Dianne Feinstein

Agreement would raise fleet-wide fuel economy standards to 35 mpg by 2020

November 30, 2007 -- Washington, DC – A landmark, bipartisan agreement on increasing fuel economy standards has been reached by key Senate and House negotiators.    » read more »

Calls on All Levels of Government to Become Better Prepared; San Diego hearing held to gather facts to improve fire safety, firefighting, disaster aid

November 27, 2007 -- San Diego – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today chaired a field hearing here of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, to investigate the recent devastating wildfires that struck Southern California.    » read more »

November 20, 2007 -- “This will be the most important gun decision since the Miller case in 1939. (U.S. v. Miller)

In Miller, the Supreme Court spoke loud and clear, and held unanimously that prosecuting someone for transporting a sawed-off shotgun did not violate the Second Amendment. For more than 60 years, the Miller case has been settled law, and it has meant that states could enact reasonable restrictions on firearms.    » read more »

Seeks to determine if red tape slowed response to Southern California wildfires

November 20, 2007 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today sent letters to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and California Department of Forestry and Fire Ruben Grijalva, asking them for a full accounting of the deployment of military aircraft to fight the recent wildfires that devastated Southern California.    » read more »

November 16, 2007 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chairman of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, today called on the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents to provide further explanation regarding allegations that political pressure influenced the content of a recent exhibit on the Arctic.    » read more »

Bills introduced in wake of devastating Southern California wildfires

November 16, 2007 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today introduced a series of bills to encourage state and local governments to improve fire-prevention efforts in areas prone to wildfires, to increase federal recovery aid to victims of major disasters, and to require states to create data bases to keep track of criminal arsonists.    » read more »

Senators Feinstein & Snowe: 9th Circuit Court Decision on Federal Fuel Economy Standards for Light Trucks and SUVs Underscores Need for Senate-Approved Ten-in-Ten Fuel Economy Legislation

November 15, 2007 -- Washington, DC – In the wake of the decision of the 9th Circuit Court to throw out the inadequate federal fuel economy increases for light trucks and SUVs, U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) today renewed calls for enacting the Senate-approved legislation to raise fleetwide fuel economy by 10 miles per gallon over 10 years.    » read more »

November 15, 2007 --Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate last night approved legislation sponsored by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) to extend the sale of the highly successful Breast Cancer Research Stamp for four additional years beyond the current expiration date of December 31, 2007. The legislation is cosponsored by a bipartisan coalition of 61 additional Senators.

According to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, the Breast Cancer Research Stamp has raised more money than any other fund-raising stamp.    » read more »

Lawmakers say Indiana’s voter photo-ID requirements are inconsistent with, and preempted by, federal law

November 14, 2007 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Representative Robert Brady (D-Pa.) and Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) have filed an amicus curiae brief in the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that Indiana’s photo-identification requirements for federal elections are inconsistent with federal law and create unfair obstacles to voting.    » read more »

Funding approved in wake of deadly Southern California wildfires

November 8, 2007 -- Washington, DC – The Senate and House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly today to approve $500 million sought by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Representative Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) for emergency fire suppression, risk reduction and recovery needs required because of this year’s catastrophic fire season.    » read more »

November 8, 2007 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today issued the following statement praising the Senate’s vote to override President Bush’s veto of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA):

“Today marks the first successful override of a veto by President Bush. The Senate today stood up to the President and overrode his veto of the Water Resources Development Act. This sends the message that we are committed to protecting our nation’s water infrastructure.    » read more »

November 8, 2007 -- Washington, DC -- U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) participated today in a telephonic news conference organized by the Center for Reproductive Rights. The purpose of the conference call, which was moderated by the Center's President Nancy Northrup, was to discuss the state of reproductive rights in the United States.

Following is the text of her remarks for the conference call:

“Thank you, Nancy [Northrup]. Thank you for what the Center for Reproductive Rights is doing.    » read more »

November 7, 2007 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today sent a letter to FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison asking him to prepare for the next natural disaster to strike California by storing mobile housing units in the state.

Senator Feinstein’s letter notes that FEMA currently has 2,365 mobile housing units stored in several locations. But none are located in Western states, and the storage facility closest to California is 1,500 miles from the state.

Following is the text of the letter sent by Senator Feinstein:

November 7, 2007    » read more »

November 6, 2007 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today urged members of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions and Family Policy to approve a measure she has introduced to protect retirement benefits for public service workers.

The Subcommittee today held a hearing on two provisions of the Social Security Act—the “Government Pension Offset” and the “Windfall Elimination Provision”—which effectively reduce the retirement benefits earned by public employees such as teachers, police officers, and firefighters.    » read more »

November 5, 2007 -- "Today is the Global Day of Action on Cluster Bombs. It is a day dedicated to helping to raise awareness about the dangers that these weapons pose to civilians around the world. And I am pleased to add my voice in support of the efforts of the Cluster Munitions Coalition today.

The good news is that we have made a number of important strides this year in the effort to protect innocent civilians from these lethal relics of war.    » read more »