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Good Afternoon Friends,
This week Senator Reid brought up three separate motions to proceed to the Consumer First Energy Act, then the energy tax incentives/extender bill, and finally a Medicare bill. All three times Republicans blocked the Senate from debating the bills.
The Senate should not be halted from completing its important work when Americans across the country are struggling with rising gas, food, housing, and health care costs. Senator Reid will try once again next week to bring up the energy tax incentives/extender bill which will cut taxes and invest in renewable energy. Investing in renewable energy is a long term solution to our country’s addiction to oil.
Finally, I
thought many of you would be interested to read/see the major speech that
Senator Menendez made on the Senate floor this week about the immigration raids
and conditions in detention centers. I encourage you to listen to Senator
Menendez’ speech which echoes the concerns many in our country share regarding
the deplorable conditions of our immigration system.
http://menendez.senate.gov
Let me know if you have any question. I hope you enjoy your weekend.
Kory
For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Federico A. de Jesús, Reid, (202) 224-2939
SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS TO MCCONNELL: STOP BLOCKING BILL THAT CUTS TAXES, INVESTS IN RENEWABLE ENERGY
Washington, DC—The Senate Democratic Leadership sent the following letter today to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, urging him to abandon his delaying tactics on The Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008 and reconsider his opposition to the legislation, which would provide badly needed tax relief for families and businesses and increase investments in renewable energy. “The only thing more disturbing about the fact that you are blocking this much-needed tax relief is that your statements give the impression you are doing so in order to protect a small group of wealthy investment-fund managers,” the Senators wrote. “Given the bill’s importance, we respectfully request that you and other Senate Republicans reconsider your opposition to the legislation and abandon your delaying tactics.”
The text of the letter is below:
June 13, 2008
Senator Mitch McConnell Republican Leader U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510
Dear Leader McConnell:
We are writing to express our deep concern about the Republican filibuster that is preventing the Senate from considering H.R. 6049, the energy tax incentives/extender bill. This bill would provide badly needed tax relief for families and businesses and, at a time of record oil prices, would help increase investments in renewable energy initiatives. The only thing more disturbing about the fact that you are blocking this much-needed tax relief is that your statements give the impression you are doing so in order to protect a small group of wealthy investment-fund managers. Given the bill’s importance, we respectfully request that you and other Senate Republicans reconsider your opposition to the legislation and abandon your delaying tactics.
As you know, H.R. 6049 would extend several tax benefits that help millions of families. For example, the deduction for state and local sales taxes helps level the playing field and provides tax relief to residents in states with no income tax. The tuition deduction helps families cope with the exploding cost of college. The deduction for teachers’ out-of-pocket expenses for classroom supplies provides a small but important thank-you to millions of hardworking educators who reach into their own wallets to give their pupils the tools they need to learn.
The legislation also would extend several tax benefits that help U.S. businesses remain competitive, such as the research and development credit and the active financing exception to the Subpart F rules. In addition, the bill includes tax incentives to encourage the development of clean renewable energy sources, promote energy conservation, and assist our transition away from fossil fuels.
The Republican Caucus has justified its opposition to this legislation based on revenue provisions that would prevent the bill from increasing the deficit and the national debt. The offsets would protect American taxpayers from being forced to pay more interest, largely to foreign creditors in countries like China and Japan. Congressional Republicans recently were willing to accept revenue-raising measures to offset the HEART Act, which extended current tax benefits for members of the military and reserves. In fact, that legislation was supported by 403 Members of the House and passed the Senate unanimously. Thus, when Republicans now claim that they are opposed as a matter of principle to the use of revenue-raisers to offset tax extenders, such claims strike many as both hypocritical and crassly political.
Unfortunately, if Republicans continue to adopt this political posture, the consequences for our country would be very real. House Democratic leaders have made it clear that they will not approve an extenders bill that increases the deficit. If Senate Republicans continue to maintain the preposterous fiction that closing a tax loophole for multimillionaires amounts to a violation of fundamental principle, you will be denying tax relief to millions of middle-class Americans in the process. It is hard to see how that would be good for the country or your political party, but the choice is yours.
Not only would the revenue-raisers in H.R.6049 protect ordinary taxpayers from being forced to pay more interest to foreign creditors, but these provisions are unopposed by the businesses that would be affected most directly. The proposed delay in implementation of worldwide interest allocation would not raise anyone’s taxes and is hardly unprecedented. Although this change was enacted in 2004, the original effective date also was put off for four years by President Bush. Since this tax break has yet to go into effect, its delay would not increase the taxes currently being paid by the affected companies.
We are especially outraged that Republicans have blocked efforts to close a loophole that allows extremely wealthy hedge-fund managers and other executives to avoid paying tax on their earnings. Some of these individuals are diverting a significant portion of their earnings to investment funds located offshore in tax-haven countries. Such schemes allow these individuals to avoid paying tax for years, at the expense of other taxpayers. H.R. 6049 merely would require that these earnings be taxed when earned – just like wages earned by decent, hardworking Americans. If a teacher or firefighter must pay taxes on their income in a timely manner, why shouldn’t a hedge-fund manager?
It would be wrong for Republicans to force middle-class taxpayers to spend more on interest to foreign creditors in order to maintain an unjustified loophole being abused largely by the very wealthiest Americans. Similarly, it would be disgraceful to hold middle-class tax relief, pro-environmental initiatives, and noncontroversial pro-business tax cuts hostage on behalf of this egregious loophole.
On behalf of American taxpayers, we therefore urge you to reconsider your opposition to H.R.6049 and to end your obstruction of this important legislation.
Sincerely,
Senator Harry Reid Majority Leader
Senator Charles E. Schumer Senator Patty Murray Conference Vice Chairman Conference Secretary
###
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE June 11, 2008
CONTACTS: Menendez Press Office 202-224-4744
IMMIGRATION RAIDS AND DETENTIONS: SEN. MENENDEZ MAKES MAJOR SPEECH ON SENATE FLOOR U.S. citizens and permanent residents have been swept up in raids and detentions as fears among Hispanic, other minority communities rise
WASHINGTON – This afternoon, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) took to the floor of the Senate to deliver a major speech on immigration raids and detentions. He cited the numerous incidences of American citizens and legal permanent residents of Hispanic or other minority descent getting swept up in raids and the fear this has engendered in minority communities. Senator Menendez, who is the Senate sponsor of legislation to ensure basic medical care for detainees, also announced that he will be introducing legislation to prevent the unlawful detention of American citizens and permanent residents.
“The legitimate desire to get control over our borders has too often turned into a witch-hunt against Hispanic Americans and other people of color,” said Senator Menendez. “American citizens are targeted because of their race, targeted because of their color--denied every fundamental right guaranteed by the United States Constitution. Common sense repeatedly loses out to hysteria, and agents of intolerance repeatedly jump over the legal protections to which every single American is entitled.”
Senator Menendez mentioned several reported instances of the illegal detention or harassment of U.S. citizens and permanent residents of Hispanic descent. "Each of us in this country has to think, 'What if that happened to me? Why couldn’t that happen to me? What would happen to my children if I were taken away?'" ...
“We can never lose sight of the fact that everyone who immigrates to this country, whether they are documented or not, is a human being. A detention should never amount to a death sentence.” ...
“Before we accuse someone of being undocumented, there’s one other document we should inspect first: it’s called the Constitution of the United States. It’s time for immigration and law enforcement on all levels to rededicate themselves to respecting the rights the Constitution guarantees.”
Click here to listen to audio excerpts of his remarks on the Senate floor:
PART 1:
http://demradio.senate.gov
Part 2:
http://demradio.senate.gov
Full text of Senator Menendez’s remarks, as prepared for delivery:
M. President,
Our deepest obligation as United States Senators and as representatives of the American people is to make sure our nation’s founding promises are being kept.
With a few strokes of Thomas Jefferson’s pen, we were told that life and liberty would be unalienable rights, that a chance to seek happiness would be something to which we were all entitled.
Our rights grew over time—and over time we grew out of restrictions on who was entitled to those rights. African Americans threw down the chains of slavery. Women marched to the polls. People came from all over the world to become full members of our society, because of the promise that our country held and the guarantees that our government made.
But when agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement –also known as ICE –conducted raids in Texas not long ago, one 19-year-old U.S. citizen who was dragged from her home while she was still in her pajamas wasn’t thinking about that history.
An 18-year-old U.S. citizen who was shackled at his ankles, handcuffed at his wrists and tied at his waist wasn’t thinking about that history.
They were thinking to themselves, “My God, what’s happening to me? What’s going to happen to my family?”
When ICE agents banged on the door of a U.S. citizen named Arturo Flores, and pushed their way into his house in Clifton, New Jersey without showing a warrant; and when agents in North Bergen, New Jersey stormed into the house of a legal immigrant named Maria Argueta, in the middle of the night, and held her without cause, taking her away from her family for 36 hours—those loud knocks on the door quickly woke these law-abiding individuals up from their American dreams.
Hearing these examples, some people may say, “Well, this is what happens when people enter this country without going through the proper channels.” I hear it all the time because it is the mantra of people who defend ICE’s raids.
But these aren’t undocumented immigrants getting pulled from their homes in the dead of night. They are US citizens who are targeted because of their race, targeted because of their color. Denied every fundamental right guaranteed by the United States Constitution.
Our fellow citizens may not have been surprised that they were yanked from their homes. They might have known that their immigration status wasn’t even necessarily relevant.
They might have heard stories about friends who were U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, but who were seized in immigration raids, detained, and in some cases, deported. I’m talking about U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.
They may have known that their accent, their name, the color of their skin, the place where they lived would have put them at risk. They may have known that—regardless of what our politicians and historians say—fundamental Constitutional rights still might not apply to them, in today’s America.
We’ve been hearing these stories for too long. It’s time they were told on the Senate floor, because together we need to face a blunt reality: our legitimate desire to get control over our borders has too often turned into a witch-hunt against Hispanic Americans and other people of color.
Common sense repeatedly loses out to hysteria, and agents of intolerance repeatedly jump over the legal protections to which every single American is entitled.
I’m going to tell just a few stories today, but there are plenty of others like them.
Last year, a 30-year-old mentally impaired man named Pedro Guzman, who was born and raised in Southern California, was arrested on misdemeanor charges and scheduled to be released—he’s a U.S. citizen, but somehow, his accent, his name and the color of his skin must have convinced immigration authorities otherwise. So instead of returning him to his home, they decided to deport him to Mexico.
Even after immigration authorities realized their horrible mistake, they made no significant effort to correct it. Pedro attempted several times to cross the border home to the United States, and was repeatedly turned away. He was forced to wander the streets of Tijuana, eating out of trash cans to survive—a U.S. citizen.
His mother Maria was worried beyond belief, and took off time from her job to search for Pedro. Finally, three full months after he’d been illegally deported, Pedro found his way home. When he came back, his mother said, after so much trauma, only half of her son had returned.
Each of us in this country has to think, What if that happened to me? Why couldn’t that happen to me? What would happen to my children if I were taken away?
The authorities harass U.S. citizens of Hispanic descent in other ways.
Last fall, under the cover of darkness, a dozen immigration agents stormed into the Long Island home of Peggy Delrosa-Delgado, a U.S. citizen and a mother of three.
They pushed through her 17-year-old son, herded her children into the living room, and one of them drew a gun on a family friend staying in the house. This was the second time they had done this, supposedly looking for someone named Miguel who had never lived there.
Another U.S. citizen named Gladis was at her home one day when eighteen vehicles drove into her front yard, and twenty agents jumped out.
Agents banged on the door and threatened to throw gas inside the house if they didn’t let them in. While the children in the house ran and hid in the bedroom, the agents broke down the door.
One of the agents grabbed Gladis and attempted to handcuff her.
Gladis said she could prove her citizenship, and gave them her social security card. After interrogating Gladis and her family for twenty more minutes, the agents left as fast as they came— they had no warrant, no probable cause, no reason for their actions besides suspicion about someone’s name, their accent, and the color of their skin.
And there’s one more detail I should mention: Gladis was six months pregnant at the time.
Each of us in this country has to think, What if that happened to me? Why couldn’t that happen to me? What would happen to my children if I were taken away?
M. President, very shortly I’ll be introducing legislation to prevent the unlawful detention of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.
But the problem with our detention system is even larger. Beyond the U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are unlawfully detained, there are people who have come to the U.S. fleeing persecution, people who have committed no crime, but find themselves trapped and squeezed between the gears of the U.S. immigration system.
The Washington Post has recently run a disturbing series on the catastrophic state of our detention system. I encourage all of my colleagues to read it, and I ask Unanimous Consent to enter the articles into the record.
The whole series is staggering, revealing deficiencies in our detention system that most of us couldn’t dream up in our worst nightmares. The Washington Post has forced us, as a nation, to look in the mirror, and I for one am appalled by what I see.
We, the United States of America, the greatest democracy in the entire world, have been injecting people with heavy doses of drugs in order to deport them or just to move them around the system with more ease.
Immigration officials drug people going through U.S. facilities, and they drug people who are about to be deported. They drug some people so heavily that when they get off the plane they collapse on the tarmac, or they have to be rolled off the plane in a wheelchair.
They don’t only drug people to make it easier to kick them out. One story that stood out in both the Washington Post and a segment on 60 Minutes was that of a woman named Amina Mudey. Last year, Amina fled from Somalia to the U.S. to seek asylum after she was tortured and her family was killed before her eyes.
When she arrived at JFK airport, she was shackled, thrown in a van and driven to a windowless converted warehouse in New Jersey. Immigration authorities didn’t so much as find an interpreter.
Instead, they decided to lock her up, decided she was insane without even talking to her, and decided to inject her full of a drug to treat a disease she didn’t have. The side effects were awful. Her tongue swelled so much she couldn’t close her mouth. She drooled and vomited uncontrollably, and began to lactate.
When she complained, they upped the dose. She thought to herself, “maybe I’m going to die in here.”
Finally, five months after she was detained, she won her asylum case in court and was released from the detention center. Without the perseverance of her lawyer, Amina would never have emerged from her drug-induced state. She would never have found the asylum she so desperately needed.
This case sheds light on another grim reality: medical treatment at our detention facilities is atrocious. Over-medication is far from the only problem. Life threatening lack of care is also a serious problem. Take the heartbreaking story of Francisco Castaneda. Francisco entered one of our detention facilities battling cancer – although he didn’t know it. All he knew is that he had significant lesions on his reproductive organs.
Offsite officials who never examined Francisco repeatedly denied him the biopsy he so desperately needed. After 11 long months in custody, Francisco argued for and eventually obtained a temporary release so he could pay for his own biopsy. Life-threatening cancerous tumors were found.
Despite amputation of the affected area and several rounds of chemotherapy, Francisco died of cancer at the age of 36.
A federal judge recently noted that this case appears to present, quote, “one of the most, if not the most, egregious Eighth Amendment violations [involving cruel and unusual punishment] the Court has ever encountered.”
The United States of America essentially killed Francisco Castaneda by denying him the medical care he so desperately needed. Why? Because he had entered this country without the proper documentation, at the age of 10, with his mother, fleeing civil war in El Salvador—a war the US had helped to fund, a war which sent thousands of refugees like him to our country.
He was denied care because he tried to make a better life for himself and his family. These are hardly offenses that warrant death. We cannot, in good conscience, allow these conditions to continue. That’s why I’ve joined together with my colleagues, Senators Kennedy, Durbin, Akaka and Lieberman, to introduce the Detainee Basic Medical Care Act.
First, the bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to establish procedures for delivering basic health care to all immigration detainees in custody.
It requires DHS to give people in custody access to any medications they urgently need, both during detention and during any transfers.
Currently, a bureaucrat in an office can overrule a medical professional who is actually on site and seeing a detainee. This bill ensures that treatment decisions are made by the professionals who actually see the patients.
And finally, the bill would require DHS to report all detainee deaths to the Office of Inspector General and Congress.
We can never lose sight of the fact that everyone who immigrates to this country, whether they are documented or not, is a human being. A detention should never amount to a death sentence. This kind of action to ensure humane treatment and prevent unnecessary deaths at these facilities is long overdue.
Let’s not forget that many in immigration detention are there for minor violations, many because of administrative errors, or pending legitimate asylum cases.
At some point, this becomes more than a legal issue – it becomes a human rights issue, and it is our job to do all we can to secure our country while protecting the dignity of all human beings.
If we fail to do so, not only do we blemish ourselves, but we lose the moral high ground to be a beacon of democracy and a leader in human rights around the world.
M. President,
It is astounding to me that human beings could be treated as badly as some are being treated on our soil.
When innocent people are drugged, tranquilized and treated like animals,
When agents attempt to handcuff a pregnant United States citizen, break down the door to her home, and terrify her children and her family;
When an agency of the federal government deports its own citizen;
When all of this is going on, each of us in America has to think, What if that were my family? What if that happened to us? Doesn’t my U.S. citizenship, whether by birth or naturalization, protect me from this kind of abuse?
Some officials have claimed that these incidents are rare. Some of suggested that this is acceptable collateral damage in pursuit of undocumented aliens. They should tell that to Pedro, Gladis, Amina and everyone else, and all the families who have had to watch this happen. No matter how widespread this pattern of abuse turns out to be, one thing is clear: it isn't rare enough.
There’s only one way to prevent that kind of abuse: it should be a universal policy, that before we accuse someone of being undocumented, there’s one other document we should inspect first: it’s called the Constitution of the United States.
It’s time for immigration and law enforcement on all levels to rededicate themselves to respecting the rights the Constitution guarantees.
That means respecting the need for probable cause and the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment, the right to Due Process guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment, the full benefits of citizenship and Equal Protection for anyone born or naturalized in this country guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment—and the entire range of rights and protections our Constitution grants.
This is going to take real leadership, at every level of our justice system, from the Attorney General, to the Secretary of Homeland Security on down.
That’s the only way that those who by birth or naturalization have a legitimate right to pursue the American Dream, won’t have to watch as their lives turn into an un-American nightmare.
M. President,
This issue might not be the legislative business of this chamber right now, but it is always our moral business.
It’s always our moral business to defend the most fundamental principle on which our nation was founded: that all of us are created equal.
Stopping illegal detentions of Americans based on their race is about more than properly enforcing the law. Above all, it’s about respecting people who may be different from us, but who share the same birthright.
As Martin Luther King said, “We may have come on different ships, but we’re all in the same boat now.”
If we’re worried about what to throw off the boat, it should be our oldest enemy: fear.
Once that’s gone, we can resume our course on the currents of freedom, and let our sails be filled with liberty and justice for all.
Thank you M. President, I yield the floor.
For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Jim Manley / Rodell Mollineau, (202) 224-2939
REID: BUSH-MCCAIN REPUBLICANS SAY NO TO STRENGTHENING ECONOMY, YES TO IGNORING ENERGY CRISIS
Washington, DC—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the following statement today after Senate Republicans blocked the Consumer-First Energy Act and the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008:
“Bush-McCain Republicans have spent the last two weeks feigning interest in addressing the rising the costs of energy. This morning, we gave them two more opportunites to actually address it, and again they ran away from the debate and real solutions.
“We gave them another opportunity to invest in renewable energy rather than line the pockets of Big Oil billionaires. And we gave them the chance to create millions of good-paying green-collar jobs right here at home to combat a Bush-McCain economy that has lost jobs every month of 2008. But once again, Bush-McCain Republicans have refused to govern, squandering these opportunities the same way they have blocked so many other chances to help struggling Americans.
“They just don’t get it: We can’t drill our way out of this crisis and we can’t ignore it. Each day Republicans wait to act costs American taxpayers billions of dollars and the opportunity to create millions of good-paying jobs.”
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Republicans Again Block Bill Addressing the Root Causes of High Gas Prices
The burden of $4 per gallon gas is hurting American families, workers, and businesses and is being felt throughout our economy. But given the chance to vote on legislation addressing the root causes of high gas prices and investing in renewable fuels to reduce our dependence on oil, Bush-McCain Republicans twice turned their backs and voted no. By obstructing progress on these critical bills, Republicans continue to back President Bush’s failed energy policies of the last seven years that have driven up the price of gas by 177 percent and hurt Americans at the pump. It’s time for Bush-McCain Republicans to stop saying no and to work with Democrats to deal with the root causes of high gas prices.
BUSH-MCCAIN REPUBLICANS TURN THEIR BACKS ON AMERICANS FACING $4 PER GALLON GAS
Gas Reaches Another Record High with a National Average of $4 a Gallon. “The average price of regular gas crept up to $4 a gallon for the first time over the weekend, passing the once-unthinkable milestone just in time for the peak summer travel season. Prices at the pump are expected to keep climbing, especially after last week's furious surge in oil prices, which neared $140 a barrel in a record-shattering rally Friday. While Americans who have to drive will feel the biggest squeeze, the increased prices also translate into higher costs for consumers and businesses, who will be forced to shoulder increased costs for food and anything else that needs to be transported.” [Associated Press, 06/09/08]
The Average Family is Spending a Record 6% of its Income on Gasoline. “The current drain on consumers' income from rising fuel prices is greater than it was during most of the worst energy-price run-ups of the past. Spending on fuel as a share of wage income has shot above 6%. That exceeds the percentage seen during the 1974-75 and 1990-91 oil-price shocks and approaches the 7% to 8% seen during the 1980-81 price surge. Comparing the rise in fuel spending to income growth, which has been especially weak in recent years, the current shock is far worse than any of the three prior ones.” [Wall Street Journal, 06/09/08]
BUSH-MCCAIN REPUBLICANS TURN THEIR BACKS ON RURAL, WESTERN DRIVERS HARDEST HIT BY HIGH GAS PRICES
Rural Regions are the Hardest Hit by Rising Gas Prices. “Across broad swaths of the South, Southwest and the upper Great Plains, the combination of low incomes, high gas prices and heavy dependence on pickup trucks and vans is putting an even tighter squeeze on family budgets. Here in the Mississippi Delta, some farm workers are borrowing money from their bosses so they can fill their tanks and get to work. Some are switching jobs for shorter commutes. People are giving up meat so they can buy fuel. Gasoline theft is rising. And drivers are running out of gas more often, leaving their cars by the side of the road until they can scrape together gas money. The disparity between rural America and the rest of the country is a matter of simple home economics. Nationwide, Americans are now spending about 4 percent of their take-home income on gasoline. By contrast, in some counties in the Mississippi Delta, that figure has surpassed 13 percent. As a result, gasoline expenses are rivaling what families spend on food and housing.” [New York Times, 06/09/08]
West Coast Gasoline Prices Continue to Spiral Upward. “The price for [gasoline on] the West Coast extended its upward surge, jumping another 13.7 cents to strike 416.6 cents per gallon. West Coast prices have risen 28.3 cents over the past two weeks. The average price in California went up even more, shooting to 424.2 cents per gallon, an increase of 14.3 cents from the previous week.” [Energy Information Administration, 06/04/08]
Gas is Highest in California, and Could Reach $5 a Gallon Soon. “Californians are still learning to cope with $4 gasoline. Will we soon have to deal with $5? In the two weeks since California's average price for regular gasoline passed $4 per gallon, prices have jumped an astonishing 42 cents. Some cities have seen increases of five cents or more overnight, according to data from the AAA auto club. San Francisco drivers now pay, on average, $4.42 for a gallon of regular. In Oakland, the average is $4.39. In San Jose, $4.40.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 06/08/08]
BUSH-MCCAIN REPUBLICANS TURN THEIR BACKS ON AMERICAN WORKERS HURT BY HIGH GAS PRICES
Continental Airlines Cut 3,000 Jobs Due to High Fuel Costs. “Continental Airlines announced that it will cut 3,000 jobs and retire 67 Boeing aircraft. Similar to other airline carriers, the added expense of jet fuel forced Continental to reduce capacity by 16 percent. Company executives stated that “the airline industry is in a crisis” and added that the industry’s “business model doesn’t work with the current price of fuel and the existing level of capacity in the marketplace. We need to make changes in response.” [New York Times, 06/06/08]
United Airlines Shut Down Discount Carrier and Cut 1,100 Jobs Due to High Fuel Costs. “United Airlines is discontinuing Ted, the low-fare, no-frills division it started in 2004, as part of a broader move to ground aircraft, cut jobs and reduce costs. With jet fuel costing 84 percent more than it did a year ago, major airlines are raising fares and re-examining every feature of their flights, eliminating those they cannot afford. Along with suspending Ted, United said it would remove 100 aircraft from its fleet, including six Boeing 747-400 long-range jets, and 94 Boeing 737 medium-range planes. The airline, which had already announced plans to eliminate 30 of the planes, also said it would lay off up to 1,100 employees, on top of 500 job cuts already announced.” [New York Times, 06/05/08]
General Motors Closed Four Plants Affecting 10,000 Workers Due to High Gas Prices. “General Motors is closing four truck and SUV plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, affecting 10,000 workers, as surging fuel prices hasten a dramatic shift to smaller vehicles… The cuts will affect 10,000 hourly and salaried workers. Many will be able to take openings created when 19,000 more U.S. hourly workers leave later this year through early retirement and buyout offers.” [Associated Press, 06/04/08]
Truckers Have Been Hit Especially Hard by High Diesel Prices. “The trucking industry is getting hit especially hard. A report by investment banking firm Avondale Partners LLC said that about 42,000 trucks, or 2.1 percent of the nation's heavy-duty truck capacity, went out of business in the first three months of 2008, in large part because of gas prices…Although diesel historically has been cheaper than gas since it's a gasoline byproduct, that's not the case today because demand for diesel is growing, especially in emerging countries, said Norita Taylor of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, a trade group that represents 400,000 truckers and professional drivers, 5,700 of them in Michigan. Longtime truck driver Leo Wilkins, 62, of St. Charles remembers when he could fill his 2001 Peterbilt 18-wheeler for $300. Now it's costing him more than $1,000 to fill the 300-gallon tank. Three years ago, his annual diesel bill was $35,000; this year, he expects it will be more than $80,000. "It's killing us. It's killing the trucking industry," said Wilkins, who delivers cars, large machinery and "anything that goes on a flatbed" to 48 states. He drives 120,000 miles a year and gets five miles to the gallon.” [Detroit News, 5/3/08]
BUSH-MCCAIN REPUBLICANS TURN THEIR BACKS ON AMERICAN BUSINESSES SUFFERING FROM HIGH GAS PRICES
Rising Fuel Costs Caused Owners of American Airlines a Loss of $328 Million in First Quarter of 2008. “The parent company of American Airlines, the AMR Corporation, posted a $328 million first-quarter loss as surging fuel prices sent the industry into a downturn. Major airlines tried raising fares across the board 10 times in the first quarter, and were successful in getting the increases to stick on 6 of those occasions, said Rick Seaney, chief executive of FareCompare.com, a firm that tracks airfares. The individual [fare] increases ranged from $4 to $50 a round trip, Mr. Seaney said.” [New York Times, 04/17/08]
American Car Manufacturers Witnessed an 11% Decrease in Sales. “For those who thought they had a handle on the pace of change in the U.S. auto market, vehicle sales figures for May were a startling wake-up call. The Detroit Three are not wasting any time responding to the changes those numbers represent. Hit by gasoline prices that rose faster than anyone expected, vehicle makers found themselves in a market that had shifted suddenly – and radically – away from trucks and SUVs and toward smaller, lighter cars. General Motors Corp. saw its sales 28 percent in May compared to a year earlier, with a 37 percent decline in truck and SUV sales and a 14 percent drop in car sales. Ford Motor Co. sales fell 16 percent for the month, while Chrysler LLC's sales were down 25 percent and Toyota Motor Corp.'s sales slipped 4 percent. Overall sales were down 11 percent compared to last May.” [WWJ 950/AP, Daily Dish]
Dow Chemical Company Must Increase Product Costs to Offset Gas Expenses. “Dow Chemical Co. will raise product prices by up to 20% almost immediately to offset the soaring cost of energy and raw materials, and the CEO of the chemical giant lashed out Washington on Wednesday for failing to develop a sound energy policy. The price increases take effect Sunday and will be based on a product's exposure to exorbitant costs. Dow said it spent $8 billion on energy and hydrocarbon-based feedstock, or raw materials, in 2002 and that could climb fourfold to $32 billion this year.” [CNN Money, 05/28/08]
BUSH-MCCAIN REPUBLICANS TURN THEIR BACKS ON STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FORCED TO CUT SERVICES DUE TO HIGH GAS PRICES
State and Local Governments Are Being Squeezed by High Gas Prices, Forcing Service Cuts in Many Communities. “Rising gas prices are further squeezing local and state governments already struggling with increasing health care costs and dwindling tax revenue. A survey of 474 cities and counties by the International City/County Management Association for USA TODAY found that almost all have seen fuel costs rise since January. Sixty-two percent saw 10% to 20% increases. Almost one-third had spikes greater than 20%. For some communities, it will mean reduced city services.” [USA Today, 5/9/08]
High Gas Prices Have Forced Police Departments to Cut Back on Driving Patrols, Shrinking Coverage Areas and Increasing Emergency Response Times. “Rising gas prices are prompting some police departments to curb their cruisers for parts of their daily shifts and walk the beat instead — a change that shrinks coverage areas and increases emergency response times. Others are cutting back on a popular program that allows officers to take their vehicles home to boost police presence in neighborhoods.” [USA Today, 6/9/08]
BUSH-MCCAIN REPUBLICANS TURN THEIR BACKS ON VOLUNTEERS AND THOSE IN NEED HURT BY HIGH GAS PRICES
Volunteers Are Being Forced to Cut Back on Trips Made for Volunteer Purposes Because of Soaring Cost of Gas. “But Sharing Connection, a group that collects donated furniture and household items for distribution to the needy, faces a double whammy: Donations are down in the poor economy, so there's not as much work for volunteers like Sava. And now, she says, she has to scale back her trips to Sharing Connection to once a week ‘because the price of gas is going up horrendously.’ That's something Cindy Johnson, volunteer coordinator for the agency, is afraid she'll see more of as gas prices continue to set record highs. The trickle-down effect of gasoline prices could hurt volunteers across the suburbs -- and people who don't even drive.” [Chicago Daily Herald, 6/3/08]
Some Local Meals on Wheels Have Been Forced to Reduce Food Deliveries. “Fuel prices are forcing Meals on Wheels programs in Hocking and Athens counties to reduce the daily delivery of some hot meals, as well as what is the only contact some elderly clients have with the outside. Beginning Monday, both counties will deliver hot meals only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, along with frozen meals for clients Tuesdays and Thursdays. Similar changes might happen in the next year for the nearly 3,000 people served in Franklin and Madison counties if prices continue to rise. By cutting back from five delivery days, the Hocking-Athens-Perry Community Action Agency, which oversees the meals program in Hocking and Athens counties, will save $1,700 a month, said Dick Stevens, food nutrition director for the agency. ‘The circumstances are forcing us to make decisions we don't like,’ Stevens said.” [Columbus Dispatch, 6/5/08] Media Advisory 45 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10023-6992 T 212-713-8052 F 212-713-8184 www.collegeboard.com For Release: June 2, 2008
College Board,
NYU to
Release Report
on Study Debunks Myths of AAPI “Model Minority” WHAT: The College Board, New York University and the National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education will release a groundbreaking study, “Facts, Not Fiction: Setting the Record Straight,” challenging long-held beliefs about Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) participation in higher education. The report will address: ·
trends in AAPI participation in higher education,
Education Summit hosted by the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) to follow. WHO: • James M. Montoya, College Board vice president of higher education relationship development • Dr. Robert Teranishi, professor of education in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at NYU, and principal investigator of “Facts, Not Fiction” SPECIAL GUESTS • Congressman Mike Honda, CAPAC chair • Congressman David Wu, CAPAC Education Task Force chair • Hon. Robert A. Underwood, former delegate from Guam, former CAPAC chair and current president of the University of Guam. WHEN: Monday, June 9, 2008, 12:15-1 p.m. Media may call in. To participate by telephone, please RSVP and request the toll-free call-in number. WHERE: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2253, Washington, D.C. RSVP: Chris Beakey – 202-667-0901; chris.beakey@widmeyer.com Materials are available upon request. The report is embargoed until 1 p.m. Eastern time on June 9. Attendance is limited. Please RSVP as soon as possible. For more
information: CARE:
www.steinhardt.nyu.edu/sihep The College Board: Connecting Students to College Success: www.collegeboard.com -30- Contacts: Nancy Viggiano College Board 212713-8052 nviggiano@collegeboard.org For Immediate Release Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2008
CONTACT: Federico A. de Jesús, Reid, (202) 224-2939 Bill Wicker, Bingaman, (202) 224-5243 Carol Guthrie, Baucus, (202) 224-4515 Brian Fallon, Schumer, (202) 224-7433 Justin Kitsch, Dorgan, (202) 224- 1191 Ciaran Clayton, Cantwell, (202) 224-3441 Will Wiquist, Sanders, (202) 228-6492
DEMOCRATIC SENATORS UNVEIL CONSUMER-FIRST ENERGY ACT OF 2008
Washington, DC—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senators Jeff Bingaman, Max Baucus, Charles Schumer, Byron Dorgan, Maria Cantwell and Bernie Sanders held a press conference today to unveil the Consumer-First Energy Act of 2008, a bill that addresses the root causes of high gas prices. Seven years of the Bush Administration’s disastrous energy policies have enriched Big Oil and market speculators at the expense of American consumers. Democrats are committed to providing relief to consumers and strengthening our economic, energy and national security.
“Even as it costs Americans more every day to fill up their gas tanks, Bush Republicans only offer more of the same failed energy policies that brought us to this point,” Reid said. “But with this bill, Democrats are protecting consumers. Instead of helping Big Oil make more money at the expense of average Americans, we are forcing oil companies to change their ways. We will hold them accountable for unconscionable price-gouging and force them to invest in renewable energy or pay a price for refusing to do so.”
Said Bingaman: “Startling gasoline prices are making it harder and harder for working American families, farmers and small businesses to make ends meet. At a minimum, Senate Democrats are determined to take the short-term steps necessary to send the right signals to energy markets, and to ensure that proper safeguards are in place to protect American consumers.”
“Repealing tax breaks for Big Oil will stop these companies from running away with more taxpayer cash while they’re already high on the hog,” Baucus said. “And the money saved will help to build a real energy future for this country – one not dependent on foreign oil and fuels that won’t last forever.”
Said Schumer: “Oil companies are racking up obscene profits left and right while American families are stretched to the limit by skyrocketing gas prices. It’s time for Big Oil to pay its fair share so Americans can see a little relief. The windfall profits tax will do just that, and help spur innovation in the process.”
“Gas prices are nearing four dollars a gallon and a barrel of oil is around $120 per barrel, yet this President is refusing to take action to put downward pressure on gas prices,” Dorgan said. “We need to immediately stop putting oil underground into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and start addressing the fundamental issue of these sky-high prices by cracking down on the rampant speculation that’s driving up the price of energy.”
Said Cantwell: “We need a cop on the beat to patrol the markets for any illegal activity or manipulation and help ensure Americans are paying prices that are not just fair, but based on supply and demand fundamentals. Now it’s time for Congress to pursue vigilant oversight over these markets to ensure Americans aren’t the victims of a few rogue traders manipulating energy markets. By taking these steps, we may be able to burst the energy price bubble that is dragging down our economy.”
“If we don’t act boldly, the economic situation for millions of middle-class families and working Americans will continue to deteriorate,” Sanders said. “Record-breaking oil and gas prices are a crisis not only for commuters going to work, especially in rural areas, but also for family farmers, small businesses, truckers, airlines, grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, tourists and indeed every sector of our economy. The bottom line is this: Congress and the President can no longer sit idly by while Americans are getting ripped off at the gas pump, the economy deteriorates, and Exxon Mobil, greedy speculators, and OPEC are allowed to make out like bandits pushing oil and gas prices higher and higher.”
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Summary of the Consumer-First Energy Act
The cumulative impact of disastrous Bush Administration policies and priorities has created an energy and economic crisis that is now plaguing consumers at the gas pump and damaging our national security. Since President Bush came to office, gas prices have more than doubled, the Big Oil companies have made more than half a trillion dollars in profits and the United States is even more dependent on oil. Democrats are providing solutions that address the root causes of high gas prices, hold the Big Oil companies accountable and put consumers first.
The Consumer-First Energy Act Addresses the Root Causes of High Gas Prices, Holds Big Oil Accountable and Puts Consumers First
Ø Roll Back Tax Breaks for Oil Companies and Invest in Renewable Energy – In 2004 and 2005, the Big Oil companies received tax breaks worth $17 billion over 10 years. The Consumer-First Energy Act will roll back $17 billion in tax breaks for oil and gas companies and instead invest those taxpayer dollars to improve consumer price protection, renewable energy development and energy efficiency technology through a designated Energy Independence and Security Trust Fund.
Ø Force Big Oil to Pay Their Fair Share through a Windfall Profits Tax – Since the Bush Administration came into office, the five biggest oil companies have made over half a trillion dollars in profit. The Consumer-First Energy Act creates a 25 percent windfall profits tax on companies that fail to invest in increased capacity and renewable energy sources. This provision would not apply to the profits those companies reinvested in clean, affordable, domestically produced renewable fuels, expanding refinery capacity and utilization, or renewable electricity production. The proceeds of the tax will be invested in consumer price protection, renewable energy development and energy efficiency technologies through a designated Energy Independence and Security Trust Fund.
Ø Halt Government Purchases of Oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve – The Administration continues to place between 70,000 and 80,000 barrels of oil a day underground in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which is 97 percent full. The Consumer-First Energy Act calls for suspending through December 2008 oil purchases for the SPR. Filling could resume when the 90 day average price of crude oil recedes to $75 or less. Energy officials have stated that by halting purchases for the SPR, the price of gasoline can be reduced 2 to 5 cents per gallon.
Ø Protect Consumers from Price Gouging – The Federal government’s authority and enforcement actions are inadequate to protect consumers from artificially created spikes in retail gas prices are inadequate. The Consumer-First Energy Act would give the President the authority to declare an energy emergency should there be a shortage, disruption or significant pricing anomalies in the oil market. Once an emergency is declared, setting an “unconscionably excessive price” during such an emergency would be deemed unlawful and subject to civil penalties.
Ø Stop Market Price Speculation – The Administration’s failure to regu |
