September 2009 Archives

Golf legend Arnold Palmer and Rep. Joe Baca, D-San Bernardino, joined President Barack Obama in the Oval Office Wednesday as Obama signed a bill awarding Palmer the Congressional Gold Medal.

Baca, a member of the House professional sports caucus and chairman of the caucus' golf committee -- yes, really -- sponsored the bill.

Baca praised Palmer for his humanitarian work. Palmer founded both the Arnold Palmer Pavilion at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Fla.

In advance of President Barack Obama's joint address to Congress earlier this month, Rep. Ken Calvert called on the president and the current Democratic leadership to put aside politics and find common ground on health care reform.

"During the August recess, members of Congress heard from their constituents about health care reform and it has become abundantly clear that the American people will not accept radical changes to their health care," Calvert said in a news release.

"However, I think there are several common-sense areas in which Congress can improve our health care system.

"Instead of jamming through an option the American people don't want, Congress must come together and build on common ground."

Sen. Barbara Boxer on Sept. 14 wrote to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions to ask the committee to expand access to early childhood education, which is critical to helping children succeed in school.

The text of the Boxer's letter included the following:

"I write to urge you to include provisions consistent with my bill, S-206, the Early Education Act, to permanently expand federal support for public education to include early education.

"A child's early years are critical to the development of the brain. The National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences reported that early education opportunities are critical for children to develop the language and literacy skills they need to learn to read.

"It is essential that the investments we make in education reflect the crucial needs of our nation's youngest students."

The U.S. Senate on Sept. 14 passed a resolution by California Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein honoring fire Capt. Tedmund D. Hall and Firefighter Specialist Arnaldo

Quinones who lost their lives in the line of duty fighting the Station Fire.

Boxer said: "My heart goes out to the family and friends of Captain Hall and Specialist Quinones, who gave their lives to protect our communities threatened by the Station Fire. I know their loved ones are devastated by this loss, but I hope they are comforted in some small way by knowing that they died as heroes and we will not forget their sacrifice."

Feinstein said: "Captain Tedmund Hall and firefighter Arnaldo Quinones are true heroes. They gave their lives protecting the lives and the property of others, and we will never forget.

The Small Business Administration on Wednesday announced that residents in five counties will be eligible for low-interest disaster loans to help them rebuild after the recent Station Fire.

California Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein sent a letter to the agency supporting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's request for disaster assistance for this area.

As the largest fire in Los Angeles County history, the Station Fire burned more than 160,000 acres and destroyed at least 89 homes.

Low-interest disaster loans from the SBA are available to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofits to help repair or replace residential and business losses, according to a news release from Boxer's office.

SBA's disaster declaration covers Los Angeles County as well as Kern, Orange, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein says there's "more than one way to skin that cat" when it comes to lowering health care costs.

But she's stopping short of insisting that an overhaul of the system must include a government-run "public option."

Feinstein, D-Calif., said changing the way the country's biggest insurers do business is the key to bringing down costs, according to the Associated Press.

Feinstein also says she believes it's possible to overhaul the system without increasing the federal deficit, as President Barack Obama has promised.

Rep. Joe Baca will host his ninth annual women's event on Friday that will address issues directly affecting women.

This year's theme "Protecting Women's Rights in a Tough Economy" addresses the current economic climate and its direct affect upon women, according to a news release from Baca's office.

Speakers include Gillian Rucker, president of the Auto Club Speedway of Southern California; Michelle Skiljan, director of the Inland Empire Women's Business Center; and Peggy Long, Director of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union.

Topics include "Competing in the Job Market," "Equal Pay and Access" and "Starting Your Own Business," according to the news release.

The conference will be from 9 a.m. to noon at the Lewis Library and Tech Center, 8437 Sierra Ave., in Fontana.

Baca is a Democrat who represents the 43rd District, which includes Fontana and Ontario.

The nearly 15 million unemployed Americans din't enjoy Labor Day as a relaxing respite from work.

As the jobless rate nears 10 percent, even those fortunate enough to be employed fret about keeping their jobs.

But for those without them, it's a daily struggle with emotional and economic distress.

Cal Poly Pomona graduate and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis' advice to the unemployed: "I would tell those workers and families not to lose sight of hope."

Solis urges them to seek the skills, education and training needed for new jobs, according to the Associated Press.

But she acknowledges these are tough times.

"Americans are facing monumental challenges," Solis said. "I know that every job lost, every hour cut from the workweek, means another family having to make difficult decisions."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein wants to establish a national monument that would bar energy development on hundreds of thousands of acres of desert between the Mojave National Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park.

The area includes former railroad land the Wild-lands Conservancy donated to the government a decade ago, according to the Associated Press.

The House of Representatives in June narrowly passed a bill based on a "cap-and-trade" system in which companies would get pollution allowances that they could sell if they went below emissions limits, or buy if they could not meet the requirements.

But prospects are uncertain in the Senate, where Republicans and coal-state Democrats oppose it, according to the Associated Press.

The leading Senate proponents -- Democrats Barbara Boxer of California and John Kerry of Massachusetts -- plan to delay introducing their bill until late September.

They cited Kennedy's death, Kerry's August hip surgery and the Finance Committee's focus on health care.

A new Labor Department report identifies more than 58 countries where child labor or forced labor is used to make hundreds of goods -- from coffee grown in Colombia to Christmas decorations made in China -- that often end up in the United States.

The government wants American companies and consumers to know about the chance these products are made under conditions in which children and other workers are exploited and abused.

"We want to engage with these countries and corporations that may have their hands in the wrong places here and try to correct this," Cal Poly Pomona graduate and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said. "I do hope that the major corporations will take it seriously."

Rep. Joe Baca released the following statement, after President Obama gave his address on health care reform before a joint session of Congress. 
 
"President Obama's made a bold statement about what's at stake in the debate over health care, and the path we must all take together to achieve needed reforms.  I stand with the President, and will continue to work with him to achieve quality affordable health care for all Americans," Baca said.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement in response to President Barack Obama's address to Congress on health care reform.
 
"The president has proven his ability again to speak very well and say very little.

"He continued to try and sell his government-run health care experiment even though it will increase costs, increase taxes and increase the deficit. 

"He said he wants to work with Republicans, but Nancy Pelosi and liberals in the House have opposed Republicans every step of the way. 

"If the Democrats are serious about passing health care reform this year, they should stop pointing fingers and truly start working with Republicans to pass common-sense bipartisan health care reform that Americans want and deserve."     

A bill to help California develop a homegrown workforce for the state's stem cell and biotechnology industries cleared its final hurdle in the legislature on Thursday with Senate approval of amendments the Assembly adopted Tuesday. 

SB 471, jointly authored by Senator Gloria Romero, chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, and Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, now goes to the Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggerfor signature.  
 
The Senate bill requires the California Department of Education to collaborate with the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the state stem cell agency, and with the biotechnology industry to include stem cell and biotechnology in existing science and career development programs. 

It also requires the CDE to post  information on its Web site about biotechnology education programs in public schools and provide science teachers and school districts a model curriculum on stem cell science developed by CIRM, according to a news release from Romero's office.
 

A California lawmaker who listened and asked questions as a fellow assemblyman boasted about extramarital affairs has been removed from the panel investigating the conversation.

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass removed Republican Assemblyman Jeff Miller of Corona from the ethics committee on Thursday, according to The Associated Press.

The move comes a day after Republican Mike Duvall of Yorba Linda resigned from the Assembly once a videotape of the conversation became public.

The racy banter took place in July during a break in a committee hearing.

Duvall, who is married, issued a statement saying he is not admitting to having sex with the two female lobbyists. He said he engaged only in "inappropriate storytelling."

Shannon Murphy, a spokeswoman for the Assembly speaker, says Miller should not sit on the panel that is investigating a conversation in which he participated.

Miller is a Republican who represents the 71st District, which includes Norco.

State Sen. Bob Huff on Wednesday announced he was appointed by Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg to serve on the Joint Conference Committee on Water. 

The committee is charged with crafting state-wide reforms for increased water reliability.

The committee, which met through the Labor Day weekend, has until Tuesday to bring a final conference report to the floor of both houses, according to a news release from Huff's office.

A conference report can only be brought to the floor if eight conferees -- four from the Senate and four from the Assembly -- sign the report.

"Water is our most critical resource," Huff said.

"California needs comprehensive water reform and additional storage capacity to meet the needs of our ever-growing population and ensure we have a reliable and safe supply of water to drink from in the future.

"Water is a statewide issue that affects everyone in California, whether they are a farmer in the Central Valley or a resident of inner-city Los Angeles.

"Water is vital to our state's economy, and we need a real solution to this crisis."

In 2007, Huff also served on the Assembly's Special Committee on Water. 

The committee was formed for the special session called by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and focused on finding solutions to avert a potential water crisis, but no legislation was agreed upon. 

"This is an important issue that we have been dealing with for years," Huff said.

"Hopefully we can reach a bi-partisan agreement and have a solution to this issue that impacts all Californians."

Huff represents the 29th District, which includes San Dimas, Claremont, Diamond Bar, La Verne, Chino Hills and part of Chino.

Sen. Barbara Boxer on Thursday asked the United States Forest Service to focus fuel reduction program on communities vulnerable to wildfires.

In a letter addressed to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Boxer said too often dead or dying trees and chaparral, in many cases located where fire has not occurred for decades, becomes the fuel for fires that cannot be controlled without a serious threat to communities.  

Boxer said she recognized that the Forest Service's resources for hazardous fuels reduction have been overextended, but it was important for the agency to focus its existing fuels reduction programs in areas where the threat to communities is greatest. 

As the Forest Service allocates its remaining funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the U.S. Department of Agriculture prepares its budget request for fiscal year 2011, Boxer said she hoped that there would be careful attention paid to prioritizing the activities in the areas of greatest need, so that when a fire occurs, the threats are completely reduced.

Boxer made her comments in the aftermath of The Station Fire in Los Angeles County, during which two firefighters were killed while battling the blaze.

The state Assembly approved a measure on Wednesday that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower energy costs for thousands of Southern California consumers.

Assembly Bill 958 will help the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California create a new state-of-the-art solar energy system that will further 'green' their water distribution efforts throughout the entire Los Angeles region.

State Sen. Bob Huff met this week with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Huff has introduced legislation that will make California eligible for federal money.

"After a very constructive meeting with the secretary, it is clear that California needs the reforms outlined in my legislation more than ever," Huff said. 

"It will bring accountability, give parents more public school choices and, at a time when the state has made cuts to education, will open the door to federal dollars."

Huff introduced Senate Bill 5X-1 last week in conjunction with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and some members of the Senate Education Committee.

The legislation would serve as comprehensive education reform for California's K-12 school system and will make the state one of the top competitors for the $4.3 billion in 'Race to the Top' federal education grants, according to a news release from Huff's office.

Race to the Top would provide the largest amount of federal assistance ever offered to states to revamp educational delivery systems by focusing on standards, teacher development, measuring the performance of teachers and students as well as improving low-performing schools.

California's top educational and political leaders promised the state will do all it can to qualify for a share of more than $4 billion in competitive federal grants the Obama administration will award to states that establish new frameworks for educational reform.

Huff represents the 29th District, which includes San Dimas, Claremont, Diamond Bar, La Verne, Chino Hills and part of Chino.

Dutton is a Republican who represents the 31st District, which includes San Antonio Heights, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga and Mira Loma.