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“The country will never be able to contain rates of chronic diseases and health care costs until we find ways to keep Americans healthier. But right now, Americans are not as healthy as they could be or should be. Two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese. The childhood obesity epidemic is putting todays youth on …
Different Measures for Analyzing Current Proposals to Reform Health Care, October 30, 2009. Letter to the Honorable Max Baucus Preliminary Analysis of the Affordable Health Care for America Act, October 29, 2009. Letter to the Honorable Charles B. Rangel Note: H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, is 1990 pages long (PDF)
WSJ: “Here are some key parts of the draft legislation hashed out between House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D., Mass.) and the Treasury Department. 1) It would create a financial services oversight council, chaired by the Treasury Secretary, which would consist of Federal Reserve Chairman, Comptroller of the Currency, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. …
CQ Staff: “The House Financial Services Committee approved creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA), marking a big win for many Democrats and consumer advocates. The measure (HR 3126) a central piece of the Obama administrations financial overhaul plan would create a new federal regulator with broad powers to police large swaths …
The Clean Water Act after 37 Years: Recommitting to the Protection of the Nations Waters – Statement of Wade T. Najjum Assistant Inspector General for Program Evaluation Before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, U.S. House of Representatives, October 15, 2009. “Steps taken by EPA and others under the Clean Water Act have resulted in …
Government Executive: The 1,500-page fiscal 2010 Defense authorization bill approved by a congressional conference committee on Wednesday will have major repercussions for contractors and the government’s acquisition workforce. Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said the legislation “supports the [Pentagon’s] plan to increase the size of the civilian acquisition workforce; …
Make Our Food Safe: “Every year, 76 million Americans are sickened from consuming contaminated food and 5,000 of these people die. Thats more than the number of individuals who lose their lives as a result of fire or unintentional drowning in the U.S. each year. Continued outbreaks of foodborne illness over the last several …
ACLU: “The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the USA PATRIOT Act Extension Act of 2009 [October 9, 2009], a bill which falls far short of restoring the necessary civil liberties protections lacking in the original Patriot Act. The bill, passed by the committee after two sessions of debate, makes only minor changes to the disastrous Patriot …
CBO: Preliminary Analysis of the Chairman’s Mark for the America’s Healthy Future Act, as Amended – October 7, 2009 Letter to the Honorable Max Baucus “According to CBO and JCTs assessment, enacting the Chairmans mark, as amended, would result in a net reduction in federal budget deficits of $81 billion over the 20102019 period…”
The Riskiest Foods Regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI – a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC. “Leafy greens, eggs, and tuna are on the top of a list of the 10 riskiest foods regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Those and seven other …
Federal Computer Week: “The upgraded version of the Recovery.gov Web site for tracking spending under the economic stimulus law gets mostly positive reviews, but has disappointed some visitors. The retooled site, sponsored by the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, went online on Sept. 28 with new mapping features, a new layout and more prominent displays …
September 21, 2009 – Social Networking and Constituent Communication: Member Use of Twitter During a Two-Week Period in the 111th Congress September 16, 2009 – FEMA Disaster Housing: From Sheltering to Permanent Housing September 16, 2009 – Wildfire Fuels and Fuel Reduction September 16, 2009 – F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program: Background and Issues …
