Government Policy Newslinks

Monday
August 4, 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:
Congress
Detainees
Discrimination
Economic indicators
Food safety
Health & medicine
Immigration
Insurance
Internet
Nutrition
Taxation

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Ed Zuckerman, Editor

White House

President
Weekly radio address: Oil and gas drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf

Press Secretary
Fact sheet: Protecting our prosperity

U.S. Trade Representative
Statement on Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

Federal Departments

Commerce
Secy. Gutierrez statement on July employment report

Defense
Contract announcements for August 1

Defense/Army
Preparatory school for prospective soldiers is set to open at Fort Jackson, S.C.

Director of National Intelligence
DNI Director McConnell statement on revision to Executive Order 12333

Energy
Awards $15 million for nuclear fuel cycle technology research and development

Sequestration project injects carbon dioxide in New Mexico coalbed while simultaneously recovering natural gas

Energy/Argonne National Laboratory
Researchers create device to verify authenticity of expensive wines

HHS/National Cancer Institute
Research explains how dormant tumor cells become active in later years

HHS/National Institutes of Health
Publishes new resources about urologic and kidney disorders

Scientists develop sensitive salivary sensor

Publishes guide to help women with diabetes through health pregnancies

Immune system protein is an accurate predictor of survival in pediatric septic shock

HHS/Office of Inspector General
Review of Medicare Part D contracting for 2006 contract year

National Cancer Institute's monitoring of research project grants

Homeland Security/CBP
Vehicle tracks on Indian reservation land lead agents to abandoned pickup truck with 2,800 pounds of marijuana

Arizona border agents find 42 pounds of cocaine concealed inside roof of a minivan

Interior
Secy. Kempthorne announces national plan to combat invasive species

Interior/Fish & Wildlife Service
Secy. Kempthorne announces conservation mechanism for threatened and endangered species

Justice/Criminal division
2 physicians plead guilty in international Internet conspiracy that generated $126 million from illegal sales of prescription drugs

Justice/FBI
Confirms significant developments in anthrax investigation but cannot divulge details at this time

Justice/Tax division
Court orders family to pay capital gains tax on $204 million from sale of business

Labor/BLS
Statement to Joint Economic Committee on July employment and unemployment figures

Unemployment rate rose to 5.7% in July as 51,000 jobs disappear

USDA
Releases $1.3 million to support agricultural marketing projects

Announces help for drought-stricken counties in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas

USDA/Agricultural Research Service
New germplasm could help protect avocados from root rot disease

USDA/Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
Seeking perfect insect to counterattack garlic mustard

Independent Agencies

Environmental Protection Agency
2 Massachusetts seafood processors face penalties for hazardous chemical violations

Export-Import Bank of the U.S.
Approves $850 million in loan guarantees to support U.S. oil and gas field development exports to Mexico

Federal Communications Commission
Agency stakes regulatory authority over Internet with order against Comcast network management practices

Examines collection of regulatory fees that fund the Commission's operations

Consents with conditions to Verizon Wireless acquisition of Rural Cellular Corp. licenses

Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
SunTrust Bank acquires the insured deposits of First Priority Bank of Bradenton, FL

Makes public June enforcement actions

National Fire Information Center
Situation report for August 2

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.
Solicits strategic investment partnerships to allocate funds to private equity and real estate portfolios

Securities & Exchange Commission
Advisory committee recommendations to improve financial reporting for investors

Obtains court injunction to halt tire recycling scam

U.S. International Trade Commission
Makes textile determinations under African Growth and Opportunity Act

Congressional Agencies

Government Accountability Office
Combating terrorism: Actions needed to enhance implementation of trans-Sahara counterterrorism partnership

Information technology: Agencies need to establish comprehensive policies to address changes to projects' cost, schedule, and performance goals

Rebuilding Iraq: DOD and State Dept. have improved oversight and coordination of private security contractors in Iraq, but further actions are needed to sustain improvements

Veterans Affairs: Continued action needed to reduce IT equipment losses and correct control weaknesses

U.S. Senate

Environment & Public Works Committee
Chairman Boxer to file amicus brief in California's legal challenge against EPA's refusal to grant pollution waiver

Environment & Public Works Committee - Republicans
Ranking member Inhofe admonishes Democratic leadership for failure to address $4-plus gasoline prices

Finance Committee
Chairman Baucus introduces legislation for research into the comparative effectiveness of health care practices

Cardin, Benjamin MD
Asks GAO to investigate credit card interchange fees

Clinton, Hillary NY
July employment report reveals "the consequences of President Bush's disastrous economic policies"

Cornyn, John TX
Requests Justice Dept. investigation into "disturbing statistics" on military voting

Durbin, Dick IL
Threatens to hold Dept. of Energy nominees hostage until FuturGen contract is extended

Feingold, Russ WI
Introduces legislation to prohibit secret revisions to executive orders

Grassley, Chuck IA
Asks Attorney General Mukasey to ensure that votes cast by military personnel will be counted

Hatch, Orrin UT
Introduces bill to overturn Supreme Court decision that wrongly narrowed the definition of "disability"

Kerry, John MA
MIT solar research breakthrough will "change the way we think about renewable energy"

Klobuchar, Amy MN
DHS hires former Minnesota DOT official who was fired for misuse of state funds and violations of state ethics policies

Leahy, Patrick VT
Introduces legislation to reverse Supreme Court's medical device decision

Lieberman, Joe CT
Introduces legislation to bring clarity to Supreme Court's decision extending habeas rights to detainees

Menendez, Robert NJ
Calls on SEC to require oil companies to disclose unused oil and gas leases to investors

Introduces legislation to extend e-verify program to help employers ascertain visa status of prospective employees

Murray, Patty WA
Introduces bill to remove matching fund requirement for Homeland Security grants to local communities

Reid, Harry NV
July jobs report reveals Hispanic unemployment is disproportionately high

Webb, Jim VA
Introduces legislation to require congressional approval of Iraq security agreements

Wyden, Ron OR
Introduces legislation to equalize taxation of satellite television with cable or Internet television

House of Representatives

Armed Services Committee
Chairman Skelton on the principle for a national strategy

Education & Labor Committee - Republicans
Continued job declines underscore need for energy reform, pro-growth policies

Energy & Commerce Committee
Questions Internet network operators about their data collection practices

Joint Economic Committee - Republicans
Unemployment rises while Gross Domestic Product growth rate accelerates

Oversight & Government Reform Committee
Chairman Waxman sets 2-week deadline for EPA to deliver Clean Water Act decision documents

Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
Leaders introduce legislation to impede Canadian National Railroad's acquisition of Chicago area rail line

Veterans Affairs Committee - Republicans
House approves Military Construction-VA Appropriations Bill

Ways & Means Committee
July jobs report shows unemployment at its highest rate in 4 years

Allen, Tom ME
Demands immediate correction on FDA's warning about consumption of lobster tomalley

Bachman, Michele MN
Introduces legislation to allow BLM leasing of federal lands containing oil shale

DeLauro, Rosa CT
July job report shows results of Bush Administration's abysmal economic policies

Goodlatte, Bob VA
Seeks to open Virginia portion of Outer Continental Shelf to oil and gas exploration and production

Holt, Rush NJ
Statement regarding developments in FBI's anthrax investigation

Jones, Walter NC
Legislation would lift Pentagon's ban on media coverage of ceremonies for deceased military personnel

Kucinich, Dennis OH
House votes to reauthorize the Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural Program as part of higher education bill

Markey, Edward MA
FCC's Comcast action signals importance of Internet freedom to the future of telecom policy

Leading Internet and broadband companies are asked to provide details about their use of user-tracking technology

Miller, Gary CA
Introduces legislation to strengthen enforcement of ban against employing illegal aliens

Murphy, Chris CT
House votes to allow non-partisan voter registration at VA facilities

Obey, Dave WI
House approves 41.5-cents per mile reimbursement for veterans trips to VA facilities

Pelosi, Nancy CA
July report is 7th consecutive month of job losses

Bush must speak for human rights during visit to China for Olympics

Waters, Maxine CA
Introduces bill to protect poor countries from so-called "vulture funds"

Wittman, Rob VA
Introduces legislation to redirect Chesapeake Bay restoration activities

Interest Groups

Congress

National Taxpayers Union
Renews call for denying congressional pensions for convicted felons in wake of Sen. Stevens' indictment

Detainees
Human Rights First
Retired military leaders call on political parties to reject torture

Discrimination
Anti-Defamation League
Pentagon report blames anti-Semitism in removal of security clearance for a Jewish DOD employee

National Council of Jewish Women
House votes to forbid gender-based pay discrimination

Economic indicators
Institute for Supply Management
Overall economy grew for 81st consecutive month in July

Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI
Institute for Supply Management Index shows manufacturing in a "mild downward drift"

Food safety
Consumer Federation of America
Legislation to modernize FDA food safety authority doesn’t require inspection at all food processing plants

Consumers Union
Salmonella outbreak provides perfect opportunity to approve FDA food safety inspection bill

Produce Marketing Association
Regulations to assure food safety should be applied on a global basis

Health & medicine
American Association for Cancer Research
Lab study shows methadone breaks resistance in untreatable forms of leukemia

Immigration
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Government plan to encourage illegal aliens to report voluntarily for deportation is "in the realm of the bizarre"

Infrastructure
Portland Cement Association
Inadequate investment in infrastructure repair has economic and environmental impacts

Insurance
National Association of Insurance Commissioners
21st edition of Insurance Department Resources Report compares insurance regulatory agencies in 50 states

Internet
Communications Workers of America
Comcast ruling shows effectiveness of FCC broadband principles

Food Marketing Institute
Legislation seeks to combat sale of stolen goods over the Internet

Media Access Project
FCC's Comcast decision is grounded in 70 years of regulatory and judicial precedent

Progress & Freedom Foundation
FCC action against Comcast is a perplexing intervention in a technical dispute

Public Knowledge
FCC action against Comcast protects Internet from unacceptable behavior

Recording Industry Association of America
FCC's decision in Comcast case doesn't impair network managers' authority to block unlawful theft of copyrighted works

Retail Industry Leaders Association
Legislation seeks to curb use of Internet for fencing stolen merchandise

USTelecom
FCC action in Comcast case demonstrates there is no need for legislation

Nutrition
Public Citizen
Urges federal court to uphold San Francisco requirement for fast-food restaurants to disclose nutrition values on menus

Taxation
National Association for the Self-Employed
New housing law includes credit card reports to IRS that is troublesome for entrepreneurs