Majority News
Senators Feinstein and Kerry Express Concerns About Apparent Reversal in Department of Veterans’ Affairs Policy in Providing Access to Voter Registration for Veterans
Washington, DC -U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) today expressed concern about a new directive by the Veterans Health Administration that appears to reverse an earlier proposal to provide greater voter registration access to veterans in the department's care. On April 25, the Department of Veterans Affairs issued a directive that required all VA facilities develop comprehensive voter registration plans to assist veterans in voting. It also required … Continue Reading
April 30, 2008
Senators Feinstein and Kerry Commend Apparent Change in Department of Veterans’ Affairs Policy in Providing Access to Voter Registration for Veterans
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) today called a directive handed down by the Veterans Health Administration a major step forward in providing voter registration access to veterans in the department's care. "The VA Directive seems to be a dramatic turnaround in granting veterans the access to voter registration that they rightfully deserve," Senator Feinstein said. "This directive would require that all VA facilities develop comprehensive … Continue Reading
March 12, 2008
Senate Rules and Administration Committee Holds Hearing on Voter Fraud
Washington, DC The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, chaired by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), today held a hearing about in-person voter fraud, and whether requiring photo identification disenfranchises vulnerable voters. The hearing, entitled, "In-Person Voter Fraud: Myth and Trigger for Disenfranchisement?" examined concerns about the potential impacts on voters who have historically encountered obstacles at the polls - disabled, poor, minority, and senior voters. … Continue Reading
March 07, 2008
Senators Feinstein and Kerry Urge Veterans Affairs Secretary to Ensure Veterans Have Access to Voter Registration
Washington, DC U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chair of the Rules and Administration Committee, and John Kerry (D-Mass.) are urging Veterans Affairs Secretary James B. Peake to ensure that all veterans in VA facilities are able to participate in voter registration efforts. Many veterans live at VA facilities and some, especially those who are disabled, find it difficult to travel off-campus for services, including voter registration. However, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals … Continue Reading
February 20, 2008
"Limit 'robocalls,' but protect speech"
We've all heard the stories: families being awakened in the middle of the night by a computer-automated telephone call from a political campaign. Or voters receiving call after call in the days before a primary. In one particularly egregious case, a political campaign got hold of a Pennsylvania woman's personal cell phone number. Not only was this woman inundated with these computer-automated political phone calls, but she also had to pay for them. It's enough to turn even the most loyal … Continue Reading
February 12, 2008
Chairman Feinstein, Senator Specter Introduce Measure to Regulate Robocalls
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chairman of the Rules and Administration Committee, and Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) today introduced legislation to regulate robocalls. The measure introduced by Feinstein and Specter would not ban robocalls, but instead places sensible restrictions on how and when the calls can be made - including limiting the hours within which calls can be made, limiting the number of calls that can be made to each household, and requiring … Continue Reading
November 15, 2007
Chairman Feinstein Urges Senator Ensign to Withdraw Amendment and Open Door for Passage of Common-Sense Electronic Filing Bill
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chairman of the Rules and Administration Committee, has sent a letter to Senator John Ensign (R-Nev.) requesting that he withdraw an amendment that is currently holding up passage of S. 223, legislation to require Senate campaign finance reports to be filed electronically. Following is the text of Senator Feinstein's letter to Senator Ensign: November 14, 2007 The Honorable John Ensign United States Senate Washington, DC … Continue Reading
November 14, 2007
Senator Feinstein, Representatives Brady and Lofgren File Amicus Brief in Supreme Court Supporting Balanced Ballot Access and Integrity in Federal Elections
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Representative Robert Brady (D-Pa.) and Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) have filed an amicus curiae brief in the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that Indiana's photo-identification requirements for federal elections are inconsistent with federal law and create unfair obstacles to voting. Senator Feinstein is Chairman of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee; Representative Brady is Chairman of the House Administration … Continue Reading
November 13, 2007
Senator Feinstein Co-Sponsors Legislation to Name Great Hall of Capitol Visitor Center “Emancipation Hall”
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today announced that she has co-sponsored legislation to name the Great Hall in the new Capitol Visitor Center "Emancipation Hall." The name would serve to recognize the end of slavery in the United States, and to pay tribute to the enslaved people who helped to construct the Capitol building. Senator Feinstein urged speedy passage of the legislation. In addition, Senator Feinstein today stated her interest in working with the … Continue Reading
September 27, 2007
In Wake of Troubling New GAO Report, Chairman Feinstein Calls for Further Review of Smithsonian Institution Operations
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chairman of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, has called on the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents to respond to the latest news of continued maintenance and security issues at their facilities, which were detailed in a new Government Accountability Office report released today. Chairman Feinstein also expressed concern over the GAO's report that the Smithsonian Institution continues to expect federal funding to … Continue Reading
September 24, 2007
Senator Feinstein’s Effort to Pass Senate Campaign Electronic Filing Bill Blocked for Third Time
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chairman of the Rules and Administration Committee, today attempted to move common sense legislation that would require Senate campaign finance reports to be filed electronically. And for the third time this year, the effort was blocked by a Republican Senator. Senator Feinstein spoke on the Senate floor this afternoon in support of S. 223, and asked for unanimous consent to pass the legislation. However, Senator John Ensign (R-Nev.) … Continue Reading
August 02, 2007
Senator Feinstein Calls Department of Justice Response to Questions about Election Crime Manual 'Inadequate'
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales calling for further explanation of changes made to the federal election crime prosecution manual, and rejecting Department of Justice explanations as inadequate. Senator Feinstein questioned Attorney General Gonzales during a July 24, 2007, Judiciary Committee hearing about revisions in the Seventh Edition of the Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses manual. Senator … Continue Reading
August 02, 2007
U. S. Senate Passes Comprehensive Lobbying and Ethics Reform Bill
Washington, DC-The U.S. Senate today approved a comprehensive ethics and lobbying reform bill, the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, by a vote of 83-14. Among its many provisions, the bill will slow the revolving door between Congress and the lobbying world, require disclosure of lobbyists who bundle campaign contributions, and increase transparency in the legislative process by requiring earmark transparency and preventing new earmarks from being added in the dead of night. (A … Continue Reading
July 30, 2007
Majority Leader Reid and Chairmen Feinstein and Lieberman Announce Most Sweeping Ethics, Lobbying Reform in Generations
Washington, DC-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senators Dianne Feinstein and Joe Lieberman, chairmen of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, today announced final agreement with the House on the text of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act. This bicameral agreement contains the most sweeping ethics and lobbying reforms in generations. The House plans to take up the bill Tuesday, and the Senate will do so later … Continue Reading
June 26, 2007
Chairman Feinstein Urges Smithsonian to Move Rapidly on Reforms
Washington, DC - Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairman of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, today urged the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents to move rapidly on a reform package recommended by an independent investigative committee. She expressed her concern that the top positions at the Smithsonian need to be filled without delay. Senator Feinstein also urged the Board to conduct a top to bottom audit of the expenses of former Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence … Continue Reading
May 25, 2007
Senator Feinstein Introduces Comprehensive Reform Legislation to Ensure Accurate Counts in Federal Elections
Washington, DC - Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) have introduced legislation to help ensure the accuracy of vote counts in federal elections and institute important new reforms in the administration of elections. Other cosponsors include Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), Barack Obama (D-IL), Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT), Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Bernard Sanders (I-VT). The Ballot … Continue Reading
April 22, 2007
Feinstein Special to Sacramento Bee: Ensuring every vote counts for elections
The 2006 vote count in Sarasota County, Fla., exposed major weaknesses in our nation's voting system. Nearly 240,000 voters cast ballots on Nov. 7. But when their votes were tallied, things didn't square up: There were 18,000 fewer votes in the 13th Congressional District than were recorded in other contests on the same ballot. So-called undervotes occur in every election. But the rate of undervotes on Sarasota County's touch-screen machines was five times the rate seen on absentee ballots … Continue Reading
April 17, 2007
Senator Feinstein Urges Senate Passage of Campaign Electronic Filing Bill
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, today spoke on the Senate Floor to urge passage of legislation that would require Senate campaign finance reports to be filed electronically. Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) joined Senator Feinstein today in urging the Senate to pass the legislation by unanimous consent. However, passage was blocked by the opposition of one Republican Senator. "I am urging the Senate to … Continue Reading
March 28, 2007
Senate Rules Committee Approves Campaign Electronic Filing Bill
Washington, DC - The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration today approved legislation to require that Senate campaign finance reports be filed electronically, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chairman of the Committee, announced. The bill was approved by voice vote. "This is a major stop forward in bringing the Senate into the modern era," Chairman Feinstein said. "This is a common sense measure, and I hope we can pass this bill out of the Senate without burdening it with … Continue Reading
March 28, 2007
Bennett Gets Agreement From Feinstein To Hold April Hearing On His Amendment
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today Senate Rules Committee Ranking Member Bob Bennett (R-Utah) gave the following statement after he and Chairman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) agreed to hold a hearing next month on his amendment to repeal the limit on coordinated expenditures between candidates and parties. Below is the full text of Bennett's opening statement: Thank you Madame Chairman. I do hope we don't take a full three months to schedule a hearing. I hope we can find sometime within three weeks or … Continue Reading
