July 2008

A new analysis from the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) calls into question Administration and Congressional efforts to provide consumer relief at the pump by lifting bans on domestic drilling for oil. "ExxonMobil reported the largest profit on any corporation in U.S. history the second quarter of 2008," said Mark Cooper, CFA Director of Research. "Giving them access to more domestic drilling means more oil for them to sell at the world market price, with fewer costs to produce it. The consumer doesn't see a cent." Full release

State, local and private juvenile correctional authorities reported an estimated 4,072 allegations of sexual violence involving youth held in juvenile facilities during 2005 and 2006, the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today. It was the equivalent of 16.8 allegations per 1,000 youth held in state, local or private facilities in 2006 and 16.7 allegations per 1,000 youth in 2005. Full release

Senators John F. Kerry (D-Mass) and Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) today urged the Small Business Administration to implement several energy initiatives aimed at helping small businesses through the current energy crisis. With rising energy prices topping the list of concerns of small business owners, the Senators requested that the SBA redouble their efforts to implement programs passed as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Full release

Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, announced House passage of eight critical homeland security bills. Chairman Thompson issued the following statement regarding the legislation: "Passage of these vital measures improves the nation's information sharing capacity, increases privacy protections at the Department and further strengthens both our cyber and port security," said Thompson. "I look forward to working with the Senate to include these vital measures in a House-Senate Conference on the Department of Homeland Security Authorization this year." Full release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on the decision by U.S. District Court Judge John Bates to uphold congressional subpoenas in the contempt of Congress citations against former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and current White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten: "As public officials, we take an oath of office to uphold the Constitution seriously and today's landmark ruling by the U.S. District Court is a great victory for the American people, the rule of law and balance of power. We must restore our nation's fundamental system of checks and balances, and today's ruling begins to restore that balance." Full release

The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK) announced today that it has filed an EEOC complaint on behalf of a Muslim woman who was allegedly denied employment at an Abercrombie Kids store in that state because of the applicant's religiously-mandated headscarf, or hijab. Full release

With Republicans, Independents and Democrats alike questioning the increasingly nasty and desperate tone of John McCain's campaign, the Democratic National Committee today released a web ad called "Desperate Times." The ad highlights the fact that, despite promising to "wage a respectful campaign," McCain has resorted to questioning Senator Obama's patriotism and launching false and misleading attacks that have been widely debunked. His campaign has stooped so low that one of McCain's former advisors called his most recent ad "childish" and said the campaign's strategy "diminishes John McCain." [The Atlantic, 7/30/08] Full release

On Thursday morning, July 31, 2008, Dr. K.A. Paul, an American resident born in India and the world's most popular Christian evangelist, filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., against President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the President of the Congress Party, and the Prime Minister and a host of U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration, and their heads, for civil rights and other illegal conduct designed to silence him and destroy his non-profit organization, Global Peace Initiative, Inc. ("GPI"). Full release

Marking the one year anniversary of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1769 -- which authorized deployment of the Darfur peacekeeping mission -- a new report sets out for the first time which countries have the critically-lacking helicopters needed to protect civilians in Darfur. Full release

As thousands gather in Mexico City for the 17th International AIDS Conference August 3-8, 2008, Catholics for Choice and its Latin American sister organizations, Catolicas por el Derecho a Decidir, will be highlighting Catholic opposition to the Vatican's ban on condoms using materials developed for the Condoms4Life campaign, http://www.Condoms4Life.org. Full release

RNC Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan announced the addition of a Victory '08 State Director today. "With less than 100 days until the general election, the RNC is making great strides in ensuring victory for John McCain and Republican candidates up and down the ballot," Duncan said. "I am confident that the hard work of our state directors and the entire Victory '08 operation will help achieve success for Republican candidates across the country, all the way to the White House." Full release

The Israeli civil rights group, Shurat HaDin, has sent an urgent letter to United States Attorney General Michael Mukasey, warning him that the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), and others, have conspired to violate the U.S. Neutrality Act, 18 U.S.C. section 960, in their efforts to organize a boatlift to the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip. Full release

House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) issued the following statement after 17 Democrats stood with every single Republican present to stop the Democratic leadership from adjourning Congress for a five-week vacation without taking up legislation to help American families struggling under the weight of record-high gas prices. Full release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor this morning to support H. Res. 1370, legislation calling on the Chinese government to immediately cease human rights abuses ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. The resolution passed by an overwhelming vote of 419 to 1. Below are her remarks: "I rise today in strong support of this resolution calling on the Chinese government to end its human rights abuses so that the Olympic Games can take place in an atmosphere that honors the Olympic traditions of freedom and openness." Full release

Today President Bush signed what has been called the most important piece of housing legislation in years. With the enactment of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act, Washington has extended a lifeline of help to homeowners caught in dangerous and deceptive mortgages. In response, Miles Rapoport, President of the national public policy center Demos, which has extensively studied the American credit and home lending crisis, issued the following statement praising the protections of the new bill, but warning that it doesn't go far enough to prevent foreclosures or industry abuses. Full release

This week, John McCain and his campaign have been all over the map on a very straightforward question: would he or wouldn't he consider raising Social Security payroll taxes. After adamantly making a blanket "no new taxes" pledge during the primaries and on the campaign trail, McCain switched his position when he refused to rule it out on ABC's "This Week," instead saying all options would be on the table. McCain's campaign has been scrambling all week, giving shifting and conflicting accounts about what Senator McCain plans to do. Full release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today in response to remarks by President Bush on energy this morning at the White House: "The President knows, as his own Administration has stated, that the impact of any new drilling will be insignificant - promising savings of only pennies per gallon many years down the road. Americans know that thanks to the two oilmen in the White House, consumers are now paying $4 a gallon for gas. But what Americans should realize is that what the President is calling for is drilling as close as three miles off of America's pristine beaches and in other protected areas." Full release

The Republican National Committee (RNC) today launched a new Web Site, titled "Obama Audacity Watch." From Obama's fond memories of "when I was a United States Senator" to his short-lived "presidential" seal, the Web site tracks his audacious comments. The Web site features news and video clips, and will be continually updated through Election Day. Full release

Today President Bush will sign into law a major new piece of legislation on global AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, but Congress is not providing the money to implement it for fiscal year 2009.
Full release

The Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics will issue a news release EMBARGOED until THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2008, AT 4:00 P.M. EDT. To access the embargoed news release and the full report now available on the BJS website, send an email to bjspress@usdoj.gov. You must type JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL AUTHORITIES in the subject line to receive a user ID and password. Full release

The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 will provide crucial support for the housing market and help prevent foreclosures for working families. It also establishes a series of landmark reforms that will put U.S. housing and mortgage finance on solid footing for the long term.
Full release

The following is an editorial written by Jonathan Weisman on July 29, 2008 and issued by the Republican National Committee: Perhaps he's beginning to believe the hype. In his closed door meeting with House Democrats this evening, presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama delivered a real zinger. According to a witness, he was waxing lyrical about last week's trip to Europe, when he concluded, "this is the moment, as Nancy [Pelosi] noted, that the world is waiting for." Full release

Residents in California affected by today's earthquake are urged to register themselves and their loved ones on the Safe and Well website, to let family and friends around the country know of their status. Safe and Well is an easy way to assist people seeking to locate those who've registered their status during this emergency. Letting your family know that you are safe during an emergency can bring great peace of mind. Full release

United States Senator Theodore F. Stevens of Alaska was charged today in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia with seven counts of making false statements related to Stevens' financial disclosure forms, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division announced. Full release

House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (MO-07) will hold a conference call to discuss how Obama's policies will negatively affect Missourians. Full release

Elaine L. Chao, U.S. secretary of labor, and Christopher Cox, chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), today agreed to make permanent their agencies' longstanding relationship of sharing information on retirement and investments to protect the $5.8 trillion in retirement assets of American workers, retirees and their families held in employee benefit plans by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Full release

The Republican National Committee (RNC) today announced a new Web video, titled "Obama TV Ad In Berlin." In the aftermath of Obama's European campaign swing, the Web video provides a parody of what an Obama TV ad in Berlin, Germany might look like, with video commentary from Obama's international fan base. Full release

Senator John McCain today will bring his promise of four more years of President Bush's failed energy policies back to Nevada. The last time he was in the Silver State, McCain gave a 3,000 word speech on energy that didn't mention Yucca Mountain or solar power once. Instead, McCain focused on his newfound support for offshore oil drilling, which even he and President Bush admit will have only a "psychological" impact on gas prices. McCain's support for offshore drilling may not provide economic relief for working families, but it did open a flood of new support for McCain's campaign from the oil and gas industry. Full release

Eric Svenson, PSEG's vice president of environment, health and safety, testified today before Congress about the implications of a recent federal appeals court decision that struck down the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Interstate Rule (also known as CAIR). CAIR would have resulted in dramatic reductions in particulate matter and ozone and helped to eliminate smog, asthma and other chronic and acute respiratory effects. Clean air and public health are threatened in its absence. Full release

Today, SEIU sent a fifth "Dear John" letter to Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president. SEIU members are offering assistance in the absence of any economic blueprint from McCain that puts working families first. The letters will continue until McCain personally meets with members. Full release

CN8, The Comcast Network will offer live, on-site nightly coverage of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, with availability on-air, online at http://www.CN8.tv and through Comcast Digital Cable's ON DEMAND service. Full release

The Republican National Committee (RNC) today launched a new Web site, http://www.BarackBook.com . The social networking site highlights some of Barack Obama's notable associations throughout stages of his career, including his relationships with Tony Rezko, Nadhmi Auchi, and Alexi Giannoulias. Leveraging the popularity of social networking sites, BarackBook allows voters to explore Obama's connections with these individuals as well as their connections to one another using video and news articles. Full release

Deputy Attorney General Mark R. Filip and U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald will deliver remarks at the Department of Justice Project Safe Neighborhoods Anti-Gang Training on TUESDAY, JULY 29, at 8:30 A.M. CDT. Full release

On Friday, Miles Rapoport, President of the national public policy center Demos, sent a letter of support to Senators Feinstein, Kerry, Clinton, Leahy, Schumer, Wyden, Reid, Murray and Obama for their sponsorship of S. 3308, introduced in the Senate on July 22, 2008. A House companion bill is expected to be introduced tomorrow. This legislation would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to permit facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be designated as voter registration agencies, in accordance with the National Voter Registration Act. Full release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today after news reports indicated that the federal budget deficit will reach a record high of nearly $490 billion. The Bush Administration is expected to announce the exact figure later this afternoon. "President Bush has mortgaged our future with record deficit spending on the wrong priorities. An unnecessary and extraordinarily costly war in Iraq has turned record surpluses into record deficits. Meanwhile, our economy is in a severe economic slump as a result of this President's mismanagement." Full release

As CNN explores many of the aspects of the African-American experience in its "Black in America" series, a new report shows that the vast majority of African-American and Latino families who have entered the middle class are either borderline or at high risk of falling out of the middle class altogether. The 2008 study by the policy center Demos and the Institute for Assets and Social Policy (IASP) at Brandeis University shows that one in four African-American and fewer than one in five Latino middle-class families in America are financially secure. Full release

The following was issued today by the U.S. Department of Justice: "Even as I commend the hard work and collaboration of the Justice Department's Offices of Inspector General and Professional Responsibility on today's report, I am of course disturbed by their findings that improper political considerations were used in hiring decisions relating to some career employees." Full release

The Justice Department announced today the settlement of a lawsuit against Salem County and the borough of Penns Grove, N.J., alleging violations of the rights of Puerto Rican voters under the Voting Rights Act. The settlement agreement requires the county and borough to ensure that elections are equally open to Latino voters, that Spanish language assistance and materials be available at the polls, and that Spanish-speaking voters be allowed to select the assistor of their choice. Full release

A Web site and media campaign exposing the vast number of liability expanding provisions slipped into key legislation by the plaintiffs' trial bar was launched today by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR). The site, http://www.TrialLawyerEarmarks.com, illustrates the breadth and scope of the trial lawyer agenda through a tangle of vines overtaking the U.S. Capitol Building. The vines, rooted in areas of law the plaintiffs' trial bar is working to revise in order to bring more lawsuits, highlight and monitor the 48 trial lawyer provisions currently pending in the 110th Congress. Full release

"As President of The U.S. Conference of Mayors, and on behalf of the American people and America's cities, we commend the Senate, specifically Senators Harry Reid and Christopher Dodd, for their courage and action today in the passage of this most urgent and landmark housing bill. We also commend House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for standing with us, and we urge President Bush to sign this act immediately." Full release

The following is a transcript of the radio address by President Bush to the Nation: THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week, Congress voted to expand a vital program that is saving lives across the developing world -- the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, also known as PEPFAR. I thank members of Congress from both sides of the aisle for working with my Administration to pass this important bill, and I will be honored to sign it into law next week. Full release

Marca Bristo, former Chair of the National Council on Disabilities, and Bob Kafka, National Organizer for ADAPT, held a conference call today in advance of John McCain's appearance via satellite at the National Forum on Disability Issues in Columbus, Ohio. There is speculation that Senator McCain will follow Senator Obama's lead and support the Community Choice Act, despite publicly opposing the legislation as recently as this month. To listen to the remarks from the conference call, click on the link. Full release

The following was issued today by the U.S. Department of Justice: "Since 1990, the Department has worked vigorously under the Americans with Disabilities Act to protect and create opportunities for persons with disabilities," said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "Through a comprehensive program of law enforcement and technical assistance, the Department remains dedicated in its multifaceted and innovative approach to removing barriers to ensure that persons with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of American life." Full release

Recently, Frontiers of Freedom urged Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Millennium Challenge Corporation CEO John Danilovich and U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia Mark Minton to encourage the Mongolian government to support democracy, rule of law, and free markets. Full release

Laurie Magid, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Ali Amirnazmi, 64, of Berwyn, Pa., with numerous crimes relating to his participation in illegal business transactions with Iran between, in or about 1996 and in or about July 2008 and lying to federal officials about those transactions. Full release.

Imagine the environmental impact if all of California's school buses were able to double their fuel efficiency and eliminate up to 40 percent of their greenhouse gas emissions. That's not the premise for a futuristic Hollywood movie, it's reality for one California school district. IC Bus, LLC, the largest school bus manufacturer in North America and affiliate of Navistar, Inc. (NYSE: NAV), delivered a revolutionary new hybrid diesel electric school bus to Napa Valley Unified School District last August -- the only hybrid diesel electric school bus in California. Full release.

A new analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies of monthly data collected by the Census Bureau shows that the illegal immigrant population has declined significantly between last summer and May of this year. The study is the first to find quantitative evidence that illegal immigrants are leaving the country. It also examines the extent to which stepped-up enforcement and the downturn in the economy account for this trend. Full release

A mass rally outside Verizon Communications headquarters on Saturday, July 26 will bring thousands of Verizon workers and supporters to lower Manhattan, pressing Verizon to negotiate a fair contract. CWA President Larry Cohen, Vice Presidents Chris Shelton, District 1; Ron Collins, District 2 and Ed Mooney, District 13, among other speakers, will join the call for fairness for Verizon workers. Full release

GlobalGiving, the leading online marketplace for philanthropy, today launched GlobalGiving Green(TM), http://www.globalgiving.com/green, a one of a kind scoring system that measures the climate impact of social entrepreneurs and other development projects in communities around the world, from Nepal and Tanzania, to Honduras and the United States. Full release

The below memo was distributed to RNC Members this morning: Despite the most challenging environment for Republicans in years and an overwhelming advantage in attention paid by the media, Barack Obama remains unable to open the lead against John McCain that many pundits predicted. Full release

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