying loaded firearms in America’s national parks and wildlife refuges.

“I was appalled to learn that the Interior Department may relax a Reagan-era ban on carrying loaded firearms in national parks that has been in place for 25 years,” Senator Feinstein said.

“Changing these regulations would invite poaching, be very difficult to understand and enforce, and put the public at serious risk.”    » read more »

Senator asks for support of her legislation banning six phthalates in children’s toys

February 29, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today applauded the recent decisions by Toys “R” Us and Wal-Mart to require their suppliers to produce toys without phthalates.

Phthalates are chemicals added to common plastic products to make them soft and pliable. They are found in a variety of children’s toys and childcare products, such as teethers, rubber ducks and soft bath books.    » read more »

Leader of Burma’s Democratic Movement; Feinstein-McConnell bill has bipartisan support of 73 other senators

February 13, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) today introduced a measure to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Burma’s democratic movement and Nobel Peace Laureate. The bill has the bipartisan support of 73 other senators.    » 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 »

February 8, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today urged the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Michael McConnell to provide the transcript of a recent interview with New Yorker writer Lawrence Wright. At issue is the exact conversation held between Director McConnell and Wright over the subject of waterboarding. Senator Feinstein questioned Director McConnell about this exchange during the open Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Tuesday.

Following is the text of the letter sent by Senator Feinstein to DNI McConnell:    » read more »

February 6, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today asked Attorney General Michael Mukasey whether it is legal for the CIA to rely on contractors in interrogations that involve the use of coercive interrogation techniques.

Senator Feinstein’s letter came one day after CIA Director General Michael Hayden, in response to questions from Senator Feinstein during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, acknowledged for the first time that the CIA sometimes uses contractors in interrogations.    » read more »

Urges Coast Guard to update contingency plan for San Francisco area

February 7, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today called on the Coast Guard to strengthen standards for preparedness and recovery in the wake of the Cosco Busan oil spill. Senator Feinstein urged the Commandant of the Coast Guard to update the prepared contingency plan for the San Francisco area.

Senator Feinstein also urged the Coast Guard to require that all ships carrying a large amount of fuel be double-hulled.    » read more »