Media

From the Education and Labor Committee:

House Education and Labor Committee Issues Subpoenas for Sworn Testimony from Murray Energy Executives

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As part of its ongoing investigation into the events surrounding the deaths of nine men at the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah in August 2007, the House Education and Labor Committee today issued subpoenas for two top officials of the Murray Energy Corporation, which operates the mine through a wholly-owned subsidiary, to appear for depositions with committee counsel.

In a letter to the New York Times, Speaker Pelosi says, "The despair that poverty brings to millions of American children compels us to take a serious and sustained national approach."

On February 14th, Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers announced that he would remain in Washington to work on FISA issues after Republicans voted unanimously against an extension of the Protect America Act. President Bush then left on a trip to Africa after stating that he might cancel it, and House Republicans returned to their districts after pledging to stay through the recess to work on legislation. Today, Republicans prevented their staff from attending a bipartisan working meeting on FISA.

From Majority Leader Hoyer:

Washington, D.C. -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel released the following statement today on the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax of 2008 (H.R. 5351), which will be voted on in the House next week. The legislation invests in clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency and pays for that investment by repealing unnecessary tax breaks to big energy companies. It is similar to the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act (H.R. 2776) that passed the House as part of a bipartisan energy package in August 2007.

Washington, D.C. -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement on Army Chief of Staff General George Casey's comments to reporters yesterday that the stress of repeated Iraq deployments is affecting the quality of Army recruits, midlevel officer retention, and other factors that are critical for Army readiness.

"Now approaching its fifth anniversary, the war in Iraq has undermined our military readiness and our ability to confront real threats to our nation.

"General Casey's comments are another reminder that the Iraq war continues to strain our armed forces and is diminishing our military readiness and come only two weeks after Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen testified before Congress that our troops are 'significantly stressed.'

From Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's office (pdf):

FISA FACT VS. FICTION

Republicans Try to Stampede America Once Again

Republicans have resorted to fear mongering in an attempt to stampede America on a key national security issue -- the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Democrats are working hard to craft a bipartisan modernization of FISA that protects America, while protecting Americans' fundamental rights.

Let's set the record straight:

Fiction: "By not giving the professionals the tools they need, it's going to be a lot harder to do the job we need to be able to defend America."

- President George W. Bush, 2/15/08