Today is the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a tragic storm that wreaked havoc along the Gulf Coast. The damage caused by Hurricane Katrina put a national spotlight on the plight of our nation’s poor. The devastation of the Hurricane was overwhelming and the images of the disaster stay with us today.

It is our responsibility to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina by providing them with the aid and support they need to rebuild and revive the Gulf Coast. Bottom line, helping the survivors of Hurricane Katrina remains a top priority of Congress.

The new Congress is refusing to let this issue fade away. We already have directed over $6.4 billion in assistance to the victims of the worst natural disaster in American history. This Congress is also persisting in its efforts to uncover fraud and abuse regarding government contracting in the administration’s early response to the tragedy. We must not squander relief dollars, especially when the people and the region are still desperately struggling to rebuild homes, communities, and lives.

Headlines may fade from memory, but we will not forget the victims of Hurricane Katrina. We will keep faith with the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

In this video, the International Association of Fire Fighters delivers its coveted presidential endorsement to Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.). The IAFF said Dodd’s long legislative record on labor’s behalf was the key to winning the endorsement.

This week, a parade of politicians will visit the Gulf Coast, voicing concern for the region devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita two years ago. If they venture beyond the usual drive-by photo-ops, they’ll discover a region still reeling in crisis — and desperately looking to the nation for help.

As we document in our recent report, “Blueprint for Gulf Renewal: The Katrina Crisis and a Community Agenda for Action, thousands of Gulf Coast” residents are still in limbo or sliding backwards. Over 60,000 people are still in “temporaryâ€? FEMA trailers because programs to help homeowners and renters haven’t come through. From New Orleans to Biloxi, Miss., one sees miles of shuttered schools, hospitals and businesses. Suicides and homelessness are skyrocketing. Since Katrina, the death rate has risen 47% in New Orleans alone.

When confronted with the failing Katrina recovery, President Bush insists the federal government has done its job. The proof, he says, is “the big check� Washington has allegedly signed for the Gulf Coast, allegedly more than $116 billion.
But looking at the devastation still around them, Gulf residents are left wondering whether the check bounced. Read the rest of this entry »

We do not have to fund the war. The Democratic leadership must tell the President NO to any additional funding. No legislation is required. No vote is required. We have the money to bring the troops home.  It does not require a vote. The only thing required is honesty, integrity and a willingness to end the war.

The President’s request escalated by $50 billion to continue the surge-a surge that is failing.

More than 3,700 Americans have died and an estimated one million innocent Iraqis have perished in an unjust and unnecessary war. It is commonly accepted that there is no military solution in Iraq, so why are we there? Read the rest of this entry »

In February, USCIS proposed fee hikes of as much as 69% for dozens of immigrant processing services in order to “build a new immigration service for the 21st Century.� Despite receiving more than 4,000 formal complaints by organizations and members of Congress, USCIS moved forward with the new fees, calling it a business decision.

But every business decision should come with a plan. And we’ve yet to hear a good explanation for why we are seeing an exponential jump in USCIS service fees. In 1998, it cost $95 to apply for U.S. citizenship, but today—even after technology has made nearly every processing service cheaper—USCIS is charging more than $675. A 600% increase for delayed and shoddy services? Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t see any problems with the Army’s “quick ship” program. While it probably does mean less people are in the Delayed Entry Program, it helps the Army meet the immediate need for recruits. Like all recruitment and retention issues, the Congress will be following the effects of this program.

Rep. Snyder is chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

I’ve never been to Idaho, but it doesn’t sound like the most hospitable state for gays and lesbians.  Yet, State Rep. Nicole LeFavour (D-Boise), a lesbian, was elected by her constituents in 2004 and serves her state openly and honestly.  Some 20 other states still have no openly gay or lesbian state legislators, so that’s saying something.  Nicole was drawn to public service, but was unwilling to hide and lie–and that, as they say, has made all the difference.

The truth is most Americans don’t care much about the sexual orientation of their representatives, so long as their representatives trust them enough to be honest.  A recent Zogby poll commissioned by the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute found that roughly 70% of respondents would vote for an openly gay or lesbian candidate if they agreed with his or her political views.  The numbers weren’t much different among Republicans and Democrats. Read the rest of this entry »

What’s up with elected officials like Senator Craig? They stand for so-called “family values� and fight basic protections for gay people while furtively seeking other men for sex. Infuriating pathetic hypocrites. What more can you say? There is sad irony that a United States senator from Idaho has been caught up in the same kind of thing that destroyed the lives of dozens of men in Boise in the 1950s, so tragically chronicled in Boys of Boise. And by the way, why are Minneapolis tax dollars being used to have plainclothes police officers lurking idly in airport restroom stalls?

The National Security Oversight Subcommittee is having a hearing on September 6th at 10:00 AM in 2154 Rayburn entitled “Bringing Accountability to U.S. Arms Transfers:  The Train and Equip Program for Iraqi Security Forces.”  Following up on the investigation done by the Government Accountability Office (which found that there were 190,000 unaccounted for arms) and others, I called this hearing to get a full accounting from the Department of Defense about what’s going on here and what’s being done to fix problems.

Here’s a link to a letter I sent to Army Secretary Pete Geren today on this issue.  In addition to the Army Secretary, we have invited the lead GAO investigator on these issues, the Department of Defense Inspector General, and the relevant policy person from the Office of the Secretary of Defense to testify.

Rep. Tierney is chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs.

In this video, David Isaacs of Hewlett-Packard says the country’s patent system needs extensive change.