Archive: 2007

“‘Today, in our fifth year of war in Iraq, the readiness of our forces has declined precipitously as the result of lengthy deployments. Our soldiers are serving their third and fourth tours of duty in Iraq, a war without end. This is unacceptable, especially at a time when the most recent National Intelligence Estimate shows that al Qaeda is gaining strength and the threat of terrorism against the United States is growing.”

“‘Effective drug treatments have improved both the health and quality of life for thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS. However, many uninsured, low-income HIV-positive individuals still do not have access to these life-saving medications because they individuals generally do not meet Medicaid requirements until they are disabled by full-blown AIDS. As a result, there is a pressing need to eliminate barriers to early drug therapy.”

The House has just passed the final House-Senate agreement on the America COMPETES Act, H.R. 2272 by a vote of 367-57. This legislation is the culmination of a year and a half-long, bipartisan effort to pass an Innovation Agenda that boldly responds… Continue

Today, in our fifth year of war in Iraq, the readiness of our forces has declined precipitously as the result of lengthy deployments. Our soldiers are serving their third and fourth tours of duty in Iraq, a war without end. This is… Continue

The House has just passed H.R. 3159, Ensuring Military Readiness Through Stability and Predictability Deployment Policy Act by a vote of 229-194. The bill mandates troop rest times equal to their deployment times, similar to an amendment by Senator Jim Webb, D-Va… Continue

“The House yesterday approved legislation vastly expanding a federal health insurance program for the children of the working poor, shrugging off a fresh veto threat from President Bush and the fierce opposition of House Republicans.”

This evening, the House passed the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act (CHAMP), H.R. 3162, by a vote of 225-204. The bill provides health care to 11 million children, reverses the Republican drive to privatize Medicare, and strengthens our Medicare system. Insuring… Continue

“‘My long-stated goal has been to bring to the floor a strong energy bill that builds on the unity we have within the Democratic Caucus.”

“‘They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but the phrase ‘9/11’ is worth more than a thousand pictures. Pictures of the faces of the families of 9/11 who came to lobby Congress to establish the Commission in the first place. Without their leadership and advocacy, there would have been no 9/11 Commission, and therefore no 9/11 Commission legislation today.”

Today, Congressional Leaders met with President Bush at the White House about continuing disagreements on the fiscal year 2008 spending bills. At the end of the meeting, the leaders told reporters that they hoped that there could be fruitful negotiations with the… Continue