October 2009 Archives

Rep. Joe Baca last week introduced legislation to make sure the census count that occurs every 10 years tabulates the total number of persons in each state.

The legislation also eliminates any provisions in the census requiring information on citizenship or immigration status, according to a news release from Baca's office.

H.R. 3855, the Every Person Counts Act, amends Title 13 of the U.S. Code to clarify that each decennial census accurately counts all people residing in the nation and does not exclude anyone based on immigration status.

Baca introduced H.R. 3855 in direct response to an amendment by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., to the Commerce-Justice Science Appropriations Bill, according to the news release.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger earlier this month signed into law several bills by Assemblywoman Wilmer Aminia Carter.

According to a news release from Carter's office, the bills included:

California Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein on Thursday praised final Senate passage of legislation to strengthen the abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute hate crimes.

"Hate crimes are particularly offensive because they are propelled by bias, ignorance and bigotry," Boxer said. "These crimes do not just ... inflict harm on one victim, but they also instill fear in entire communities. And no person -- simply because of who they are -- should ever have to live in fear."

The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act passed as an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill in July.

The chairman of the U.S. Senate's environment committee said this week that it's possible Congress will pass a bill aimed at slowing global warming before international talks on a deal to limit climate change in Copenhagen in December.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, the California Democrat who is co-sponsoring the bill, said she is pushing for approval of the legislation with specific targets to limit greenhouse gases, adding that the Obama administration "is very strong on this."

She said congressional approval of the bill is possible before nations meet in Copenhagen, Denmark, in early December to try to agree on a new global climate treaty. But she said if the bill isn't approved by then it doesn't mean the U.S. isn't making progress in tackling global warming.

Boxer and Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, are co-sponsoring the 800-page Senate bill which calls for a ceiling on greenhouse gas emissions beginning in three years, to be tightened annually so that emissions would be 20 percent lower in 2020 than they were in 2005. It would require emissions to be 83 percent lower by 2050.

A bill co-authored by Assemblyman Bill Emmerson that would ensure that public swimming pools and spas have anti-entrapment drain covers was signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sunday.

"Now that this bill has become law, our children will be safer swimming in our public pools and spas," Emmerson said. 

"Currently, many of our public swimming pools lack the proper safety equipment necessary to protect our children. 

"This new law makes great strides in reducing the risk of drowning by increasing the safety standards for every public swimming pool and spa throughout California."
 
There were 74 incidents of circulation entrapment reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission between 1999 and 2007, including nine fatalities and 63 injuries, in which 54 of these incidents involved children under the age of 15, according to a news release from Emmerson's office. 

Circulation entrapment occurs when a person becomes attached to a drain due to the suction of the water circulation system of a pool or spa, or when a limb is inserted into a drain with a broken or missing cover.
 
The bill seeks to bring California into compliance with federal law, which is necessary to allow local health officials to properly enforce these new safety standards.

Emmerson is a Republican who represents the 63rd District, which includes Rancho Cucamonga, Upland and part of north Fontana. 

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Oct. 11 signed the Civil Air Patrol Employment Protection Act that was authored by Assemblymember Wilmer Amina Carter.

The measure assures that members of the all-volunteer Civil Air Patrol in California will have employment protection after returning to their jobs from an authorized emergency mission. 

The act establishes a right to employment leave (up to 10 days a year) for members of the California Wing of CAP, which is an official Civilian Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.

The protection applies only when members are called up for an emergency by the U.S. Air Force, the California Emergency Management Agency or any subdivision of the state with the authority to declare an emergency.

"To perform search and rescue flights for several days and find out you've lost your job is devastating to a volunteer whose main purpose is to save lives," Carter said.

"Until my bill was signed into law, CAP members only had the job protection rights given to them by their employers ... Fortunately, employers have generally been supportive of the Civil Air Patrol.
 
"Their payment, for a CAP volunteer, is in the personal reward of contributing countless hours of non-compensated time.

"But the California Wing of the Civil Air Patrol can't be a consistent resource, unless they are fully supported for their patriotic service."

Carter is a Democrat who represents the 62nd District, which includes Fontana.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is having trouble selling his latest act to California voters.

A Field Poll released Tuesday finds the Republican governor with his lowest approval rating ever. Just 27 percent of voters approve of his performance, while 65 percent disapprove.

The governor's esteem has been slipping since December 2007, when he enjoyed an approval rating of 60 percent.

His highest ratings came in 2004, his first full year in office.

Schwarzenegger's latest mark is the second lowest when matched against the six governors who preceded him. Only Democrat Gray Davis scored lower, registering a 22 percent approval rating in 2003, shortly before voters recalled him, according to The Associated Press.

The results were based on a telephone survey of 1,005 voters conducted Sept. 18 to Oct. 5.

The survey has a margin of sampling error of 3.2 percentage points.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed into law Senate Bills 169, 204, 321, and 431 authored by state Sen. John J. Benoit.

In August, Schwarzenegger signed Benoit's SB 39, also known as the Good Samaritan Protection Act, which provides legal immunity to emergency service volunteer workers.

"I'm very pleased to report that all five of my bills that were put forward to the Governor this year were signed into law," Benoit said. "From probation reform to protecting taxpayers, these new laws improve public policy, and I couldn't be more proud that each was accomplished with strong bipartisan support along the way."

Saying the U.S. mission in Afghanistan is in "serious jeopardy" and more troops are needed to combat an increasingly potent Taliban, the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee stands at odds against an influential Democratic colleague on military matters.

California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein's views are more closely aligned with those of key Republicans than members of her own party.

On Oct. 11, Feinstein, whose post gives her access to sensitive information about the war's progress, said delaying the reinforcements also puts the forces already in Afghanistan at greater risk, according to the Associated Press. She pointed to an Oct. 3 battle in northeastern Afghanistan in which eight U.S. soldiers were killed during an enemy attack on their remote outpost.

"We didn't have the ability to defend them, and now the base is closing, and effectively we're retreating away from it," she said.

The diverging opinions came as President Barack Obama and his war council wrestle with how many more troops might be needed in the 8-year-old Afghanistan conflict. Key to the deliberations are whether to focus the fighting more narrowly on al-Qaida or more broadly on Taliban insurgents.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sunday signed a bill introduced by Assemblyman Anthony Adams that requires small family childcare homes have at least one care-giver or staff member trained in pediatric first aid and pediatric CPR onsite at all times when children are present.

"When parents leave their children at these facilities they should be confident that these care-givers are capable of providing their children with the best possible care," Adams said. "This law strengthens parents trust in these facilities and gives them the security that their children are safe."

Inspiration for the bill -- titled Mia's Law -- came from Heather Hardeman, mother of Mia Hardeman who tragically passed away when her caregiver was not trained in pediatric first aid or CPR.

Large family childcare homes and daycare facilities are already required to have at least one pediatric CPR and first aid trained and card carrying licensee, care giver, or staff member on the premises.

The bill will take effect Jan. 1.

Adams is a Republican who represents the 59th District, which includes La Verne and Claremont.

In separate letters to President Barack Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week, Rep. David Dreier joined other House GOP Leaders in asking the president and speaker to consider specific proposals that will help small businesses keep more of what they earn, hire more workers and provide expanded benefits for their existing employees, according to a news release from the lawmaker's office.

"With unemployment still rising, we clearly need to do more to help small businesses keep the workers they have and hopefully hire more. Small businesses are the engine of job creation, not the government," Dreier said.

"By reaching out to President Obama and Speaker Pelosi, it is our hope that we can facilitate some bipartisan action that will help spur real job creation. There are simple things we can do, and they don't involve more wasteful government spending. The American people need us to work together to solve our nation's challenges."

The proposals put forward in the letter were developed by the House GOP Economic Recovery and Healthcare Solutions Groups.

According to the news release, some of the proposals are:

Rep. Joe Baca and other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Friday met with the Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to discuss environmental and economic priorities of Congress.

At the meeting, Baca spoke about a variety of issues, including protecting the rights of California's Native American communities, water conservation and the need for greater involvement from the Fish and Wildlife Service in the Inland area, according to a news release from the lawmaker's office.

The "discussion with Secretary Salazar gave me an opportunity to advocate for the Native American community, and stress the need for greater respect of their right to sovereignty," Baca said. 

California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer said Wednesday that legislators will hold hearings to address toxic drinking water in the nation's schools following an Associated Press probe into the widespread problem.

Boxer, the head of the Senate Environment Committee, called for the hearings to be held in Washington this year after an AP investigation revealed unsafe levels of lead, bacteria and pesticides have surfaced in the water supplies at thousands of schools.

In the past decade, contaminants have been found in drinking fountains and school pipes in all 50 states in small towns and inner cities. But the problem has gone largely unmonitored by the federal government, even as the number of water safety violations has multiplied, according to The Associated Press.

Boxer, who chairs the Committee on Environment and Public Works that oversees the Environmental Protection Agency, has seized on the issue as a top priority. She has asked EPA officials to explain what actions they will take to protect school children from polluted water.

Aides for Boxer and Sen. Benjamin Cardin, a Maryland Democrat who leads a Senate subcommittee on water, attended the hour-and-a-half briefing with top EPA officials on Wednesday afternoon.

Among the issues discussed were the agency's inadequate record-keeping. The EPA only has authority to collect drinking water quality data from schools with wells, which represent 8 to 11 percent of the nation's schools.

Boxer aides were scheduled to meet with agency officials in two weeks to discuss the EPA's progress and any new legal authorities needed to protect students from toxic drinking water, said Peter Rafle, communications director for Boxer.

The Environmental Protection Agency has determined that greenhouse gas emissions pose a threat to public health and safety, and has proposed a plan to regulate large industrial and commercial facilities under the Clean Air Act.

On Thursday, California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein said she supports the EPA's actions to require that the nation's largest stationary emitters -- responsible for roughly 70 percent of America's carbon footprint -- take appropriate steps to contain the emissions and improve energy efficiency, according to a news release from Feinstein's office.

"Those who recognize that the Earth is in jeopardy, that global warming is real and that the climate is warming more quickly than anticipated, understand the urgent need to take action," Feinstein said.

"Hopefully, this will encourage the Senate to pass a comprehensive climate change bill quickly. If it does not, the Obama administration should be commended for having the courage to protect our environment and our earth."

California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer joined Sen. John Kerry on Wednesday introduced legislation to create clean energy jobs, reduce pollution, and protect American security by enhancing domestic energy production and combating global climate change.

The Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act will cut carbon pollution and stimulate the economy by creating millions of jobs in the clean energy sector, according to a news release from Boxer's office.

"We know clean energy is the ticket to strong, stable economic growth -- it's right here in front of us, in the ingenuity of our workers and the vision of our entrepreneurs," Boxer said.

"We must seize this opportunity, or others will move ahead. This is our time. Global warming is our challenge. Economic recovery is our challenge. American leadership is our challenge. Let's step up right now."

Rep. David Dreier on Tuesday voted to honor the Constitution of the United States and to recognize Constitution Day.

Dreier supported House Resolution 734, which unanimously passed the House of Representatives.

"Our founding fathers wrote what has come to be the most enduring Constitution in the world," Dreier said. "James Madison, the father of our Constitution, understood that government derives its power from the will of the people, to protect and preserve our liberties. His vision of divided government, held accountable by checks and balances, has ensured American liberty for generations."

H.Res.734, details the Constitution's profound impact on the development of democracy not only here in the United States but in all corners of the globe.

"As we celebrate the importance of our Constitution in establishing a structure of representative government that has prospered and endured by preserving our liberties, it is essential that we also take this opportunity to remember the many sacrifices of our fellow citizens throughout our history to protect and defend this country," Dreier said.

Dreier is a Republican who represents the 26th District, which includes Montclair, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, San Antonio Heights, Claremont, La Verne and San Dimas.

Rep. Gary Miller and several of his colleagues on Tuesday called on House appropriators to retain four immigration-related provisions contained in the Senate-passed version of the fiscal year 2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill.

In the wake of a weakened economy and growing violence along the U.S. and Mexico border, the provisions will help make sure available jobs are reserved for legal workers and protect American communities from violence, according to a news release from Miller's office.

"We write to request that four immigration-related provisions contained in the Senate-passed version of the FY 2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill be retained in the conference report to H.R. 2892," the letter states. "Each of these meritorious provisions was accepted or approved after being offered as an amendment on the Senate Floor."

The provisions include:

Rep. Ken Calvert on Sept.17 voted to cut off funding for ACORN, a community organization group.

"American taxpayer dollars should not go to a group that has been caught on tape instructing others on how to circumvent federal laws," Calvert said.

"The House has now voted to cut funding as well as the Senate. The next step must be an investigation into ACORN and prosecute those individuals responsible if the evidence shows laws have been broken."

Calvert on Sept. 15 joined other Republicans in the House of Representatives in sending a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to use his authority to end all funding to and break all government ties with ACORN.

"It is evident that ACORN is incapable of using federal funds in a manner that is consistent with the law," Calvert's letter states.

"Immediate action is necessary to ensure that no additional tax dollars are directed to ACORN. Simply put, ACORN should not receive another penny of American taxpayers' money."

Conservative bloggers went undercover in the past year to ACORN offices in San Bernardino, Baltimore, New York and Washington and asked employees for help and advice in setting up a brothel. Employees seemingly supported the idea.

Calvert is a Republican who represents the 44th District, which includes Norco.

The Obama administration's economic stimulus program to find jobs for thousands of teenagers this summer couldn't overcome one of the bleakest job markets in more than 60 years,  that had including desperate adults competing for the same kind of work.

Almost one-quarter of the 297,169 young people in the $1.2 billion jobs program didn't get jobs, as more adults flooded the labor market seeking similar low-wage positions at hamburger stands and community pools, according to an Associated Press review of government data and reports from states.

Congressional auditors warned Wednesday that the government's plans to measure the success of the program are so haphazard that they "may reveal little about what the program achieved."

The report from the Government Accountability Office also said many government officials, employers and participants believe the program was successful.

"After a decade without a dedicated federal summer jobs program, the effort created opportunities for young people that would have not existed otherwise," Cal Poly Pomona graduate and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said. "We have succeeded in our efforts to increase job skills and career readiness for our nation's youth through this targeted program."

President Barack Obama and leaders of France and Britain accused the Islamic republic on Sept. 25 of clandestinely building an underground plant to make nuclear fuel that could be used to build an atomic bomb.

California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein said the statements by the leaders provided a strong and forceful call for Iran to sit down and enter into a serious negotiations.

"The facility at Qom has been known for some time, and the fact that Iran has never carried out, before now, its responsibility to inform the International Atomic Energy Agency poses a serious concern for the West," Feinstein said.

"Now is the time for Iran to provide the guarantees that are necessary to ensure that it is not entering into any enrichment of uranium for military purposes, and to open its facilities to inspection by the IAEA."

Iran's newly revealed uranium enrichment plant is a heavily guarded, still-unfinished underground facility in the arid mountains near the holy city of Qom that will be able to produce nuclear fuel -- or the payload for atomic warheads, Western intelligence officials and diplomats said, according to The Associated Press.