July 2007

The following was released today by the Democratic National Committee: According to ABC News, former Senator turned actor, turned lobbyist turned presidential candidate Fred Thompson is denying that he agreed to sign a fair tax bill, even though a video of the almost-candidate shows Thompson asserting the exact opposite. Full release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic leaders held a new conference this afternoon on the Honest Leadership, Open Government Act of 2007, which passed the House floor today by an overwhelming vote of 411 to 8. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

"Thank you very much, Chairman Emanuel, for your great leadership on this issue of lobbying reform. I want to commend you, and I want to commend another member of our leadership, Congressman Chris Van Hollen, for his leadership as well." Full release

Even though the number of spending reduction proposals introduced in the 109th Congress rose by 15 percent, expenditure hikes continued to dwarf cuts by a ratio of 20 to 1. That's just one of many findings of the latest BillTally report from the National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF). Full release

A study by Equality Forum, an international gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) civil rights organization, suggests that gay and lesbian voters voted as a block in the recent mayoral primary election in Philadelphia and that gay and lesbian voters were markedly more likely to support their candidate than their neighbors. The study found that gays voted by about two to every one vote for Michael Nutter, the winning candidate, in the citywide vote. Full release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today upon the passage of H.Res. 121, a resolution calling on the Japanese government to formally acknowledge and apologize for its Imperial Armed Forces' coercion of young women, known as "comfort women," into sexual slavery during its occupation of Asia and the Pacific Islands during the World War II era. Full release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which the House will vote on tomorrow and the Senate later this week. Full release

The Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund today launched an independent television ad and voter contact campaign opposing Senator Tommy Robertson (R-Moss Point) in the primary race for Mississippi State Senate on August 7. As Senate Finance Committee Chairman, Robertson refused to allow a vote on legislation that would have cut Mississippi's highest-in-the-nation grocery tax in half and increased the state's incredibly low cigarette tax. Full release

The violence in Iraqis overshadowing a humanitarian crisis, with eight million Iraqis -- nearly one in three -- in need of emergency aid, says a report released today by international agency Oxfam and NCCI, a network of aid organizations working in Iraq. Full release

Career advancement is a priority for many. But according to a new poll sponsored by Multi-Health Systems (MHS) Inc., stress has a detrimental impact on our emotional intelligence (EI) and this can spell professional problems for working Americans. Full release

Peace Action: Past, Present, and Future is a collection of lively essays written by prominent leaders and supporters of Peace Action and its two important predecessors -- the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy and the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign. Full release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor this morning expressing her support for H.R. 2419, the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007. Below are her remarks as prepared:

"Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to begin by thanking our Agriculture Committee Chairman, Collin Peterson." Full release

Continuing to stand by their commitment to domestic violence victims, the U.S. House of Representatives stayed late into the evening Wednesday to pass critical amendments to the Commerce, Justice and Science spending bill, increasing much needed funding for domestic violence programs. Full release

The plight of Iraqi refugees is dire, especially for children, and calls for increased U.S. assistance, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio said in a July 26 letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Full release

Hundreds of New Orleans residents and their supporters will assemble the morning of Saturday, July 28th at 10 AM along the Monticello Canal to form a "Human Levee" demanding residents' right to equitable flood protection. Full release

The following was released today by the Democratic National Committee: Another week, another missed opportunity for Republican presidential candidates to address diverse audiences. This week the major Republican presidential candidates cited "scheduling conflicts" to avoid standing before the National Urban League's Annual Conference in St. Louis and to avoid the National Council of La Raza's Annual Conference in Miami Beach. Full release

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today marked the 17th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act by calling for the passage of the ADA Restoration Act of 2007. Full release

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) today urged the Senate Republican leadership to stand up for earmark reform in response to widespread reports that Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is planning to bypass a conference and get a bill that both the House and Senate will approve. Full release

Just over a month ago, Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev dissolved the country's lower house of parliament, the Majilis, and scheduled new elections for 18 August in a bid to speed up parliamentary reforms. Full release

In the latest effort to bring individuals, businesses, consumer groups and government together to find solutions for Americans' health and financial security concerns, staff members from AARP Arkansas fanned out on Capitol Hill to meet with the state's Congressional delegation. Full release

The National Council on Disability (NCD) today released two reports on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that show that ADA implementation is not only possible and practicable, it is also good for business. Full release

Responding to the effort in the U.S. House of Representatives to slash seniors' Medicare funding by more than $500 million, the American Health Care Association (AHCA) today urged House Democrats to revise the so-called CHAMP Act -- in a way to avoid dramatic and negative consequences to the current and future care needs of America's most vulnerable seniors. Full release

Mitt Romney and John McCain, both in New Hampshire today, showed Granite State voters a Republican Party in disarray and underscored exactly why the American people trust Democrats over Republicans to lead on key issues. Full release

America continues to be the land of opportunity for immigrant families, but the degree of upward economic mobility for newer arrivals has slowed from that experienced by earlier waves of immigrants, according to a report released today by the Economic Mobility Project, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Full release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today on the agreement reached by House and Senate on a final bill to implement the recommendations of the independent 9/11 Commission. Full release

League of Women Voters President Mary G. Wilson today testified before the Senate Rules Committee, expressing the League's strong support for key elements of S. 1487, the "Ballot Integrity Act of 2007," introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D CA). Full release

On the eve of the 2007 Farm Bill debate by the House of Representatives on Thursday, a diverse group of public interest organizations and faith groups is calling on every Member of the House of Representatives to support real reform and vote in favor of the FAIRNESS IN FARM AND FOOD POLICY AMENDMENT. Full release

Americans want a change of course in Iraq and are tired of Republicans protecting President Bush and his failed Iraq policy. Today, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll confirmed that "[m]ost Americans see President Bush as intransigent on Iraq and prefer that the Democratic-controlled Congress make decisions about a possible withdrawal of U.S. forces." [Washington Post, 7/24/07] Full release

His Majesty King Abdullah II discussed with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice international efforts to move the peace negotiations forward between the Palestinians and Israelis. Full release

As political analysts and pundits continue dissecting last night's nationally televised CNN/YouTube debate among Democratic Presidential candidates, an independent website is reporting that more people are in sync with the positions of Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich than those of any other candidate -- Democrat or Republican. Full release

USINPAC today hailed the agreement reached by American and Indian officials over the nuclear deal between the two nations calling it a historic milestone in US-India relations. The final draft agreement will now be referred to the respective governments for their approval. Full release

On July 25th, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci will join the Center for U.S. Global Engagement to launch "Impact '08: Building a Better, Safer World." Albright and Carlucci will co-chair this new national campaign focused on inspiring presidential candidates to support the greater use of development and diplomacy as critical to America's national security and engagement with the world. Full release

Today marks the effective date for the Federal Minimum Wage increase to $5.85 per hour. Full release

The following was released today by the Democratic National Committee: In three new radio ads, Rudy Giuliani attempts to cover up his failing record as mayor, pretending to be a fiscal conservative and taking credit for accomplishments that aren't his own. Full release

New research by political scientists examines the significance of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) for the political representation of people of color and documents "a substantial relationship between the VRA and the election of nonwhite officials at the national, state, and local levels." Full release

Responding quickly to the needs of American small businesses, the National Propane Gas Association and 14 other trade associations formed a joint coalition to fight the new U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chemical security regulations. Full release

15-page special report in this week's issue of The Economist finds an uncompromising Iran and an uncomprehending America may be stumbling to war. Iran's leaders think a nuclear weapon could rejuvenate their tired revolution. Report lays out possibilities for how they could be stopped.
Full release

As the Democratic presidential candidates prepare to debate tonight, a new poll released today shows that a candidate's position on education will have a greater impact on Latino voters than their position on any other issue --including immigration and health care -- and that Latinos are nearly unanimous that improving public education should be a "very important priority" for the next president. Full release

In our Intelligence Community, employees of corporations are handling sensitive government responsibilities including analytical products that are incorporated into our nation's most important and sensitive document, the President's Daily Brief. Intelligence expert Dr. R.J. Hillhouse who revealed the surprising details commented, "Thanks to outsourcing, for-profit companies have the American president's ear on a daily basis and their words carry the weight of the combined intelligence agencies of the United States." Full release

The following is a statement of Elisa Massimino, Washington Director, Human Rights First: Torture and cruel treatment by U.S. personnel happened, in the first place, because the administration applied such a flexible interpretation of the laws and standards against abuse that they became practically meaningless. That is how the United States got to Abu Ghraib. Full release

The following statement was issued today by the White House Press Secretary: This afternoon, the President signed an Executive Order that interprets for the United States "Common Article 3" of the Geneva Conventions, as authorized in the Military Commissions Act. Full release

Statement from Kathleen M. Burke, CEO, Robert Crown Center for Health Education on age-appropriate sex education for 5 year-olds. Full release

Ohio Congressman and Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich will be the guest of the Ohio AFL-CIO here tomorrow (Saturday) at a town hall meeting with upwards of 100 union members from around the state. Full release

In compelling testimony given before the House Small Business Committee, Iowa pharmacy owner Matt Osterhaus warned members the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) new AMP rule will potentially devastate independent pharmacies and the patients they serve. Full release

Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. will address members of the National Association of Black Journalists at the 32nd NABJ Convention & Career Fair set for Aug. 8-12 at Bally's Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, the association and his campaign jointly announced today. Full release

The Campaign to Reform Student Loans condemns today's Senate vote against the Nelson-Burr amendment and for passing a flawed budget reconciliation bill (S. 1762), which will harm families and student borrowers with the highest levels of student loan debt. Full release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, and 9/11 Commissioners Lee Hamilton and Tim Roemer, held a news conference in the Capitol this afternoon prior to a joint House-Senate conference meeting to finalize legislation implementing the independent 9/11 Commission recommendations. Full release

Just days after a new National Intelligence Estimate demonstrated that President Bush has failed to make our homeland safe and allowed al-Qaeda to rebuild to pre-9/11strength, smooth talking Mitt Romney "praised President Bush for keeping America safe during the war on terror." [AP, 7/18/07] Full release

House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) issued the following statement this morning urging Democrats to keep in place a provision in the 9/11 recommendations bill ensuring passengers and commuters who report suspicious activity can do so without risk of reprisal. Full release

Following a July 17 hearing, in which members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee determined that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was ill-equipped to regulate food safety, the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) asked lawmakers to keep their findings in mind as Congress examines giving FDA the power to regulate tobacco. Full release

The following was released today by the Democratic National Committee: Dubbed an "honorary Texas oil lawyer" by Time Magazine, records show that Rudy Giuliani's business ties to Big Oil rival that of another Texas oil man: President George W. Bush. Full release

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