June 2005 Archives
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Rep. Miller: Keep partisan politics out of Baseball
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Democratic Policy Committee, issued the following statement today in response to an article in Roll Call suggesting that Republicans might interfere in Major League Baseball’s decision about who should be allowed to purchase the new Washington Nationals baseball team.
“According to Roll call, Davis said, ‘I think Major League Baseball understands the stakes. I don’t think they want to get involved in a political fight. I don’t think it is the Nats who get hurt. I think it is Major League Baseball that gets hurt. They enjoy all sorts of exemptions [from anti-trust laws]’.
“Tom Davis should be charged with an error for this abusive political power play. It should be offensive not just to Democrats but to all voting Americans that Republicans might manipulate the legislative process for partisan purposes in response to the potential purchase of a baseball team by someone who does not support the current Republican agenda.
“Even baseball, apparently, is not off limits to the overreaching of the Republicans, who believe that winning an election means dictating the political beliefs and actions of all major institutions in this country.
“It is bad enough that they are trying to cut funding for Big Bird and censor public broadcasting. But now Republicans are threatening Major League Baseball with legislative retaliation if the league lets Soros’ group purchase a team. That is an abuse of power and I would hope that Republican leaders would stay out of the game and let the league decide who is eligible or not to own one of its teams.
“One of the benefits of baseball returning to Washington is that the ballpark is still one of those rare places where we can all leave our political divisions at the gate and just enjoy the game. For the sake of all of our sanity, let’s keep it that way.
“Keep partisan politics out of baseball.”
Posted by Intern, CA07 at 05:05PM | Comments ()
Miller statement on Supreme Court decision on CA Water
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez), a member of the House Resources Committee and the panel’s former chairman, issued this statement today on the Supreme Court’s decision in Orff et al. v. United States of America regarding California water use:
“The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision today is a vigorous vote of support for the Central Valley Project Improvement Act. Those who are seeking to undermine this law to secure excessive water and multi-million dollar profits for themselves at a time when water needs to be rationed intelligently will certainly find themselves in court as well, and they will lose. The Bush Administration, while correct on this case, has failed to implement the law properly. The Administration has listened to the subsidized contractors instead of the people of California. Those taxpayers own this water and have a right to a fair share and a fair price, both of which are being siphoned away by Administration officials too cozy to the irrigation interests.”
Miller was the author of the 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement Act.
Posted by Intern, CA07 at 05:17PM | Comments ()
Rep. Miller says latest Republican proposal for Social Security offers more of the same: Privatization & benefit cuts
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) issued this statement today about a plan to privatize Social Security proposed by House Republicans this week:
Despite overwhelming opposition to privatization among the American people, President Bush and Republican leaders in Congress have proposed a new plan to privatize Social Security, raid the trust funds, and undermine the program’s long-term solvency.
The President’s party controls the White House, the House and the Senate. And since they took control of the government, the Republicans have taken $700 billion out of the Social Security trust fund. That’s $700 billion they have raided to date, and now they want to close the deal and take the rest of the money out of the Social Security trust fund.
This latest proposal is no different from other privatization proposals. It would take a portion of the Social Security trust fund’s revenues and put it into private accounts. That’s privatization. And that would hurt seniors and younger generations alike.
As the Washington Post said this morning, while Republicans have spent six months “sounding the alarm about the coming collapse of Social Security,” they offered a plan this week that “did nothing to address the problem” they had warned about. Their plan “does not address Social Security solvency,” the Post reported.
I cannot and will not support such a plan.
Every “surplus” dollar put into the trust fund is already earmarked to pay future benefits. By taking money away from Social Security, as their plan does, the plan would force deeper benefit cuts in the future for everyone.
The “new” GOP plan would create private accounts much like the President’s accounts. It would pay for them by diverting money now dedicated to Social Security, just like the President would. And it would force Social Security benefit cuts, just like the President would.
Posted by Intern, CA07 at 05:11PM | Comments ()
