Government Policy Newslinks

Tuesday
July 22, 2008

Index to today's
Federal Register

Index to yesterday's
Congressional Record
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GOVERNMENT
Supreme Court
White House
Federal Departments
Independent Agencies
Congressional Agencies
U.S. Senate
House of Representatives

INTEREST GROUPS
Topics that are covered in today's collection of interest group press releases and statements:

Banking
Detainees
Economic indicators
Environment
Health & medicine
Insurance
Media
Medicare
Military
Property rights
Small business
Voting rights

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Ed Zuckerman, Editor

White House

President
Welcomes members of the 2008 United States Olympic Team to the White House

Meets with President Sejdui and Prime Minister Thaci of the Republic of Kosovo

U.S. Trade Representative
Transcript of Ambassador Schwab's press conference in Geneva, Switzerland

Amb. Schwab's statement following the World Trade Organization meeting

Federal Departments

Commerce
Secy. Gutierrez tours the Port of Savannah to highlight pending free trade agreements and American export growth

Commerce/Census Bureau
Facts for features: Unmarried and Single Americans Week

Defense
Contract announcements for July 21

HHS
Awards $49.1 million to help states increase access to health care coverage

HHS/National Institutes of Health
Scientists define 21 new genes associated with Crohn's disease

HHS/Social Security Administration
New online service allows Americans to estimate their Social Security retirement benefits

HHS/Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
Launches new homelessness resource center website

Homeland Security/FEMA
National disaster housing strategy

Draft national disaster housing strategy released for public comment

Homeland Security/Transportation Security Administration
Millimeter wave technology is being tested at Miami International Airport, advanced technology X-ray also deployed

Interior/Bureau of Reclamation
Joins U.S. Forest Service in finding no significant impact on plans to restore native fishes in Redrock Canyon

Makes available its proposed implementation plan for "water for America" initiative

Justice
2nd man involved in domestic terrorism plot targeting military and Jewish facilities is sentenced to prison

Justice/Office of Justice Programs
Advances body armor safety

State
Secy. Rice remarks en route Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Transportation/Federal Railroad Administration
Dep. Secy. Barrett announces $1 million grant to help reduce the leading causes of rail-related deaths

Treasury
Acting Under Secy. Ryan's remarks on effective capital markets and market discipline

Treasury/Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
Announces details on intended retirement of magnetic media filing program

Treasury/Office of Thrift Supervision
Director Reich cites keys to restoring consumer confidence

USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service
Grants protection to 25 new plant varieties

USDA/Agricultural Research Service
Garden microbe foils E.coli in laboratory tests

Independent Agencies

Environmental Protection Agency
Considering delegation of Clean Water Act permitting authority to state of Alaska

Clean diesel emerging technology grant funding now available

Federal Communications Commission
Statement of Commissioner Copps at en banc hearing on broadband and the digital future

Statement of Commissioner Tate at en banc hearing on broadband and the digital future

Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight
Releases annual research paper, "Mortgage Markets and the Enterprises in 2007"

A primer on the secondary mortgage market

Securities Investor Protection Corporation
Warns investors of new identity theft "phishing" scheme involving phony request for confidential financial information

Congressional Agencies

Government Accountability Office
Commercial drivers: Certification process for drivers with serious medical conditions

Indian Health Service: Mismanagement led to millions of dollars in lost or stolen property

Influenza pandemic: Federal agencies should continue to assist states to address gaps in pandemic planning

U.S. Senate

Energy & Natural Resources
Sen. Domenici will offer offshore exploration amendment to Sen. Reid's bill to regulate oil speculation

Brown, Sherrod OH
Several senators call on USTR to defend U.S. trade law at WTO meeting

Cardin, Benjamin MD
Expresses serious concern about chilling effect of police surveillance on peaceful protest groups

Durbin, Dick IL
Seeks update on long-awaited code of conduct for Internet giants

Feingold, Russ WI
Statement in response to Atty. General's remarks on detainee hearings

Harkin, Tom IA
Statement on salmonella outbreak: National trace-back system, better FDA techniques could have identified salmonella culprit sooner

Hutchison, Kay Bailey TX
Introduces $500 million border law enforcement legislation

Kerry, John MA
Statement on reported power sharing negotiations in Zimbabwe

Introduces legislation to help low-income families pay fuel bills

Leahy, Patrick VT
Reaction to Atty. Gen. Mukasey's call for congressional action on rules for detainee hearings

Lugar, Richard IN
Introduces bill to help create ethanol pipeline

Menendez, Robert NJ
Senators push "use it or lose it" amendments to energy speculation bill

Voinovich, George OH
Statement on future of Kosovo

House of Representatives

Foreign Affairs Committee - Republicans
Ranking member Ros-Lehtinen condemns UN peacekeepers homage to Hezbollah dead

Joint Economic Committee
Top 1% of tax filers paid 39.9% of taxes paid in 2006, highest share in decades

Oversight & Government Reform Committee - Republicans
Ranking member Davis renews call for resignation or removal of U.S. Special Counsel Scott Bloch

Burton, Dan IN
A bipartisan uprising in Congress may lead to a comprehensive energy bill

Interest Groups

Banking

American Bankers Association
Court rules that National Credit Union Administration stretched the definition of "local community" to establish 3,400-square-mile region for Pennsylvania credit union

Consumers Union
Gov. Schwarzenegger signs bill that requires lenders to negotiate new mortgages for homeowners who are facing foreclosure

Credit Union National Association
Federal ruling in Pennsylvania credit union case is a disappointment

Detainees
Alliance for Justice
Atty. Gen. Mukasey's speech on detainee policy stirs false sense of urgency for needless legislation

Center for Constitutional Rights
Denounces Atty. Gen. Mukasey's scheme to delay congressional hearings on habeas corpus rights for detainees

Economic indicators
Conference Board
U.S. leading index declined 0.1% in June

Environment
Nature Conservancy
Study examines air pollution's effects on ecosystems; finds impacts that are widespread and serious

Health & medicine
American Academy of Neurology
Epilepsy drugs taken during pregnancy may increase risk of birth defects

American Podiatric Medical Association
New technology predicts healing potential of diabetic foot ulcers

Insurance
Property Casualty Insurers Association of America
Calls for federal windstorm insurance are misguided and could endanger flood insurance program

Media
Radio-Television News Directors Association
Survey shows women and minority journalists are making advances in local broadcast news

Medicare
Commonwealth Fund
Survey finds support for adding long-term care benefit to Medicare

Military
Project on Government Oversight
Photos of flight accommodations for enlisted men prove that rank has its privileges

Property rights
Mountain States Legal Foundation
Montana mine operators ask Supreme Court to hold state liable for "just compensation" for taking private property for public use

Small business
National Federation of Independent Business
Report reveals how small businesses cope in bad economic times

Voting rights
Brennan Center for Justice
Bad ballot design is blamed for staggering number of lost votes

Report: Better ballots

League of Women Voters
Calls on Veterans Administration to reverse decision and allow voter registration at VA facilities