Congress

Congress Awards Dalai Lama Congressional Gold Medal

September 14, 2006 -- Washington, DC – The House of Representatives approved legislation last night to award the Congressional Gold Medal to His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, in recognition of his advocacy of peace, tolerance, human rights, non-violence, and compassion throughout the world.

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who introduced the legislation in the Senate with Senator Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.), today welcomed the passage of the bill. The Senate approved the legislation on May 26.    » read more »

Senator Rick Santorum Praises Senate Passage of Legislation to Study Impact of Media on Children

September 14, 2006
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today announced that the Senate has approved bipartisan legislation, the Children Media Research and Advancement (CAMRA) Act. Senator Santorum sponsored the bill, along with Senators Joe Lieberman (D-CT), Sam Brownback (R-KS), and Hillary Clinton (D-NY).    » read more »

Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Feinstein-Specter Bill Reaffirming FISA as the Exclusive Means for Domestic Electronic Surveillance

September 13, 2006 -- Washington, DC – The Senate Judiciary Committee today voted in bipartisan fashion to approve legislation sponsored by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) that would reaffirm that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is the exclusive means by which our government can conduct electronic surveillance of U.S. persons in the United States for foreign intelligence purposes.

The Feinstein provision also makes changes to the existing FISA authorities and procedures to prevent delay in wiretapping terrorists. These changes are designed to allow surveillance applications to move faster from the field to the FISA Court, and to ensure that America gets the vital intelligence it needs, while preserving the individualized judicial review necessary to protect Americans’ legitimate privacy rights.    » read more »

Senator Clinton Leads Bipartisan Effort to Save Pensions of Delphi Workers

In a letter sent today senators call on key committee chairs to take action

September 13, 2006 -- Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today spearheaded an effort by a bipartisan group of senators to save the pensions of tens of thousands of workers and retirees at Delphi Corporation. In a letter sent to key Senate committee chairs, Senator Clinton and nine other Senators outline the dire situation Delphi is facing as it struggles to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As it stands, Delphi will be required to make $2.7 billion in payments to its pension plans immediately upon emerging from bankruptcy, a rule that could negatively affect over 7,000 New Yorkers and more than 60,000 workers and retirees nationwide.    » read more »

Senator Clinton Announces Committee Approval of Legislation to Require Disclosure of Leaks from Nuclear Plants

Bill Would Require Indian Point and Other Nuclear Plants to Notify Local Governments in the Event of Future Leaks to Groundwater

September 13, 2006 -- Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) applauded the approval today by a key Senate committee of legislation to require nuclear plant operators to quickly notify the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the state and county in which the plant is located, of any leak of radioactive substances, such as the releases from the spent fuel pools at Indian Point that occurred last August. Senator Clinton joined Senator Obama in bringing the legislation to the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, where it was unanimously approved today.    » read more »

Menendez Introduces Bill to Reopen 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund

Clinton, Lautenberg, Schumer join in offering the James Zadroga Act of 2006, to amend eligibility rules for Ground Zero-related illness and death

September 12, 2006 -- Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today introduced The James Zadroga Act of 2006 to amend the eligibility rules of the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund, extending the filing deadline beyond the original December 2003 limit so that victims and first responders who became ill – in addition to their respective family members – can still be compensated. The bill, co-sponsored by Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), will also allow for adjustment of previous awards and allow eligibility to responders and families of responders who arrived to Ground Zero after the first 96 hours.    » read more »

Senator Clinton Joins Bi-Partisan Group of Senators to Call on Bush to Help Stop the Violence in Darfur

September 12, 2006 -- Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, along with a bipartisan group of senators, sent a letter to President Bush identifying several specific steps that should be taken immediately to stem the escalating conflict in Darfur. Today’s letter calls for urgent enforcement of U.N. Security Council Resolutions that have authorized deployment of U.N. peacekeepers to Darfur, established a no-fly zone over Darfur, and enabled sanctions against Sudanese leaders and against the Sudanese petroleum sector. The letter also repeats a call from Congress for President Bush to appoint a Special Envoy for Sudan.    » read more »

Senator Clinton Applauds Release of Heating Assistance Funds

New York to Receive $25.8 Million in Heating Assistance for the Fall

September 12, 2006 -- Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton applauded the release today by the Department of Health and Human Services to New York of $25.8 million in heating assistance under the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). On August 4, Senator Clinton wrote to request the release of these “contingency” funds, which were included in an FY 2006 appropriations bill. More heating assistance for the coming winter will be provided when Congress finalizes the Fiscal Year 2007 appropriations bill for the Department of Health and Human Services.    » read more »

Senator Clinton Calls on Senate Leaders to Fix Agricultural Worker Situation Immediately

Says Congress must act to help New York farmers; Calls on Senate Majority and Minority Leaders to pass bipartisan AgJOBS Bill as soon as possible

September 12, 2006 -- Washington, DC - As the New York harvest season continues, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has written to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, stressing the urgent need to pass agricultural labor reform legislation. Senator Clinton noted that as the Senate prepares to recess without the passage of comprehensive immigration reform, a crisis is taking hold on New York’s farms.    » read more »

Senator Feinstein Calls on FAA Administrator to Address Agency’s Air Traffic Controller Staffing Shortages

September 11, 2006 -- Washington, DC – Citing the recent air traffic control tragedy in Kentucky caused by understaffing, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to immediately address the agency’s serious staffing shortages.

In a letter to FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey, Senator Feinstein also referenced problems arising from staffing shortfalls at the world’s busiest air traffic control facility, theSouthern California Terminal Radar Approach Control facility (So-Cal TRACON).    » read more »

Ten Senators Join Forces for Action on Climate Change

Urge President to Support Mandatory Caps on Emissions

September 8, 2006 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.),Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.), and Thomas Carper (D-Del.) today sent a joint letter to President Bush calling for the President to fulfill his campaign promise made six years ago to control greenhouse gas emissions.

The Senators urged the President to recognize the gravity of global warming, and move the nation toward a safer future by working to find a mandatory, comprehensive, and cost-effective strategy to reduce emissions.    » read more »

Senator Obama Statement on the 5th Anniversary of the September 11th Attacks

September 11, 2006 -- WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement on the 5th anniversary of the September 11th attacks:

"Five years after terrorists brought chaos to our doorstep, television images of falling towers and smoldering rubble can still bring back the feelings of aching loss and bitter rage as if it were yesterday. But while time may not always numb the pain, it does offer perspective on what we need to do today to better secure ourselves from those who have the will and the way to do us harm."    » read more »

Remarks of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on the Progress Since 9/11

Protecting Public Health and Safety of the Responders and Residents

September 8, 2006 -- New York, NY – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today delivered the following remarks at “Progress Since 9/11: Protecting Public Health and Safety of the Responders and Residents,” an oversight hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations into federally funded programs that register, screen, monitor and treat individuals who were in the vicinity of the World Trade Center (WTC) following the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Transcription of her remarks as delivered:    » read more »

Senate Passes Coburn-Obama Bill to Create Internet Database of Federal Spending

September 8, 2006 -- WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) today hailed the Senate's passage of the "Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act," a bill that will create a Google-like search engine and database to track approximately $1 trillion in federal grants, contracts, earmarks and loans.

"By helping to lift the veil of secrecy in Washington, this database will help make us better legislators, reporters better journalists, and voters more active citizens," Obama said. "It's both unusual and encouraging to see interest groups and bloggers on the left and the right come together to achieve results. This powerful grassroots alliance shows that at the end of the day, Americans want to see Congress work together to get something done and not continue to engage in the partisan gridlock that so often brings Capitol Hill to a grinding halt."    » read more »

Senator Feinstein Calls on State Leaders to Continue Push for Protection of California’s Coast from Offshore Drilling

September 7, 2006 -- Washington, DC – With major oil companies seeking to conduct slant oil drilling off the California coast, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is calling today on California Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles) to continue their efforts to tighten a loophole in State law that could allow for additional offshore drilling.

Senator Feinstein expressed her concern that further drilling off the coast of California could result in an environmentally devastating oil spill and thanked the two lawmakers for trying to close the loophole in the final days of the legislative session.    » read more »