U.S. Congress

Several Measures Opposing Iraq Troop “Surge” Introduced in Congress

by Conor Kenny — January 26, 2007 - 4:37pm
  • Topics: Iraq, U.S. Congress, Democracy, U.S. Government

    • In his State of the Union Address Tuesday night, President Bush asked Congress to not condemn his plan to send 21,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq off the bat, but to "give it a chance" first.

    Dems, Bloggers and a Four-Year-Old Respond to the State of the Union - In Video!

    by Conor Kenny — January 25, 2007 - 3:46pm
  • Topics: U.S. Congress

    • Freshman senator and rising Democratic star Jim Webb (D-Va.) delivered the main Democratic response to Bush's speech (response text). He spoke of the rising income inequality in America and the growing pressure globalization is putting on the middle and professional classes. He stopped short, however, of offering any detailed plans beyond noting that the House had passed the first minimum wage increase in 10 years. On the foreign policy front, Webb delivered a strong rebuke to Bush's troop "surge" plan:

    We need a new direction. Not one step back from the war against international terrorism. Not a precipitous withdrawal that ignores the possibility of further chaos. But an immediate shift toward strong regionally-based diplomacy, a policy that takes our soldiers off the streets of Iraq’s cities, and a formula that will in short order allow our combat forces to leave Iraq.

    Some Carbon Belchers Seek New Image on Global Warming

    by Jonathan Rosenblum — January 24, 2007 - 3:55pm

    Ten of the nation’s largest companies, including Caterpillar and former Global Climate Coalition member, Duke Power, say they now want Congressional legislation to limit climate change--including at least a 10 percent annual national decline in carbon dioxide emissions.

    Main Source: 
    San Francisco Chronicle, January 23, 2007

    As Nicotine Dose Increases, So Must Awareness of the Pitfalls of FDA Regulation

    by Anne Landman — January 23, 2007 - 11:12pm
  • Topics: Corporate Social Responsibility, Issue Management, U.S. Congress, Health, Marketing, Public Relations, Science, Tobacco

    • The Harvard School of Public Health released a study Thursday revealing that the amount of nicotine in cigarettes has increased significantly since the major American tobacco companies signed the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) in 1998. Predictably, Philip Morris (PM), in a media release available at their web site, denies the study results. The U.S. Surgeon General in 1988 warned that nicotine is as addictive as heroin and cocaine, but these drugs don't have decades of sophisticated R&D behind them aimed at heightening their addictiveness. Cigarettes, among the most highly engineered consumer products in the world, deliver nicotine into more people's bodies more times every day than aspirin. Still, they remain unregulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

    House Democrats Wrap-Up "First 100 Hours" Agenda with Passage of Energy Bill

    by Conor Kenny — January 22, 2007 - 5:44pm
  • Topics: U.S. Congress, Democracy, U.S. Government

    • In only forty-two hours of floor time, the Democratic-led House successfully passed all six of its "first 100 hours" initiatives. The final bill, the CLEAN (Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation) Energy Act of 2007, passed in a 264-163 vote last Friday.

    Political Mood Swings on Drug Industry Direct-to-Consumer Ads

    by Bob Burton — January 22, 2007 - 5:33am

    The $4 billion a year spent by the drug industry on direct-to-consumer advertising promoting drugs is generating a political backlash. "There's a lot of support for a ban on direct-to-consumer advertising, and the Democrats know it," said Gary Ruskin, Commercial Alert's executive director.

    Main Source: 
    Indianapolis Star, January 21, 2007

    New transparency in Congress

    by Conor Kenny — January 19, 2007 - 6:23pm
  • Topics: U.S. Congress, Secrecy

    • If you look beyond the headlines of the recently passed ethics reform bills, a revolutionary leap forward in transparency has been made by two members of Congress. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) have each begun posting their schedules online, which we have included in their Congresspedia profiles (see here for Gillibrand and here for Tester). The idea of letting constituents know how their elected officials spend their day seems basic but, to my knowledge, has never been tried before.

    Tester has thus far kept his previous schedules available in an online archive and Congresspedia has begun archiving Gillibrand's on the wiki, so don't worry if you don't catch her schedule on a particular day.

    Congresspedia's "Congress in the News" updates, Dec. 1-Dec. 17

    by Conor Kenny — January 18, 2007 - 4:15pm
  • Topics: Congresspedia News Updates, U.S. Congress, Democracy, U.S. Government
    • Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) announced that he will not seek the presidency in 2008. (NY Times story)
    • Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) is in stable condition following brain surgery.

    Five for Five: Democrats deliver on another "first 100 hours" initiative

    by Conor Kenny — January 17, 2007 - 6:17pm
  • Topics: U.S. Congress, Democracy, Politics, U.S. Government

    • Early Wednesday evening, the House passed the College Student Relief Act of 2007, a bill which would reduce the interest rate on subsidized federal Stafford Loans from 6.8 to 3.4 percent over a five-year period.

    New Bills Challenge President Bush's Troop "Surge"

    by Conor Kenny — January 12, 2007 - 5:15pm
  • Topics: Iraq, U.S. Congress, U.S. Government

    • In a nationally televised address Wednesday night, President Bush announced a new plan to send 21,500 more American troops into Iraq to help settle the country’s increasing violence, particularly in the capital city of Baghdad. While Bush expressed confidence in his plan, most Americans did not appear to follow. A CNN poll taken after the speech found that 66% opposed this “surge” in troop levels, while only 32% supported it.

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