It appears that reapproval of controversial provisions of the Patriot Act may happen soon – evidently with a green light from the Obama Administration and over strong objections from human rights and civil liberties groups. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the USA Patriot Act Extension Act of 2009. The bill makes only minor changes to the original Patriot Act and was further watered down by amendments adopted during the Committee’s deliberations.
November 2, 2009 | Filed under
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Four years ago, a group of lawmakers and aides crafted Medicare Part D, the prescription drug program for seniors that has produced billions of dollars of profits for pharmaceutical companies. Today, at least 25 of those key players are back, but this time they’re lobbyists, trying to persuade their former colleagues to protect the lucrative system during the health care reform negotiations.
October 21, 2009 | Filed under
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Thirty U.S. Senators signed a letter today urging the inclusion of a public option in any health reform legislation that will be considered on the Senate floor. An additional 14 Senators at least have expressed support for the public option through a resolution, letter, or by voting for a strong public option during committee markups.
October 8, 2009 | Filed under
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Congressman Jerrold Nadler denounced a Republican amendment adopted by the House of Representatives Thursday to deny all federal funds to the advocacy group ACORN as blatantly unconstitutional and a threat to unpopular organizations everywhere.
September 17, 2009 | Filed under
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Democrats dominate a government watchdog group’s annual list of the most corrupt members of Congress. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) said it’s list of the Most Corrupt Members of Congress provides a detailed analysis of the unethical and sometimes illegal activities of 15 congressmen and women who have most egregiously betrayed the public’s trust.
September 16, 2009 | Filed under
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Rep. Henry A. Waxman, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Bart Stupak, Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, sent letters to six health insurance companies requesting information about the practice of “purging” small businesses when their employees become ill and their health insurance claims increase.
August 31, 2009 | Filed under
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Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein said Thursday the CIA broke the law by failing to notify Congress about a secret assassination program.
Feinstein’s comments were made in response to a report published in the New York Times Wednesday stating that in 2004 the CIA outsourced the assassination program, aimed at targeting al-Qaeda leaders, to security [...]
August 21, 2009 | Filed under
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One of the most curious moments in Karl Rove’s recent testimony about the Don Siegelman case came when the former Bush White House adviser was asked about his primary contacts in Alabama. Rove mentioned two familiar names–William Canary, head of the Business Council of Alabama, and Kelley McCullough Robertson, former Southeast political director for the Republican National Committee and state director for Karl Rove & Co.
August 19, 2009 | Filed under
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The government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) asked the Office of the Special Counsel to investigate whether former United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey Chris Christie violated the Hatch Act by discussing a run for Governor of New Jersey with then-White House political adviser Karl Rove while [...]
August 17, 2009 | Filed under
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The next time Karl Rove’s doughy face appears on Fox News, you might want to allow this thought to enter your consciousness: “Is that man a felon, and if so, why is he getting time on a major network?”
Documents released last week by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee leave many unanswered questions. But one thing [...]
August 17, 2009 | Filed under
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