September 17, 2008

CITGO, a Delaware corporation, pleaded guilty today and was sentenced to pay a $13 million fine for the negligent discharge of pollutants into two rivers in Louisiana in violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Justice Department announced. The $13 million fine is the largest ever for a criminal misdemeanor violation of the Clean Water Act. Full release

Today Representative Betty McCollum attended an Obama for America press conference at the Democratic National Committee in Washington, DC, joining Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to discuss Senator Obama and Senator Biden's record of fighting for issues of concern to women and American families -- and John McCain's plan to offer more of the same failed Bush policies for women and families. Representative McCollum and Speaker Pelosi were joined by Representatives Jan Schakowsky, Rosa DeLauro, Donna Edwards, Linda Sanchez and Diana DeGette. Full release

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has invited Senator Joseph Biden and Governor Sarah Palin to participate in a nationally televised Vice Presidential Forum on Crime and Homeland Security. The forum, scheduled for Sunday, October 5 (with a backup date of October 12), will be held at the University of Richmond, in Richmond, Virginia. Full release

Jeffrey Levi, Executive Director of Trust for America's Health (TFAH), testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA and Related Agencies today. TFAH has long advocated increases in the FDA's budget, staff, accountability and transparency. Levi urged the FDA to provide a specific budget request to Congress for its "Food Protection Plan," the modernization strategy it announced in November 2007. The FDA has not yet told Congress how it would spend funds to implement their improvement plan. Full release

House passage of a bill that strips away authority from the District of Columbia Council was both proper and expected for a number of reasons, the Second Amendment Foundation said today. Full release

HCD Research, Inc. announced today that it will conduct a study using text messaging and web polling to obtain Americans' real-time responses to key issues during the upcoming presidential debates. Full release

The Republican National Committee (RNC) launched the "Biden His Time Clock" today, counting down the time since Sen. Joe Biden was asked to release his earmarks. Republicans called on Biden to release his earmarks on Friday, September 12, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. Full release

Senator Debbie Stabenow will speak with reporters on a conference call this morning at 11:00 am to discuss how John McCain's policies would mean more of the same for struggling Michigan families. Full release

The Republican National Committee (RNC) today launched a new friend update to its social networking Web site, http://www.BarackBook.com. The most recent friend update includes Kim Elton, the chairman of Alaska's Legislative Council and an Obama supporter. BarackBook will be updated routinely between now and Election Day with additional, new Obama friends. Users can receive automated updates or invite others to view BarackBook by installing the Facebook application here. Full release

The Democratic National Committee today released a web video called "Fundamentally Strong?" highlighting McCain's out-of-touch claim yesterday that "the fundamentals of the economy are strong" even as Americans watched the stock market plunge and saw their savings and retirement slip away and as two major financial institutions went belly up. Full release

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