July 30, 2010

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today on the Seniors Protection Act, introduced today by Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota. The legislation would provide retirees and other beneficiaries a one-time $250 payment if the Social Security Administration announces that there will be no cost of living adjustments for Social Security benefits in 2011: "The Seniors Protection Act provides Social Security recipients with a special payment that will help millions of Americans who rely on Social Security to make ends meet. Our legislation is fiscally responsible-it will be fully paid for, not adding a dime to the deficit-and it deserves bipartisan support from all Members of Congress. Congressional Republicans should stand behind the Seniors Protection Act and abandon their promises to pursue-once again-a risky scheme to privatize and cut Social Security, turning over our seniors' retirements to the whims of Wall Street." Full release.

USAID Administrator Shah released a statement today about the U.S. strategy to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): The Obama Administration's strategy for meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), "Celebrate, Innovate, and Sustain: Toward 2015 and Beyond," lays out a determined, strategic and results-focused plan that promises to both reenergize efforts to achieve the MDGs and strengthen the United States' voice in the global development dialogue. This strategy takes a hard look at what needs to happen to put these important goals within reach. We put innovation and sustainability at the heart of our approach and we address these core human development indicators comprehensively in order to leverage their cross-cutting synergies. Full release.

Results from a national media study among 1,019 Americans revealed that the majority of all parties reported that Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel of New York is guilty of the ethics charges brought against him by the House ethics committee. The study was conducted among self-reported Democrats, Republicans and Independents during July 29-30 by HCD Research using its MediaCurves.com® website, to obtain viewers' perceptions of a video in which Rangel declares his innocence in regard to the ethics charges. To view detailed results and believability curves from the study go to: www.mediacurves.com. After viewing the video, the majority of all parties indicated that Rangel was guilty, including 67% of Democrats, 87% of Republicans and 86% of Independents. In addition, the majority of all parties reported that the Rangel situation will hurt Democrats in the upcoming fall elections. Full release.

Southwest Airlines pilots today applauded House and Senate passage of H.R. 5900, the Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act of 2010. This bill moves forward key safety provisions that Southwest pilots have long advocated, including higher standards for pilot training, support for safety advocacy programs and a new pilot fatigue rule to help improve safety for our most precious cargo, our passengers. "This important legislation strengthens aviation safety, a longtime priority for SWAPA and Southwest Airlines," said Capt. Carl Kuwitzky, SWAPA President. "We thank the leadership and staff of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for having the vision to advance these critical reforms in Congress now when we need it most." Full release.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today to mark the 45th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid being signed into law. To mark the anniversary, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a new ad featuring Andy Griffith discussing the Affordable Care Act: "In enacting health insurance reform this year, Democrats in Congress and President Obama followed in the footsteps of the architects of Medicare and strengthened this critical initiative for our country's seniors. The law secures guaranteed benefits under Medicare, and closes the prescription drug 'donut hole,' beginning with $250 checks being sent to beneficiaries this year. Our reforms eliminate co-pays for preventive screenings and provide better-coordinated care among different doctors and health care providers. And we have extended the solvency of Medicare by more than a decade." Full release.

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), announced today that shipping of the 2010-2011 formulation of its seasonal influenza vaccine Fluzone Influenza Virus Vaccine is underway in the U.S. This first shipment represents the first of more than 70 million doses of seasonal influenza vaccine the company plans to deliver to U.S. health-care providers this season. Sanofi Pasteur is the largest supplier of influenza vaccines among the five licensed U.S. manufacturers and the only company producing inactivated influenza vaccine in the U.S. Full release.

Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA), www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org, has analyzed the U.S. military exercises off the Korean Peninsula this week . Ellison is one of the top experts in missile defense in the country. His observations are the following: "Off the Korean Peninsula this week our U.S. forces, led by the USS George Washington Battle Strike Group made up of 20 ships, 100 aircraft and 8,000 sailors, made a definitive statement to our ally, South Korea, of extending our military deterrent. This military exercise with Korean forces involved a coordinated and integrated application of both offensive and defensive forces that are required to handle a military crisis in this region of the world." Full release.

"The post-recession rebound is history. We don't foresee a double-dip, but we do expect growth to slow even more markedly, to a 1.6-percent annualized rate in the second half of the year. The expected drop in government spending will be compounded by continued weakness among consumers and business-signaled by both The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for the United States and The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index. Such a slower pace is unlikely to sustain strong profit growth, and would also weigh on employment and wages." Full release.

A group of 72 Iraqi citizens who allege they were tortured while imprisoned at detention facilities across Iraq can continue with their lawsuit against military contractor L-3 Services, Inc. and a former employee, a federal judge in Maryland ruled Thursday. In a 92-page opinion, U.S. District Court Judge Peter J. Messitte denied the defendants' motions to dismiss the Iraqis' federal and state court claims. He wrote, "On the facts alleged, Defendants' actions arguably violated the laws of war such that they are not immune from suit under the laws of war." The court also rejected claims of government contractor immunity defense. Full release.

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