Bill would grant visas to four immigrants by Megan Luecke, Apr 17, 2008 (8:03pm)
If made into law, this bill would make Rosa Isela Figueroa Rincon, Miguel Angel Figueroa Rincon, Blanca Azucena Figueroa Rincon, and Nancy Araceli Figueroa Rincon eligible for immigrant visas in the United States. These immigrants could neither be denied admission to the United States, nor could they be deported. However, the parents and siblings of these immigrants would not be given similar rights. Also, four fewer immigrant visas would be made available to natives of the immigrants’ country of birth during the current or next fiscal year.
Bill would give property to the Alaska Railroad Corporation by Megan Luecke, Apr 17, 2008 (4:12am)
This bill would require the Administrator of General Services to give the GSA Fleet Management Center to the Alaska Railroad Corporation within two years. In exchange, the Alaska Railroad Corporation would be required to pay the GSA the fair market value of the facility, which is about $2 million, or provide the GSA with a replacement facility.
Bills would grant associate membership to spouses and siblings in the Military Order of the Purple Heart by Megan Luecke, Apr 16, 2008 (11:05pm)
Previously, only the parents and lineal descendants of a recipient of a Purple Heart medal could become associate members in the Military Order of the Purple Heart. However, if H.R. 1119 or H.R. 1027 becomes law, associate membership would be extended to siblings and spouses as well. H.R. 1119 and H.R. 1027 are essentially identical bills, but H.R. 1119 will probably become law and H.R. 1027 seems to be abandoned.
Bill would improve citizen access to government documents by Megan Luecke, Apr 14, 2008 (12:47am)
If passed, S. 2291 or its companion bill H.R. 3548 would require government documents issued to the public to be written in simple language. Such documents would include those explaining how to obtain a benefit or service, such as federal tax forms, veterans’ benefit forms, documents explaining workers’ federal health, safety, overtime pay, documents explaining medical leave laws, Social Security and Medicare benefit forms, and federal college aid applications. Plainer language in public documents would benefit all citizens, especially small business owners. Although small businesses must comply with many complicated rules, they often to do not have the time or staff to fully understand rules that are written in complex jargon.
Bill would preserve wilderness in Oregon by Megan Luecke, Apr 13, 2008 (9:19pm)
If passed, this bill would preserve 125,000 acres of wilderness in Oregon. While some senators oppose the bill because it would cost $14 million by 2012, protecting wilderness plays a vital role in reducing global warming and preserving animal habitats. In addition, many hikers and bicyclists would mourn the loss of this area, as it is home to many trails and scenic spots.
Bill would continue to make college affordable by Megan Luecke, Apr 11, 2008 (8:40pm)
This bill would renew a provision of current law that would mandate that all colleges and universities provide financial aid on the basis of need, that they use common criteria in determining this need, and that they use a common financial aid application form. By following these rules, colleges and universities can continue to make college affordable for all students who are qualified to take advantage of the opportunity. Because previous versions of this bill passed with no opposition, this bill is likely to become a law.
Bill would ban lead in children's products by Megan Luecke, Apr 10, 2008 (3:41am)
S. 2663 effectively replaced S. 2045, but S. 2663 has been effectively replaced by the most recent version of H.R. 4040. However, like the other bills, S. 2663 aims to reduce harmful chemicals in children’s products, especially lead, it gives the Consumer Product Safety Commission hundreds of millions of dollars over the next 6 years, it protects whistleblowers who speak up about violations, it requires advertisers to put cautionary labels in magazine or internet ads, it allows Attorneys General to sue manufacturers for violations, and it fines offending companies millions of dollars.
Bill would ban lead in children's products by Megan Luecke, Apr 10, 2008 (3:39am)
This bill has been effectively replaced by S. 2663, which has been effectively replaced by the most recent version of H.R. 4040. S. 2045 is less strict than the current version of H.R. 4040, though offending companies are charged up to $100 million, which is five times greater than the maximum fine in H.R. 4040. However, like the other bills, S. 2663 aims to reduce harmful chemicals in children’s products, especially lead, it gives the Consumer Product Safety Commission hundreds of millions of dollars over the next 6 years, it protects whistleblowers who speak up about violations, it requires advertisers to put cautionary labels in magazine or internet ads, and it allows Attorneys General to sue manufacturers for violations.
Bill would ban lead in children's products and will likely be made a law by Megan Luecke, Apr 10, 2008 (3:38am)
H.R. 4040, S. 2663, and S. 2045 all restrict the amount of harmful chemicals in children’s products, though H.R. 4040 has effectively replaced the other two bills. Unlike S. 2663 and S. 2045, the most recent version of H.R. 4040 does not require products to be tested with any frequency and only fines offendering companies up to $20 million, which is a small fine for large corporations. However, while it may not be as strict on manufacturers as the previous bills, H.R. 4040 does have many strong provisions. For example, it protects whistleblowers who speak up about violations, it requires advertisers to put cautionary labels in magazine or internet ads, it bans phalates in children’s products, it gives the Consumer Product Safety Commission and related agencies hundreds of millions of dollars over the next 6 years, it allows Attorneys General to sue manufacturers for violations, and it requires a publicly searchable database of incidents or risks of injuries and deaths resulting from consumer products.
Breast Cancer Research stamp sales extended until 2011 by Megan Luecke, Apr 4, 2008 (8:00pm)
President vetoes bill that would ban waterboarding by Megan Luecke, Mar 24, 2008 (11:18pm)
The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 would set aside money for intelligence-related activities in 2008. Most importantly, it would limit America’s interrogation techniques to those in line with the Geneva Convention and the Army Field Manual. Thus, the United States would no longer be able to torture prisoners of war at home or in foreign countries, such as at Guantanamo Bay or Abu Ghraib. Specifically, it would outlaw waterboarding, sexual harassment, beatings, electric shocks, and the deprivation of necessary food, water, or medical care, among other forms of abuse. However, because President Bush vetoed the bill, it is unclear whether it will garner enough votes from Congress to pass.
However, the bill sets aside money for non-military forms of gathering intelligence in ways that don’t make sense. For example, the bill would require the Director of National Intelligence to estimate the geopolitical effects of global warming, even though it unlikely that the director has a background in climate change.
Congress provides for better food allergy management for children by Megan Luecke, Mar 19, 2008 (5:07pm)
New bill would address housing crisis by making home ownership more affordable by Megan Luecke, Mar 14, 2008 (10:22pm)
This bill would benefit Americans who own or want to own homes, especially low-income or elderly citizens. First, it would make it easier for people to hold on to their homes by allowing them to take out more affordable fixed-rate loans. Second, it would make it easier for people to to buy homes by increasing how much money they can take out in loans and by removing the mandatory 3% down payment. Third, it would benefit the elderly by insuring more reverse mortgages, which would allow the elderly to use money from their home’s equity and repay it when they move out of their home. Fourth, it would make it easier for low-income people to own homes by making loans easier to take out, by improving mortgage insurance and housing counseling, and by extending the maximum loan term on a mortgage from 35 to 40 years. Because of the current housing crisis, this bill is vital to increasing home ownership rates and decreasing foreclosure rates.
New bill would put an end to larger punishments against low-income cocaine users by Megan Luecke, Mar 14, 2008 (9:10pm)
Even though powder and crack cocaine have the same physiological effects, powder cocaine is much more expensive than crack cocaine. Thus, low-income cocaine users, including racial minorities, prefer crack cocaine to powder cocaine. But the current legislation punishes crack cocaine users much more heavily than powder cocaine users, allowing the wealthy consumers of powder cocaine to possess much more cocaine without receiving as much prison time as those poor people who possess similar amounts of crack cocaine.
New bill to fight global warming by Megan Luecke, Mar 14, 2008 (8:27pm)
This bill would amend the Global Change Research Act of 1990; the National Climate Program Act; the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976; and National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to better research the impact of climate change. Specifically, the bill would assign federal organizations to research topics such as ice sheet melt and movement, rising sea levels, greenhouse gas emissions, and tropical cyclones. In contrast to the policy of previous years, the bill would greatly increase funding for climate change research and would strictly require the research agencies to make regular assessments of their discoveries. Although funding for the bill would total over half a billion dollars from 2008 to 2013, it is a small cost to pay for finding insights into how to stop climate change.
The new Capitol Visitor Center will provide amenities for visitors by Megan Luecke, Mar 14, 2008 (8:23pm)
This bill appropriates an estimate of $166 million to run the Capitol Visitor Center from 2009-2013. Senators decided to build the Capitol Visitor Center to increase security after a man shot two police officers in the Capitol building in 1998. Despite being expensive to run, the Capitol Visitor Center seems like it will be a positive addition to the Capitol building by providing heightened security, guided tours, gift shops, restaurants, and other amenities for visitors.
Bill would allow generic biotech drugs to go on the market by Megan Luecke, Jun 4, 2008 (5:31pm)
This bill, which is effectively the same as S. 623, would make it much easier for companies to manufacture and sell generic versions of biotech drugs. Biotech drugs, also called biologics or biopharmaceuticals, are made using recombintant DNA, and include products such as insulin, vaccines, or antibodies. The generic versions of these drugs, called biogenerics or follow-on biologics, would be much cheaper than their brand-name counterparts, making them more affordable for people who need them. Many biotech companies oppose the bill because they are ostensibly concerned that generic versions of the drugs would not be as safe, as effective, or as regulated as the original drugs are. However, the original drugs are not as regulated as these companies make them out to be. The biotech companies are also concerned that this bill would reduce the incentives for biomedical research and innovation — if the biotech companies cannot have a monopoly on the drugs they create, they will make less of a profit, meaning they will not be as motivated to develop these drugs. But those supporting the bill argue that biogenerics will make the market more competitive, leading biotech companies to do more research and innovation.