August9, 2007

FISA

On Saturday the House passed S. 1927: Protect America Act. This legislation amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), expanding and clarifying the federal government's ability to conduct electronic surveillance without a court warrant. It clarifies that a court order is not needed if communication occurs between two individuals on foreign soil, even if their interaction passes through communication routing stations in the U.S. The bill also allows surveillance to begin while the FISA Court is still reviewing a warrant request. I am deeply disappointed that the House considered this legislation, which I believe diminishes our cherished civil liberties. It is set to expire in six months and I hope that when Congress revisits this issue, we are able to update FISA in a manner that protects and respects our civil liberties. I voted NO. S. 1927 passed the House and the entire vote is recorded below:

Interstate I-35 Bridge

My deepest sympathies to those who lost loved ones due to the collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minnesota. Last week's tragedy is serving as a grim reminder of what can happen if we do not take care of our basic infrastructure needs. On Friday August 3rd the House unanimously authorized $250 million in funds for repair and reconstruction of the bridge. Additionally, the House Transportation Committee began efforts to create a fund that states could access exclusively for repairs of aging bridge infrastructure. I will report back on the progress we make.

Tunnel Inspection Program

My legislation (H.R. 409) amending the Nationwide Bridge Inspection Program to include the mandatory inspection of all highway tunnels passed on August 2nd in the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Since the tragic July 2006 death of Milena Del Valle as a result of a falling ceiling panel in one of the Big Dig tunnels, many questions have been rightfully raised about the short-term and long-term safety of this project. When the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) met on July 10, 2007 to discuss their yearlong investigation into the accident, they issued a series of recommendations, including the establishment of a nationwide tunnel inspection program. My legislation, which was filed in January, creates a program modeled after the nationwide bridge inspection program.

Currently there are no national standards or requirements for inspecting highway tunnels. Instead, this responsibility lies with the tunnel owners, who have complete authority to determine how their tunnels should be inspected. At a minimum, tunnel owners must follow the requirements included in their bonding agreements relating to the structure.

H.R. 409 requires the Secretary of Transportation to establish minimum inspection requirements for tunnels, include the maximum amount of time permitted between inspections and the manner in which inspections will be carried out. The Secretary will also establish the qualifications necessary for those conducting inspections, establish a national certification program for highway tunnel inspectors and implement a program to train inspectors. States will be required to maintain an inventory of all highway tunnel inspection reports, including information detailing any follow up actions relating to inspections.

Recent Votes

Last week the House passed H.R. 3159: Ensuring Military Readiness Through Stability and Predictability Deployment Policy Act. This legislation guarantees that all active duty forces are given as much time home with their family and friends as they give to their country during deployment. It also requires that all National Guard and reservists are home with their families for three times the amount of time that they are deployed. Our military is already overburdened, with approximately 250,000 soldiers in the Army and Marine Corps serving more than one tour of duty in Iraq. Those tours of duty are also getting longer. In the spring, the Defense Secretary announced that the tours of all active duty Army soldiers would be extended from 12 months to 15 months. The average length of deployment of the National Guard and the Reserves is 18 months. Our men and women in uniform are sacrificing so much for our country and their families are sharing that burden. This legislation simply gives them more time together and some predictability. I voted YES. H.R. 3159 passed in the House and the entire vote is recorded below:

Last week, the House also completed consideration of H.R. 3161: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and related agencies appropriations. This legislation increases funding for grants and loans to rural communities so that they may make improvements to health care, education and other facilities. The President's budget proposes to eliminate these grants. The bill also increases funding for telemedicine and distance learning grants and provides $5.1 billion in grant and loan funding for affordable housing and home ownership opportunities in rural areas. H.R. 3161 fully funds the Food Safety and Inspection Service at the USDA and sets a timeline for the implementation of country of origin labeling for meats. The legislation increases funding for nutrition programs, including programs to help combat childhood obesity by teaching our young people about healthy eating. I voted YES. H.R. 3161 passed in the House and the entire vote is recorded below:

Over the weekend, the House considered H.R. 3221: New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security and Consumer Protection Act. This legislation establishes an Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program to prepare people for ÒgreenÓ jobs -- such as solar panel manufacturers and green building construction workers and increases loan limits to help small businesses develop energy efficient technologies and purchases. H.R. 3221 also creates an Energy Department agency to coordinate energy technology research and development that private industry is not likely to pursue on its own (ARPA-E). It calls for the federal government to be carbon neutral by 2050. Federal agencies would have to inventory their greenhouse gas emissions and reduce them by at least 2% a year. It prevents companies who don't pay royalties on their oil and gas drilling from being issued new leases unless they renegotiate those leases and agree to pay royalties. The legislation also sets standards to increase the efficiency of appliances such as refrigerators and freezers. H.R. 3221 also authorizes $750M grants to transit agencies so that they may increase access to transit options in urban areas. Although there are a number of important provisions in this legislation, I am disappointed that a requirement to increase Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFƒ) standards did not have enough support to be included in this bill. I am hopeful that this can be worked out in conference in the Senate. I voted YES. H.R. 3221 passed in the House and the entire vote is recorded below:

The House also passed H.R. 2776: Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007. This legislation authorizes $3.6 billion in energy conservation bonds for states and local governments to fund conservation projects. It also authorizes $2.4B in residential energy-efficiency tax-credit bonds and $2B in new clean renewable energy bonds for renewable energy facilities. H.R. 2776 extends various tax credits for solar energy, fuel cells, and hybrids. The legislation repeals approximately $16 billion in tax breaks for oil and gas companies to finance these initiatives. I voted YES. The legislation passed in the House and the entire vote is recorded below:

I think that the House could have gone further with the energy bills we considered over the weekend. Regardless, both bills are important steps in the right direction and I hope that we will have an opportunity to do more soon.

Also on Saturday the House passed H.R. 3222: FY 2008 Defense Appropriations. This legislation funds the Department of Defense's basic budget for the upcoming fiscal year. It does not contain any funding for the war in Iraq, which will be addressed in an upcoming supplemental appropriations bill. This legislation increases funding for the National Guard and Reserve so that they may address equipment shortfalls. H.R. 3222 increases funding for military training and health care. It funds a 3.5% pay increase for our men and women in uniform, and provides $558.4 million more than the President's budget to fund services for military families like child care centers, education and advocacy programs. I voted YES. H.R. 3222 passed the House and the entire vote is recorded below:

What's Up Next

The House is currently in a District Work period. The next votes are scheduled for September 4, 2007.