March 2005 Archives
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Rep. Miller to tour Middle East and Iraq this week
WASHINGTON, D.C. – At the request of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) will travel this week to Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon on a week-long fact finding tour with Pelosi and other members of Congress.
“I am eager to speak directly with leaders from the Middle East and Iraq to learn from them what is taking place on the ground in their countries,” said Miller. “I am deeply interested in seeing to it that the peace process between Israel and Palestinian leaders continues to move forward. And I am interested to learn firsthand about the real conditions in Iraq in terms of security for American forces, the prospects for reduced violence, and the impact of U.S. policy in that country.”
This trip, from March 18 to 25, is Miller’s first to Iraq and his second to the Middle East.
Miller is serving in his second term as chairman of the House Democratic Policy Committee, where he plays an active role in helping to formulate policy and strategy regarding a wide range of issues, including foreign policy.
Iraq
military
nationalsecurity
Posted by Intern, CA07 at 09:31PM | Comments ()
House passes major bill with funding for critical local transportation improvements
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) announced six transportation projects in Contra Costa and Solano counties for which he secured $20 million as part of a major transportation bill passed by the House of Representatives today by a vote of 417 to 9.
“This bill is about helping our economy and the environment by making it a little easier for people to get to work and get home, and better facilitate the movement of goods and services throughout the Bay Area,” said Miller.
“This bill was held up last year, unfortunately, and that delayed important work. Now it looks like Congress will get this bill done this year. I am pleased that the whole state was treated well in this bill, and I am pleased to have been able to secure funding for important projects in parts of Contra Costa and Solano counties,” Miller added.
The six projects are:
· $8 million to upgrade the I-80 and I-680 SR12 Interchange in Solano County. This funding was part of a total $21 million in funding secured by Rep. Ellen Tauscher and other Bay Area Representatives for I-80 and I-680 improvements.
· $1 million to build HOV lanes and an interchange on I-80 in Vallejo.
· $3 million for the Solano Open Space pedestrian and bicycle paths.
· $5 million to build a parking structure at the Richmond BART station.
· $1.5 million for improvements to the Intermodal Rail Station in Hercules.
· $1.5 million for improvements to the Martinez Intermodal station in Martinez.
The transportation bill passed by the House today, H.R. 3, provides a total of $284 billion for transportation projects nationwide between now and 2009. The bill must still pass the Senate before being sent to the President for his signature.
Democrats are disappointed that the bill did not provide more funding. If the bill had provided $318 billion, as Democrats sought, it would have created an additional 1.6 million jobs nationwide at a time when 13 million Americans who want a job still don't have one.
districtmatters
transportation
Posted by Intern, CA07 at 09:36PM | Comments ()
Senior lawmakers query HHS over possible continued use of illegal video news releases
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Three senior Democratic lawmakers want to know if the Health and Human Services Department is still distributing prepackaged video news stories to U.S. television stations despite two findings by the Government Accountability Office that the department’s practices were illegal.
The lawmakers wrote to HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt today because of an article about covert propaganda posted to a website, Corpwatch.org, that gives the impression that HHS continued to use the video news releases even after the GAO reported its findings. To reiterate GAO’s conclusion, U.S. Comptroller General David Walker sent a letter to all federal agencies on February 17 warning them that the use of prepackaged news stories is illegal.
The letter was sent by Rep. George Miller (CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee; Rep. Henry A. Waxman (CA), the senior Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee; and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT), co-chair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. The three lawmakers have been aggressively pursuing numerous instances of illegal government propaganda by the Bush Administration.
Posted by Intern, CA07 at 09:39PM | Comments ()
