June 16, 2008

With the future of the polar bear hanging in the balance, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and Defenders of Wildlife have moved to block a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's recent decision to ban the imports of sport-hunted polar bear trophies from Canada. The groups filed a motion to intervene in the suit, which was filed by the extremist trophy-hunting group Safari Club International (SCI) and seeks to roll back the recent listing of the bears as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Full release.

Several significant events surrounding policy on torture and the war on terror will take place June 23 - 27, primarily in Washington, DC. These events include United Nations and U.S. Senate and House hearings on torture. Amnesty International will host the flagship stop of the nationwide Guantanamo cell tour in Washington, D.C.; the organization also will release two relevant reports. Full release

A Baltimore Sun article out yesterday details the uphill climb John McCain faces heading towards the White House. Having tossed aside his "maverick" persona and "cheapened his own brand," Senator McCain has "embraced President Bush and attempted to become, like Bush, the choice of the Republican establishment." But this could pose a problem for Senator McCain, who is now "running as the nominee of the incumbent party in the White House, with the U.S. economy in distress, Bush's job rating in the toilet and the sourest public mood in at least 20 years." Looking towards a general election where Americans are looking for change, not a third Bush term, Senator McCain's prospects for victory in November look dim. Full release

Sen. Barack Obama brings his economic plan to Michigan today, and there's much in it to concern a state desperate for investment and job growth. The strategy detailed on the presumed Democratic presidential nominee's Web site envisions an economy that gets a strong, guiding hand from government, with big new spending programs to stimulate growth. Full release

John McCain claims that a part of his economic plan for America is "bolstering job security," but his record tells a different story. When Senator McCain has had the chance, instead of fighting to keep America's jobs here at home he helped steer a tanker contract to a European company for which his campaign advisors then lobbied, shipping tens of thousands of American jobs overseas. This follows McCain's pattern of mocking and subverting "Buy America" rules in the Senate. [johnmccain.com, accessed 6/15/08] Full release

The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace (CDW) today announced that it was extending its public awareness campaign to reach Minnesota voters. The effort begins with airing a television spot designed to inform voters that the Big Labor-backed Employee Free Choice Act, or "card check" legislation, threatens worker privacy. Full release

The following is being issued by the Republican National Committee: Today, Obama Will Campaign In Michigan. "The road to the White House doesn't necessarily run through Flint, but it's a natural side trip for any Democrat who preaches economic recovery for the middle class. Barack Obama will take that side trip on the way to a large rally at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit later today." (Chris Christoff, "Obama To Stop In Flint Today," Detroit Free Press, 6/16/08) Full release

This is the WashingtonWatch.com federal legislative update for the week of June 16, 2008. The congressional budget resolution, Senate Concurrent Resolution 70, passed both the House and Senate recently. Now the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will divide the amount of money they are allowed to spend among their twelve subcommittees. Full release

Archive of Previous Posts