Post by Champs Elysees on Feb 21, 2008 23:23:29 GMT -5
Just in case you are stopped on the street by a reporter . . .This is a list I compiled from obama.senate.gov/issues/
Post-Secondary Education
BARACK OBAMA'S FIRST BILL AS A U.S. SENATOR was the HOPE Act (Higher Education Opportunity Through Pell Grant Expansion Act) which would help make college more affordable for many Americans. The bill would increase the maximum Pell Grant from the then current limit of $4,050 to a new maximum of $5,100. Through his work on the Senate HELP Committee, Senator Obama has worked to increase the maximum Pell Award to $5,100 next year, and to $5,400 over the next several years, an increase of 25% over current levels.
Increasing the Child Tax Credit
Senator Obama has CO-SPONSORED the Working Family Child Assitance Act along with Senators Snowe and Lincoln, to adjust the income requirement for the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit. This will put more money in the pockets of more working families with children, who are struggling to make ends meet.
Senator Obama INTRODUCED an amendment in the 109th Congress that would provide immediate tax relief to low-income working families from the Gulf Coast disaster areas by enhancing the refundable portion of the child tax credit. As a change from current law, children would no longer be denied a benefit because their parents’ incomes are too low.
Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
Senator Obama CO-SPONSORED and won passage of an amendment to reduce the marriage penalty for EITC recipients and to ensure that members of our military can include their combat pay when calculating eligibility for tax credits.
Research and Development Tax Credit
Senator Obama VOTED to extend the credit in December of 2006.
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act
Senator Obama worked closely with Senator Coburn, to DRAFT and ultimately PASSthe Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. President Bush signed this measure into law in September of 2006.
The Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act
Senator Obama SPONSORED the Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act.
Restricting No-Bid Contracts
Senator Obama INTRODUCED amendments to the Homeland Security and Defense spending bills to reinforce the requirements for competitive procedures in contracting and to limit the use of unnecessary exceptions by government officials. Senator Obama has continued to aggressively conduct oversight actions to bring FEMA into compliance with these laws.
Federal Debt, Deficit Spending
Senator Obama VOTED AGAINST the most recent effort to raise the national debt limit. The current national debt has exceeded $8.6 trillion dollars, and nearly $4 trillion of that debt is now held by foreign governments.
Renewable Fuels
Senator Obama is a leading advocate for increasing the use of renewable fuels to reduce our nation’s reliance on foreign petroleum. In 2005, he ENACTED into law a tax credit for installing E-85 ethanol refueling pumps at gas stations across the country.
In the 109th and 110th Congress, he joined with Senator Lugar to INTRODUCE the American Fuels Act to increase domestic production, distribution, and end uses of biofuels.
In January 2007, Senator Obama joined Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa in REINTRODUCING the Biofuels Security Act, which calls for 60 billion gallons of renewable biofuels in the nation’s vehicle fuel supply by the year 2030.
Senator Obama also AUTHORED legislation with Senator Cochran, the Alternative Diesel Standard, to require 2 billion gallons of alternative diesels - - including agriculture feedstocks such as biodiesel - - as part of the 40 billion gallon national diesel pool.
Fuel Efficiency
As the AUTHOR of the Fuel Economy Reform Act, Senator Obama has worked to gain bipartisan support for an innovative approach to raising automobile fuel efficiency standards (also known as “CAFE” standards) and break two decades of inaction and deadlock on reforming fuel economy laws.
Investing in New Technologies
Senator Obama INTRODUCED the “Health Care for Hybrids Act” to provide health care assistance to domestic automakers in exchange for their investing 50% of the savings into technology to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles. His proposal has been praised by President Bill Clinton, the University of Michigan’s auto research center, and numerous newspapers.
In May 2007, Senator Obama, along with Senator Harkin, AUTHORED the National Low Carbon Fuel Standard Act (S. 1324), which requires a 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the national transportation fuel pool by 2020, a reduction of about 180 million metric tons of emissions in 2020 – the equivalent of taking over 30 million cars off the road.
Working to Lower High Gas Prices
Senator Obama has INTRODUCED the Oil SENSE Act to eliminate unnecessary tax breaks to the oil industry. A version of the bill was passed by House of Representatives in January 2007.
In the 109th Congress, Senator Obama SPONSORED legislation, the FILL UP Act, requiring oil companies that made at least $1 billion in profits in the first quarter of 2006 to invest at least 1% of the their total reported first quarter 2006 profits into installing E-85 pumps.
Iraq
Senator Obama INTRODUCED the Iraq War De-escalation Act in January 2007. The legislation begins redeployment of U.S. forces no later than May 1, 2007, with the goal of removing all combat brigades from Iraq by March 31, 2008, a date that is consistent with the expectation of the Iraq Study Group.
Destroying Surplus and Unguarded Conventional Weapons
Senators Lugar and Obama INTRODUCED the Cooperative Proliferation Detection, Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act of 2006 in the 109th Congress, which would expand the cooperative threat reduction concept to conventional weapons.
Health Care
Senator Obama successfully PASSED legislation in the Senate to force the Pentagon to work towards an efficient electronic medical records system that will help ensure better care for our nation's troops.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Senator Obama PASSED legislation in the Senate that requires all soldiers to be assessed for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) after they return from deployments.
Protecting Troops from Avian Flu
In 2005, Senator Obama INTRODUCED and the Senate PASSED legislation that would require the Department of Defense to issue a plan to protect our troops from an avian flu pandemic.
Emergency Preparedness
Senator Obama INTRODUCED legislation to prevent another tragedy in which the poor and elderly are left behind during a natural disaster or terrorist attack. His proposal, which was included in the port security law signed by President Bush in 2006, requires states and localities to have emergency evacuation plans in place that take into account the special needs of senior citizens.
Fighting the Spread of Methamphetamines
Senator Obama COSPONSORED the Combat Meth Act, which provides more money for fighting methamphetamine (meth), tightens controls on the sale of meth ingredients, and provides assistance to the children of meth abusers. The legislation would limit access to cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, the primary ingredient used to make methamphetamine.
Sex Offenders
Senator Obama COSPONSORED Dru's Law which creates a nationwide sex offender database and requires greater monitoring of sex offenders upon their release from prison. The bill passed the Senate in July of 2005. This legislation was incorporated into a larger bill, the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act, which Senator Obama supported and which has been signed into law.
He also COSPONSORED the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. This bill increases the penalties for sex crimes against children under the age of 12 and creates a national Internet site known as the National Sex Offender Public Registry. The bill would also provide grants to local law enforcement to assist in preventing and investigating sex crimes against minors.
Senator Obama is a COSPONSOR of the KIDS Act, which requires convicted sex offenders to provide their Internet identifiers, such as e-mail addresses and instant message addresses, for inclusion into the national sex offender registry.
Violence Against Women Act
Senator Obama COSPONSORED the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act which passed the Senate on October 4, 2005 and was subsequently signed into law.
Global Climate Change
He is a COSPONSOR of the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (S. 309), which was introduced by Senators Sanders and Boxer. This important legislation would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. by 80% in the year 2050.
Senator Obama is also an original COSPONSOR of the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act , which was introduced by Senators Lieberman and McCain and would mandate 60% reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Environmental Health
Senator Obama INTRODUCED the Lead-Free Toys Act to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban any children's product containing lead.
Senator Obama is also an original COSPONSOR of the Home Lead Safety Tax Credit Act, which would provide tax credits to property owners who eliminate or contain paint hazards in homes where low-income young children or women of child-bearing age live.
Senator Obama also INTRODUCED the Lead Poisoning Reduction Act, which would help protect children from lead poisoning by requiring that all non-home-based child care facilities, including Head Start program locations and kindergarten classrooms, be lead-safe within five years.
He also INTRODUCED the Healthy Communities Act to identify and address problems in communities that are at high risk from environmental contaminants.
In addition, recognizing the contribution of housing, parks, trails, roadways, and public transportation to healthy lifestyles, Senator Obama INTRODUCED the Healthy Places Act to assess and support improvements to the built environment.
Mercury
Senator Obama INTRODUCED two bills: the Mercury Market Minimization Act and the Missing Mercury in Manufacturing Monitoring and Mitigation Act . These bills would significantly reduce the amount of mercury that is deposited in oceans, lakes, and rivers, which in turn would reduce the amount of mercury in fish.
Chemical Plant Security
Senator Obama, working with Senator Lautenberg, INTRODUCED tough legislation to drastically improve security at our nation's chemical plants. The Chemical Security and Safety Act would establish a clear set of federal regulations that all plants must follow. Plants that are considered a high risk to large population areas or critical infrastructure would face more stringent standards
Transit Security
Senator Obama CO-SPONSORED and voted for an amendment that would have increased rail and transit security by $1.2 billion.
Disaster Response
He INTRODUCED legislation to ensure that the mistakes witnessed before and after Katrina are not repeated in the future. Language based on Senator Obama’s bill creating a National Family Locator System was included in the Fiscal Year 2007 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill.
Terrorism Risk Insurance
Senator Obama CO-SPONSORED the extension of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. The Act provides important protections to real estate in potentially vulnerable cities such as Chicago.
Nuclear Waste
Within the past five years, three nuclear power plants have reported missing spent fuel. Senator Obama INTRODUCED the Spent Nuclear Fuel Tracking and Accountability Act in 2005, which would establish specific and uniform guidelines for tracking, controlling, and accounting for individual spent fuel rods or segments at nuclear power plants, including procedures for conducting physical inventories.
Drinking Water Security
Senator Obama DRAFTED an amendment to provide $37.5 million over the next five years to protect the country's drinking water from a terrorist attack.
The Senate Immigration Bill
Senator Obama played a key role in the CRAFTING of the immigration reform bill that the Senate passed before the 109th Congress adjourned. The bill, which President Bush supports, would provide more funds and technology for border security and prevent employers from skirting our laws by hiring illegal immigrants.
Senator Obama OFFERED THREE AMENDMENTS that were included in the Senate bill. The first amendment would strengthen the requirement that a job be offered at a prevailing wage to American workers before it is offered to a guest worker.
The second amendment would make it simple, but mandatory, for employers to verify that their employees are legally eligible to work in the United States.
And the third amendment would authorize $3 million a year for the FBI to improve the speed and accuracy of the background checks required for immigrants seeking to become citizens.
Education
Primary & Secondary Education
Senator Obama REINTRODUCED the Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act. Under this initiative, school districts would submit plans on how they would become centers of reform.
Senator Obama REINTRODUCED the Summer Term Education Programs for Upward Progress Act (STEP UP) to address the achievement gaps among schoolchildren in the early grades. STEP UP establishes a grant program to support summer learning opportunities to be offered by local schools or community organizations.
Senator Obama has INTRODUCED legislation to support a better way of teacher preparation. Teaching Residency Programs train those new to the profession in a way similar to recent entrants to the medical profession, through residencies, where novices learn under the guidance of skilled mentors.
Senator Obama worked with Senator DeMint to INTRODUCE the Education Opportunity Act in the 109th Congress. This proposal would make grants available to low-income high school students to earn college credit at their local university or community college.
Preserving and Improving Medicare and Medicaid
Medicare
Senator Obama is a COSPONSOR of the Medicare Informed Choice Act, which would have extended enrollment without penalty and allowed for a one-time plan change during the first year of the plan.
Improving Quality of Health Care
Senator Obama HELPED DRAFT AND INTRODUCE the National MEDiC Act, which promotes patient safety initiatives, including early disclosure and compensation to patients injured by medical errors.
He also INTRODUCED the Hospital Quality Report Card Act, which will use federal hospital quality reporting requirements to inform and assist patients and other consumers in making their health care decisions.
He INTRODUCED the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Efficiency Act, which would leverage the federal government's purchasing power to encourage increased adoption of technology by participating health plans.
HIV/AIDS
Senator Obama is the lead Democratic SPONSOR of the Microbicide Development Act, which encourages scientific leadership on this issue and strengthens research and development programs at the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Avian Flu
Senator Obama INTRODUCED the Attacking Viral Influenza Across Nations Act, which calls for collaboration and cooperation at the state, national, and international level to ensure preparedness in the event of pandemic influenza.
Genomics
In August 2006, Senator Obama INTRODUCED the Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act, which would increase funding for research on genomics, expand the genomics workforce, provide a tax credit for the development of diagnostic tests that can improve the safety or effectiveness of drugs, and reaffirm the need to protect genetic privacy.
Greater Funding for Veterans Health Care
Senator Obama CO-SPONSORED a bill that led to a $1.5 billion increase in veterans' medical care. During the debate on the Fiscal Year 2007 budget, Senator Obama cosponsored measures that would have provided additional funding increases for veterans.
In January 2007, Senator Obama REINTRODUCED the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act to improve the VA’s planning process to avoid budget shortfalls in the future. The bill requires the VA and the Department of Defense to work together and share data so that we know precisely how many troops will be returning home and entering the VA system.
Homeless Veterans
Senator Obama has been a leader in fighting homelessness among veterans. He AUTHORED the Sheltering All Veterans Everywhere Act (SAVE Act) to strengthen and expand federal homeless veteran programs that serve over 100,000 homeless veterans annually.
During the debate on the Fiscal Year 2007 budget, Senator Obama PASSED an amendment to increase funding for homeless veterans programs by $40 million.
Working with Senators Akaka and Craig, Senator Obama PASSED legislation in December 2006 to provide comprehensive services and affordable housing options to veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Housing and Urban Development and nonprofit organizations. This legislation was signed into law and is modeled on parts of the SAVE Act and the Homes for Heroes Act, a measure that Senator Obama had previously AUTHORED.
Food for Recovering Soldiers
Senator Obama INTRODUCED an amendment that became law providing food services to wounded veterans receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services at military hospitals. Previously, service members receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services in a medical hospital for more than 90 days were required to pay for their meals.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Senator Obama and Senator Durbin PASSED an amendment that became law preventing the VA from conducting a review of cases, without first providing Congress with a complete report regarding the implementation of such review.
Senator Obama PASSED an amendment to ensure that all service members returning from Iraq are properly screened for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
Easing the Transition to the VA
Senator Obama PASSED an amendment that became law requiring the Department of Defense (DOD) to report to Congress on the delayed development of an electronic medical records system compatible with the VA's electronic medical records system.
Part of the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act, which Senator Obama REINTRODUCED in January 2007, would help veterans transition from the DOD health system to the VA system by extending the window in which new veterans can get mental health care from two years to five years. The Lane Evans bill also would improve transition services for members of the National Guard and Reserves.
Ethics and Lobbying Reform
In the first two weeks of the 110th Congress, Senator Obama helped lead the Senate to PASS the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act, a comprehensive ethics and lobbying reform bill, by a 96-2 vote. This landmark bill was signed into law by the President in September 2007.
The final bill that the Congress passed closely mirrored and drew key provisions in a bill (S. 230) that Senators Obama and Feingold INTRODUCED in January 2007 to establish a “gold standard” for reform. Among the provisions in the Obama-Feingold bill that were adopted by the Senate and the House were: strict bans on receiving gifts and meals from lobbyists; new rules to slow the revolving door between public and private sector service; and an end to the subsidized use of corporate jets.
In January 2006, Senator Obama laid the groundwork for the reform package that the Senate eventually adopted a year later. He started building a coalition for reform by helping to AUTHOR the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act introduced with 41 Democratic sponsors. The bill proposed lengthening the cooling off period to two years for lawmakers who seek to become lobbyists and requiring immediate disclosure as soon as public servants initiate any job negotiations to become lobbyists.
In addition, Senator Obama SPONSORED three other ethics-related bills in the 109th Congress that went even further on ethics, earmarks, and legislative transparency. By the time of the 110th Congress, his ideas for reform had gained support, and MANY OF HIS PROPOSALS WERE PASSED BY THE SENATE.
OK. I'm going to bed . . .
Post-Secondary Education
BARACK OBAMA'S FIRST BILL AS A U.S. SENATOR was the HOPE Act (Higher Education Opportunity Through Pell Grant Expansion Act) which would help make college more affordable for many Americans. The bill would increase the maximum Pell Grant from the then current limit of $4,050 to a new maximum of $5,100. Through his work on the Senate HELP Committee, Senator Obama has worked to increase the maximum Pell Award to $5,100 next year, and to $5,400 over the next several years, an increase of 25% over current levels.
Increasing the Child Tax Credit
Senator Obama has CO-SPONSORED the Working Family Child Assitance Act along with Senators Snowe and Lincoln, to adjust the income requirement for the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit. This will put more money in the pockets of more working families with children, who are struggling to make ends meet.
Senator Obama INTRODUCED an amendment in the 109th Congress that would provide immediate tax relief to low-income working families from the Gulf Coast disaster areas by enhancing the refundable portion of the child tax credit. As a change from current law, children would no longer be denied a benefit because their parents’ incomes are too low.
Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
Senator Obama CO-SPONSORED and won passage of an amendment to reduce the marriage penalty for EITC recipients and to ensure that members of our military can include their combat pay when calculating eligibility for tax credits.
Research and Development Tax Credit
Senator Obama VOTED to extend the credit in December of 2006.
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act
Senator Obama worked closely with Senator Coburn, to DRAFT and ultimately PASSthe Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. President Bush signed this measure into law in September of 2006.
The Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act
Senator Obama SPONSORED the Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act.
Restricting No-Bid Contracts
Senator Obama INTRODUCED amendments to the Homeland Security and Defense spending bills to reinforce the requirements for competitive procedures in contracting and to limit the use of unnecessary exceptions by government officials. Senator Obama has continued to aggressively conduct oversight actions to bring FEMA into compliance with these laws.
Federal Debt, Deficit Spending
Senator Obama VOTED AGAINST the most recent effort to raise the national debt limit. The current national debt has exceeded $8.6 trillion dollars, and nearly $4 trillion of that debt is now held by foreign governments.
Renewable Fuels
Senator Obama is a leading advocate for increasing the use of renewable fuels to reduce our nation’s reliance on foreign petroleum. In 2005, he ENACTED into law a tax credit for installing E-85 ethanol refueling pumps at gas stations across the country.
In the 109th and 110th Congress, he joined with Senator Lugar to INTRODUCE the American Fuels Act to increase domestic production, distribution, and end uses of biofuels.
In January 2007, Senator Obama joined Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa in REINTRODUCING the Biofuels Security Act, which calls for 60 billion gallons of renewable biofuels in the nation’s vehicle fuel supply by the year 2030.
Senator Obama also AUTHORED legislation with Senator Cochran, the Alternative Diesel Standard, to require 2 billion gallons of alternative diesels - - including agriculture feedstocks such as biodiesel - - as part of the 40 billion gallon national diesel pool.
Fuel Efficiency
As the AUTHOR of the Fuel Economy Reform Act, Senator Obama has worked to gain bipartisan support for an innovative approach to raising automobile fuel efficiency standards (also known as “CAFE” standards) and break two decades of inaction and deadlock on reforming fuel economy laws.
Investing in New Technologies
Senator Obama INTRODUCED the “Health Care for Hybrids Act” to provide health care assistance to domestic automakers in exchange for their investing 50% of the savings into technology to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles. His proposal has been praised by President Bill Clinton, the University of Michigan’s auto research center, and numerous newspapers.
In May 2007, Senator Obama, along with Senator Harkin, AUTHORED the National Low Carbon Fuel Standard Act (S. 1324), which requires a 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the national transportation fuel pool by 2020, a reduction of about 180 million metric tons of emissions in 2020 – the equivalent of taking over 30 million cars off the road.
Working to Lower High Gas Prices
Senator Obama has INTRODUCED the Oil SENSE Act to eliminate unnecessary tax breaks to the oil industry. A version of the bill was passed by House of Representatives in January 2007.
In the 109th Congress, Senator Obama SPONSORED legislation, the FILL UP Act, requiring oil companies that made at least $1 billion in profits in the first quarter of 2006 to invest at least 1% of the their total reported first quarter 2006 profits into installing E-85 pumps.
Iraq
Senator Obama INTRODUCED the Iraq War De-escalation Act in January 2007. The legislation begins redeployment of U.S. forces no later than May 1, 2007, with the goal of removing all combat brigades from Iraq by March 31, 2008, a date that is consistent with the expectation of the Iraq Study Group.
Destroying Surplus and Unguarded Conventional Weapons
Senators Lugar and Obama INTRODUCED the Cooperative Proliferation Detection, Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act of 2006 in the 109th Congress, which would expand the cooperative threat reduction concept to conventional weapons.
Health Care
Senator Obama successfully PASSED legislation in the Senate to force the Pentagon to work towards an efficient electronic medical records system that will help ensure better care for our nation's troops.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Senator Obama PASSED legislation in the Senate that requires all soldiers to be assessed for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) after they return from deployments.
Protecting Troops from Avian Flu
In 2005, Senator Obama INTRODUCED and the Senate PASSED legislation that would require the Department of Defense to issue a plan to protect our troops from an avian flu pandemic.
Emergency Preparedness
Senator Obama INTRODUCED legislation to prevent another tragedy in which the poor and elderly are left behind during a natural disaster or terrorist attack. His proposal, which was included in the port security law signed by President Bush in 2006, requires states and localities to have emergency evacuation plans in place that take into account the special needs of senior citizens.
Fighting the Spread of Methamphetamines
Senator Obama COSPONSORED the Combat Meth Act, which provides more money for fighting methamphetamine (meth), tightens controls on the sale of meth ingredients, and provides assistance to the children of meth abusers. The legislation would limit access to cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, the primary ingredient used to make methamphetamine.
Sex Offenders
Senator Obama COSPONSORED Dru's Law which creates a nationwide sex offender database and requires greater monitoring of sex offenders upon their release from prison. The bill passed the Senate in July of 2005. This legislation was incorporated into a larger bill, the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act, which Senator Obama supported and which has been signed into law.
He also COSPONSORED the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. This bill increases the penalties for sex crimes against children under the age of 12 and creates a national Internet site known as the National Sex Offender Public Registry. The bill would also provide grants to local law enforcement to assist in preventing and investigating sex crimes against minors.
Senator Obama is a COSPONSOR of the KIDS Act, which requires convicted sex offenders to provide their Internet identifiers, such as e-mail addresses and instant message addresses, for inclusion into the national sex offender registry.
Violence Against Women Act
Senator Obama COSPONSORED the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act which passed the Senate on October 4, 2005 and was subsequently signed into law.
Global Climate Change
He is a COSPONSOR of the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (S. 309), which was introduced by Senators Sanders and Boxer. This important legislation would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. by 80% in the year 2050.
Senator Obama is also an original COSPONSOR of the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act , which was introduced by Senators Lieberman and McCain and would mandate 60% reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Environmental Health
Senator Obama INTRODUCED the Lead-Free Toys Act to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban any children's product containing lead.
Senator Obama is also an original COSPONSOR of the Home Lead Safety Tax Credit Act, which would provide tax credits to property owners who eliminate or contain paint hazards in homes where low-income young children or women of child-bearing age live.
Senator Obama also INTRODUCED the Lead Poisoning Reduction Act, which would help protect children from lead poisoning by requiring that all non-home-based child care facilities, including Head Start program locations and kindergarten classrooms, be lead-safe within five years.
He also INTRODUCED the Healthy Communities Act to identify and address problems in communities that are at high risk from environmental contaminants.
In addition, recognizing the contribution of housing, parks, trails, roadways, and public transportation to healthy lifestyles, Senator Obama INTRODUCED the Healthy Places Act to assess and support improvements to the built environment.
Mercury
Senator Obama INTRODUCED two bills: the Mercury Market Minimization Act and the Missing Mercury in Manufacturing Monitoring and Mitigation Act . These bills would significantly reduce the amount of mercury that is deposited in oceans, lakes, and rivers, which in turn would reduce the amount of mercury in fish.
Chemical Plant Security
Senator Obama, working with Senator Lautenberg, INTRODUCED tough legislation to drastically improve security at our nation's chemical plants. The Chemical Security and Safety Act would establish a clear set of federal regulations that all plants must follow. Plants that are considered a high risk to large population areas or critical infrastructure would face more stringent standards
Transit Security
Senator Obama CO-SPONSORED and voted for an amendment that would have increased rail and transit security by $1.2 billion.
Disaster Response
He INTRODUCED legislation to ensure that the mistakes witnessed before and after Katrina are not repeated in the future. Language based on Senator Obama’s bill creating a National Family Locator System was included in the Fiscal Year 2007 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill.
Terrorism Risk Insurance
Senator Obama CO-SPONSORED the extension of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. The Act provides important protections to real estate in potentially vulnerable cities such as Chicago.
Nuclear Waste
Within the past five years, three nuclear power plants have reported missing spent fuel. Senator Obama INTRODUCED the Spent Nuclear Fuel Tracking and Accountability Act in 2005, which would establish specific and uniform guidelines for tracking, controlling, and accounting for individual spent fuel rods or segments at nuclear power plants, including procedures for conducting physical inventories.
Drinking Water Security
Senator Obama DRAFTED an amendment to provide $37.5 million over the next five years to protect the country's drinking water from a terrorist attack.
The Senate Immigration Bill
Senator Obama played a key role in the CRAFTING of the immigration reform bill that the Senate passed before the 109th Congress adjourned. The bill, which President Bush supports, would provide more funds and technology for border security and prevent employers from skirting our laws by hiring illegal immigrants.
Senator Obama OFFERED THREE AMENDMENTS that were included in the Senate bill. The first amendment would strengthen the requirement that a job be offered at a prevailing wage to American workers before it is offered to a guest worker.
The second amendment would make it simple, but mandatory, for employers to verify that their employees are legally eligible to work in the United States.
And the third amendment would authorize $3 million a year for the FBI to improve the speed and accuracy of the background checks required for immigrants seeking to become citizens.
Education
Primary & Secondary Education
Senator Obama REINTRODUCED the Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act. Under this initiative, school districts would submit plans on how they would become centers of reform.
Senator Obama REINTRODUCED the Summer Term Education Programs for Upward Progress Act (STEP UP) to address the achievement gaps among schoolchildren in the early grades. STEP UP establishes a grant program to support summer learning opportunities to be offered by local schools or community organizations.
Senator Obama has INTRODUCED legislation to support a better way of teacher preparation. Teaching Residency Programs train those new to the profession in a way similar to recent entrants to the medical profession, through residencies, where novices learn under the guidance of skilled mentors.
Senator Obama worked with Senator DeMint to INTRODUCE the Education Opportunity Act in the 109th Congress. This proposal would make grants available to low-income high school students to earn college credit at their local university or community college.
Preserving and Improving Medicare and Medicaid
Medicare
Senator Obama is a COSPONSOR of the Medicare Informed Choice Act, which would have extended enrollment without penalty and allowed for a one-time plan change during the first year of the plan.
Improving Quality of Health Care
Senator Obama HELPED DRAFT AND INTRODUCE the National MEDiC Act, which promotes patient safety initiatives, including early disclosure and compensation to patients injured by medical errors.
He also INTRODUCED the Hospital Quality Report Card Act, which will use federal hospital quality reporting requirements to inform and assist patients and other consumers in making their health care decisions.
He INTRODUCED the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Efficiency Act, which would leverage the federal government's purchasing power to encourage increased adoption of technology by participating health plans.
HIV/AIDS
Senator Obama is the lead Democratic SPONSOR of the Microbicide Development Act, which encourages scientific leadership on this issue and strengthens research and development programs at the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Avian Flu
Senator Obama INTRODUCED the Attacking Viral Influenza Across Nations Act, which calls for collaboration and cooperation at the state, national, and international level to ensure preparedness in the event of pandemic influenza.
Genomics
In August 2006, Senator Obama INTRODUCED the Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act, which would increase funding for research on genomics, expand the genomics workforce, provide a tax credit for the development of diagnostic tests that can improve the safety or effectiveness of drugs, and reaffirm the need to protect genetic privacy.
Greater Funding for Veterans Health Care
Senator Obama CO-SPONSORED a bill that led to a $1.5 billion increase in veterans' medical care. During the debate on the Fiscal Year 2007 budget, Senator Obama cosponsored measures that would have provided additional funding increases for veterans.
In January 2007, Senator Obama REINTRODUCED the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act to improve the VA’s planning process to avoid budget shortfalls in the future. The bill requires the VA and the Department of Defense to work together and share data so that we know precisely how many troops will be returning home and entering the VA system.
Homeless Veterans
Senator Obama has been a leader in fighting homelessness among veterans. He AUTHORED the Sheltering All Veterans Everywhere Act (SAVE Act) to strengthen and expand federal homeless veteran programs that serve over 100,000 homeless veterans annually.
During the debate on the Fiscal Year 2007 budget, Senator Obama PASSED an amendment to increase funding for homeless veterans programs by $40 million.
Working with Senators Akaka and Craig, Senator Obama PASSED legislation in December 2006 to provide comprehensive services and affordable housing options to veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Housing and Urban Development and nonprofit organizations. This legislation was signed into law and is modeled on parts of the SAVE Act and the Homes for Heroes Act, a measure that Senator Obama had previously AUTHORED.
Food for Recovering Soldiers
Senator Obama INTRODUCED an amendment that became law providing food services to wounded veterans receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services at military hospitals. Previously, service members receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services in a medical hospital for more than 90 days were required to pay for their meals.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Senator Obama and Senator Durbin PASSED an amendment that became law preventing the VA from conducting a review of cases, without first providing Congress with a complete report regarding the implementation of such review.
Senator Obama PASSED an amendment to ensure that all service members returning from Iraq are properly screened for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
Easing the Transition to the VA
Senator Obama PASSED an amendment that became law requiring the Department of Defense (DOD) to report to Congress on the delayed development of an electronic medical records system compatible with the VA's electronic medical records system.
Part of the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act, which Senator Obama REINTRODUCED in January 2007, would help veterans transition from the DOD health system to the VA system by extending the window in which new veterans can get mental health care from two years to five years. The Lane Evans bill also would improve transition services for members of the National Guard and Reserves.
Ethics and Lobbying Reform
In the first two weeks of the 110th Congress, Senator Obama helped lead the Senate to PASS the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act, a comprehensive ethics and lobbying reform bill, by a 96-2 vote. This landmark bill was signed into law by the President in September 2007.
The final bill that the Congress passed closely mirrored and drew key provisions in a bill (S. 230) that Senators Obama and Feingold INTRODUCED in January 2007 to establish a “gold standard” for reform. Among the provisions in the Obama-Feingold bill that were adopted by the Senate and the House were: strict bans on receiving gifts and meals from lobbyists; new rules to slow the revolving door between public and private sector service; and an end to the subsidized use of corporate jets.
In January 2006, Senator Obama laid the groundwork for the reform package that the Senate eventually adopted a year later. He started building a coalition for reform by helping to AUTHOR the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act introduced with 41 Democratic sponsors. The bill proposed lengthening the cooling off period to two years for lawmakers who seek to become lobbyists and requiring immediate disclosure as soon as public servants initiate any job negotiations to become lobbyists.
In addition, Senator Obama SPONSORED three other ethics-related bills in the 109th Congress that went even further on ethics, earmarks, and legislative transparency. By the time of the 110th Congress, his ideas for reform had gained support, and MANY OF HIS PROPOSALS WERE PASSED BY THE SENATE.
OK. I'm going to bed . . .
