Democracy

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 10—The president of the American Bar Association today called on Congress to scrap a week-old law expanding the government’s power to eavesdrop on U.S. citizens.

Karen J. Mathis, president of the nation’s largest lawyers’ association, also said that most Americans have gradually come to see the importance of preserving constitutional liberties, even as the struggle against terrorist violence continues.    » read more »

Says Changes Recommended by Voting Machine Examination Committee Must First Be Adopted and Machines Re-tested by NJIT

August 10, 2007 -- Trenton, NJ – The New Jersey Voting Machine Examination Committee has rejected immediate certification of voter verified paper record systems for electronic voting machines in use in 20 of the state’s 21 counties, recommending a number of fixes before the machines could be used in elections. The committee said the systems met core criteria, but certain shortcomings needed to be corrected before approval.    » read more »

August 08, 2007 -- (Frankfort, KY) On a day when thousands of Kentuckians read about Secretary of State Trey Grayson’s plan to provide greater accountability in Kentucky’s elections process, Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo again issued reckless allegations to garner headlines while stating that he does not support Voter Verified Paper Records (VVPRs) for Kentucky elections.    » read more »

10 August 2007 -- Candidates in Saturday’s Sierra Leone presidential elections are brimming with confidence to succeed outgoing President Ahmed Tijan Kabbah. Incumbent Vice President Solomon Berewa of the ruling Sierra Leon’s People Party (SLPP) is expected to face a stiff challenge from opposition parties who have reportedly tapped into the ruling party’s usual strongholds. Political analysts say Vice President Berewa’s popularity took a nosedive after he pulled out of a recent presidential debate.    » read more »

New Laws Open Ethics Commission Hearings And Regulate Political Legal Defense Funds

8/9/2007 -- Raleigh - North Carolina Governor Mike Easley today signed legislation to open state Ethics Commission hearings and regulate funds set up to raise legal defense money for public officials. The bills are:

House Bill 1111: ''An act to make clarifying changes to the State Government Ethics Act, the Legislative Ethics Act and the lobbying laws.''    » read more »

Aug. 6, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Legislation passed just before Congress left town for its August recess makes long-overdue changes to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that will speed agency responses to records requests and help open the government to average citizens, Public Citizen said today.

The Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National Government Act (S. 849), known as the OPEN Government Act, passed the Senate by unanimous consent on Friday night. Similar legislation passed the House of Representatives overwhelmingly in March.    » read more »

Aug. 1, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Public Citizen today sent a letter to Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) urging the senator to allow a key open government measure to proceed. Kyl has blocked the bill for months.    » read more »

CHICAGO August 6, 2007 -- The American Bar Association is deeply concerned that in passing revisions to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Congress has allowed a great expansion of the warrantless surveillance of American citizens, without adequate checks and balances to prevent invasions of privacy.    » read more »

August 7, 2007 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) yesterday asked for and received a letter from Admiral Mike McConnell, Director of National Intelligence, detailing assurances he made to Senators on Friday evening that temporary modifications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act will not infringe on the rights of Americans.

Admiral McConnell’s letter is attached below.

The following is Senator Feinstein’s comment:    » read more »

August 2, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor in support of the Honest Government and Leadership Act. This legislation would provide increased transparency and accountability, reduce the influence of lobbyists and special interests, and bring about the concrete changes we need in Washington. In January, Obama joined with Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) to introduce Lobbying and Ethics Reform Act, which set a standard for strong ethics legislation this Congress.    » read more »

August 3, 2007 -- Washington, DC — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the following remarks on the floor of the U.S. Senate today in support of the Rockefeller-Levin bill to modernize FISA and in opposition to the Bond bill:

“I appreciate the hard work that all sides have put into developing this legislation. This is a very difficult and controversial matter, with critically important national security and civil liberties concerns that cannot be and have not been taken lightly.    » read more »

Resolutions Condemn President and Administration Officials for Misconduct Leading Up to and During Military Involvement in Iraq, and for Undermining the Rule of Law

August 6, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) and U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) have introduced two censure resolutions in their respective chambers condemning the president, vice president and the attorney general for misconduct regarding our military involvement in Iraq and for their repeated assaults on the rule of law at home.    » read more »

Kerry's "Duke Cunningham Act" Included in Sweeping Legislation

08/02/2007 -- WASHINGTON D.C. – Senator John Kerry applauded the passage of historic, sweeping ethics legislation reforms today, which will fundamentally change the way business is done in Washington. The law makes good on a promise Democrats made when they regained the majority in the House and Senate, which was to force much-needed reforms in the way Congress operates.    » read more »

August 2, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate today, with the support of Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill, voted to enact sweeping ethics reforms that significantly tighten the rules related to earmarks and congressional lobbying. Already known among her colleagues as a fiscal conservative and a critic of the secretive earmark process, McCaskill spoke on Senate floor in favor of the overall package, suggesting there was still room for additional progress.    » read more »

August 3, 2007 -- Mr. LEAHY: Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate has passed the Leahy-Cornyn Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National Government Act” (the “OPEN Government Act”), S.849, before adjourning for the August recess. This important Freedom of Information Act legislation will strengthen and reinvigorate FOIA for all Americans.    » read more »