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Blog Post
July 31, 2007
The House has passed the final House-Senate agreement on the Honest Leadership, Open Government Act (pdf) by a vote of 411-8. This is tough legislation designed to end the culture of corruption and restore accountability in Washington. The bill ends the tight-knit relationship between lobbyists and lawmakers and takes another major step toward making the 110th Congress the most open, honest Congress in history.
Blog Post
July 31, 2007
The Oversight Committee is currently holding a hearing, "FEMA Preparedness in 2007 and Beyond." The hearing will be focusing on the changes FEMA has undergone and not undergone in order to ensure that the federal government is prepared for and ready to respond to the next catastrophic disaster. The hearing will also examine the disaster preparedness roles for other relevant agencies within federal, state, and local government.
Blog Post
July 31, 2007
The Natural Resources Committee is currently holding a hearing, "Crisis of Confidence: The Political Influence of the Bush Administration on Agency Science and Decision-Making."
Chairman Nick Rahall gives opening remarks:
Blog Post
July 31, 2007
The Budget Committee is currently holding a hearing, "The Costs of Military Operations and Reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Witnesses:
Panel I
The Honorable Gordon England
Deputy Secretary of Defense
Accompanied by:
Tina Jonas
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
Panel II
Robert Sunshine
Blog Post
July 30, 2007
In May, the Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision, in Ledbetter v. Goodyear, that tosses aside prior law and makes it much harder for workers to pursue pay discrimination claims. The court held that a worker must file a charge of pay discrimination within 180 days of the employer's first decision to pay someone less for discriminatory reasons.
Blog Post
July 30, 2007
San Franciscans and football fans across America mourn the loss of one of the sports giants -- Bill Walsh. As the head coach of three Super Bowl winning 49ers teams, Bill Walsh is remembered as a 'The Genius' for his groundbreaking offensive strategy and as the epitome of sportsmanship.Blog Post
July 30, 2007
On July 10th, the Oversight Committee held a hearing in which Richard Carmona, who resigned as Surgeon General in 2006, gave alarming testimony about what he viewed as political and partisan pressure. During the hearing, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton questioned Richard Carmona on various reports that were censored or quashed, in particular one on Mental Health Preparedness:
| Richard Carmona: |
Blog Post
July 30, 2007
Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, along with Subcommittee Chairmen Jerrold Nadler and Robert "Bobby" C. Scott, sent the attached letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, following weekend reports that disputes over the NSA's terrorist surveillance program involved "massive electronic databases."
Full text of the letter:
July 30, 2007BY FAX AND U.S. MAIL
The Honorable Alberto R. Gonzales
Blog Post
July 30, 2007
In June the Oversight Committee held a hearing on China, which is hosting the 2008 Olympics, to use its unique influence and economic leverage to stop genocide and violence in Darfur.
Blog Post
July 28, 2007
Yesterday, the House of Representatives kept their promise to protect and defend the American people with the passage of the conference report for H.R.1, the first bill passed by the Democratic-led Congress that implements the recommendations of the bipartisan independent 9/11 Commission. In assuming power, Democrats promised a New Direction for America. Nowhere was this more critical than in ensuring the safety of the American people.