Congress late on Terrorist classification by Joey Nolan, May 8, 2008 (8:55am)
Would take members of the ANC off the Terrorist watch list. By law the United States has to consider the now ruling government of South Africa a Terrorist Organization, because of their rebel opposition to apartheid. H.R. 5593 would remove them from this list. This action should have been taken at the very least fifteen years ago.
EB-5 by Joey Nolan, May 8, 2008 (7:12am)
P-1 athletes by Joey Nolan, May 7, 2008 (8:49pm)
HR 5060 is a bill allowing P-1 athletes to seek extensions to stay in the United States beyond 10 years, which is the current limit on the status. If the bill eventually becomes law, P-1 athletes will be able to extend in five year increments for as long as they can demonstrate they qualify in the category.
S 423 by Joey Nolan, May 7, 2008 (8:18pm)
DTV by Joey Nolan, May 2, 2008 (6:23am)
S. 2507 would allow stations within fifty miles of the U.S. Mexican border to maintain analog signals after the 2009 mandatory switch to digital transition. The DTV Border Fix Act allows residents along the border who are slow to make the change and still receiving analog channels from Mexico can get local emergency alerts, news and weather from U.S stations.
Wahington DC autonomy by Joey Nolan, May 1, 2008 (9:52pm)
Bill HR 1054 would give more autonomy to the District of Colombia in terms of its budget. Currently the United States Congress has absolute authority in “all cases whatsoever” in budgetary and legislative authority over the District. HR 1054 would not eliminate this clause but would allow the district to make its own financial decision without the process of having every decision to gain congressional approval before the District may implement it.
Route 91 by Joey Nolan, Apr 25, 2008 (7:05am)
Amend Misinterpreted Excessive Regulation In Corporate America Act by Joey Nolan, Apr 24, 2008 (10:12pm)
H.R. 1049 attempts to mitigate the unintended costs on businesses of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Supporters contend that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is ruining the U.S. economy by giving incentives for US business to invest outside the country and also places unneeded/unwanted government regulation upon businesses and their board of directors. A main supporter of H.R. 1049 is Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was virtually opposed by most large-business organizations as well as small government advocacy groups. The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI)and Free Enterprise Fund appear to support H.R. 1049, although no direct statement from these groups can be found. The Free Enterprise Fund was born as a direct reaction to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and has vowed to oppose. In 2007 their case against the Sarbanes-Oxley was dismissed and their has not been much activity since
In case of death by Joey Nolan, Apr 24, 2008 (8:19pm)
Bill would amend 1971 Federal Election Campaign Act so that if a person running for federal office was to die during the campaign, the candidate of the campaign may choose an individual(s) to procure those funds derived from campaigning.
widespread support for H.R. 1043 by Joey Nolan, Apr 24, 2008 (8:04pm)
HR 1043 is a bipartisan bill that would improve existing historic preservation tax credit for the restoration and rehabilitation of the nation’s vacant and underutilized historic buildings. HR 1043 would further the mission of the historic tax credit by encouraging the rehabilitation of smaller commercial projects in the nation’s main streets and older neighborhoods, in particularly towards affordable housing and community revitalization.
There is widespread support for this bill among banks, lending agencies, historic preservation groups and affordable housing advocates.
HR 1026 by Joey Nolan, Apr 18, 2008 (6:14am)
Agricultural Export Facilitation Act of 2007.Would facilitate the sale of U.S. agricultural products to Cuba by providing for general license authority for travel-related expenditures for persons engaging in salesand marketing activities for agricultural products or in the transportation by sea or air
of such products; authorizing a consular officer to issue a temporary visa for a Cuban national conducting activities related to the purchase of U.S. agricultural goods,
CRS-43 including phytosanitary inspections; clarifying the “payment of cash in advance” term used in the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA)
to mean that the payment by the purchaser and the receipt of such payment to the
seller occurs prior to the transfer of title of the commodity or product to the purchaser
and the release of control of such commodity or product to the purchaser; and
prohibiting the President from restricting direct transfers from a Cuban financial
institution to a U.S. financial institution for U.S. agricultural sales under TSRA.
Introduced February 13, 2007; referred to House Committees on Foreign Affairs,
Judiciary, Financial Services, and Agriculture.
Vicente Beltran Luna by Joey Nolan, Apr 10, 2008 (7:42am)
Vicente Beltran Luna, at the age of 25, came to the United States from San Miguel Allende, Mexico, and began work for a dairy in Floresville, Texas, in August 1998. Vicente Beltran Luna and five other individuals lived in a shed at the dairy that formerly housed chickens and dogs. On March 16, 2000, as Vicente Beltran Luna was removing his belongings from the shed, where living conditions were deplorable, an explosion and fire erupted from methane fumes that leaked from a septic tank pipe. Vicente Beltran Luna suffered third-degree burns over fifty-five percent of his body, which has required numerous painful surgeries, skin grafts, corrective eyelid surgery, and the amputation of all but three fingers. Vicente Beltran Luna still needs to receive extensive surgeries and rehabilitation. In a legal settlement with the dairy, Vicente Beltran Luna was awarded sufficient funds to ensure his financial solvency for the remainder of his life. Granting Vicente Beltran Luna permanent legal residency in the United States would allow him to receive the follow-up medical attention that he continues to need, without imposing any financial burden on the taxpayer.
Controversy by Joey Nolan, Apr 2, 2008 (7:11am)
The main controversy over this bill involves Title IV. Title IV would change bankruptcy laws by giving bankruptcy judges the latitude to reduce interest rates and the amount that is owed on mortgages to at-risk homeowners faced with bankruptcy. The supporters of this bill, civil rights groups, consumer groups, anti-poverty groups and labor Unions strongly support this provision. Opponents contend that they would support s 2636 if the Title IV provision was dropped. The bill was stalled in the Senate due to the controversy over this provision. Then the bill was amended and transferred to HR 3221, formerly an energy measure, without the controversial provision (though it will be offered as an amendment).
Bill an overreaction by Joey Nolan, Apr 1, 2008 (2:28am)
S. 735, Terrorist Hoax Improvements Act of 2007, proposed by Senator Kennedy in May of last year was a reactionary bill to a marketing campaign gone wrong in the city of Boston. For more information look up “2007 Boston bomb Scare” or “The Great Mooninite Scare of 2007”.
S. 735 “Terrorist Hoax Improvements Act of 2007” has now been incorporated into S. 2084, “School Safety and Law Enforcement Improvement Act of 2007 by Senator Leahy. Bill S. 2084 is opposed by anti-gun control groups
Prehistoric Trackways by Joey Nolan, Mar 27, 2008 (8:51am)
The “Prehistoric Trackways National Monument Establishment Act” (S.275) would create a new national monument out of approximately 5,367 acres of Bureau of Land Management land and preserve it for further scientific investigation. If approved, the new monument would be part of the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System.
The Paleozoic trackways site is located on public land managed by the BLM in the Robledo Mountains in south-central New Mexico. The area is located within a sequence of sedimentary rocks representing a transition zone between marine and continental environments that existed during the early Permian period (280 million years ago).n 1987, Las Cruces resident Jerry MacDonald discovered a major Paleozoic trackways area. Over the next few years, other significant sites were also discovered by MacDonald. The resources that have been found in the Robledos are considered by scientists who have examined them to be the largest, and scientifically, the most important Paleozoic fossil footprint discovery ever made in the western United States and possibly the world. The trackways are extremely diverse and varied, and appear to represent a very broad spectrum of ancient animal life; including the 11 foot long, fin-backed Dimetrodon and the big headed amphibian Batrachichnus, as well as other reptiles, amphibians, insects and other invertebrates. They also represent not just an occasional footprint, but entire trackways where different animals had left a record of activity. This is considered the best locality in the world for early Permian tetrapod trackways.
In 1990, the Congress passed legislation sponsored by Senator Bingaman along with Senator Domenici and Representative Skeen which withdrew 736 acres around the trackway site and called for a study of the area. In 1993, the BLM using its resource management planning process designated 720 acres as a Research Natural Area (RNA). The study was completed in 1994 and gave a range of alternatives for protection, most of which were implemented, including an agreement BLM initiated with the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science to ensure professional curation of fossils. The Museum holds the largest collection of these important fossils to allow for scientific study and interpretation from around the world.
This bill is a reintroduction of Bill S 3599 introduced by Senator Bingaman and cosposered by Senator Domenici, both from New Mexico, in 2006. It died in Senate last year after failure to come to a vote. S 275 contains essentially the same language as S. 3599. S. 3599 was opposed by off-road vehicle and recreation groups such as the Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC), New Mexico Off Highway Alliance (NMOHUA), Lasa Cruces Four Wheel Drive Club, and also the Las Cruces Home Builders Association (LCHBA)
S. 3599 was supported by the Paleozoic Trackways Foundation and the Wilderness Society.
bill would increase funding by Joey Nolan, Mar 25, 2008 (5:57am)
S. 264 the Wallowa Lake Dam Rehabilitation and Water Management Act of 2007 is a bill that would increase the amount of money paid by the federal government to the Associated Ditch Companies (ADC) in the management and rehabilitation of the Wallowa Lake Dam. This bill saw more controversy in 2004 under bill number S.1355 and S.231, in which it was first introduced, to provide federal funds (and regulation) to the previously privately held dam. ACD and the Grande Ronde Model Water shed must put up 1:1 match funding of the federal government.
consumer protection? by Joey Nolan, Mar 13, 2008 (7:01pm)
The bill requires any entity engaged in interstate commerce to notify any person whose electronic, sensitive, personally identifiable information, has been, or is reasonably believed to have been breached. Notification must be made to each individual believed to be affected with additional notification to law enforcement and credit reporting agencies under certain circumstances. Critics argue that the “circumstances” allow too much leeway in that the industries determine what “significant risk” or “loss”: is.
Bill S. 239 has been paired with S. 495 the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act, and contains almost identical language. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt)claims the amended bill now enjoys the support of the amended bill now enjoys support from Microsoft, the Center for Democracy and Technology, Consumers Union, Cyber Security Industry Alliance and Consumer Federation of America. (note) Researcher could find no official statement from Microsoft about this bill.
S. 2324 would stregnthen the independence of the Inspector General. by Joey Nolan, Mar 12, 2008 (9:04pm)
S. 2324 would strengthen the independence of the Inspector General. Supporters say this bill is necessary for continued good government oversight and would strengthen of the IG’s ability to do their jobs independent of partisan legislation. With recent scandals concerning IG’s in NASA and other institutions, this bill has garnered bi-partisan support. POGO, a supporter of the bill also conducted the report concerning Inspector Generals, with this bill following their recommendations.
NAGPRA revised by Joey Nolan, Mar 12, 2008 (7:57pm)
Bill is a reaction to the 9th circuit of appeals court controversial decision concerning “the Ancient One” or Kennewick Man. The court ruled that because Kennewick Man pre-dated the United States and could not conclusively be proven part of the Native American tribe that claimed his remains. The Native American Omnibus Technical Corrections Act of 2007 to return NAGPRA to its original legislative intent. Native American tribes support this bill, opposition could not be found.
Watershed restoration and enhancment agreements by Joey Nolan, Mar 12, 2008 (7:42pm)
Firefighters support HR 4847 by Joey Nolan, Mar 12, 2008 (7:09pm)
judicial review by Joey Nolan, Mar 11, 2008 (3:40pm)
Would provide judicial review for electronic surveillance of United States citizens. Would add additional resources and in some cases overhaul the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. Bill would make current wiretapping and other programs, executive claims necessary to national security, whose legality is currently disputed, subject to judicial review.
First override veto from Bush's term by Joey Nolan, Mar 11, 2008 (3:09pm)
Supporters of the Water resources Development Act, including members of both parties from both Houses, contend that the WRDA is long overdue legislation needed to maintain and improve the nations waterways, rivers, harbors, and coastline, as well as provide clean water resources to specific parts of the country.
Opponents of the bill hail from taxpayer and fiscal responsibility organizations. They contend that the bill is filled with pork earmarks that are not based on water needs, but instead based on funds going to specific legislative districts.
This bill will be viewed as less important for what it will achieve, then for being the first bill that overrides President Bush’s veto during his term.
First overide of veto from Bush's term by Joey Nolan, Mar 11, 2008 (3:08pm)
Supporters of the Water resources Development Act, including members of both parties from both Houses, contend that the WRDA is long overdue legislation needed to maintain and improve the nations waterways, rivers, harbors, and coastline, as well as provide clean water resources to specific parts of the country.
Opponents of the bill hail from taxpayer and fiscal responsibility organizations. They contend that the bill is filled with pork earmarks that are not based on water needs, but instead based on funds going to specific legislative districts.
This bill will be viewed as less important for what it will achieve, then for being the first bill that overrides President Bush’s veto during his term.
Nelson Mandela by Joey Nolan, May 9, 2008 (5:42am)
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has recently said the the fact that Nelson Mandela is on the terrorist watch list is as “an embarrassment”