Spring 2007
News Coverage by State
Connecticut | Maine | Massachusetts | New Hampshire | Archives
Photo Coverage by topic (by Emily Reynolds )
Tomb of the Unknowns Guard | Cherry Blossom Festival | Tuskegee Airmen | CDC Directors | Jason Gross | Anti-War Rally | Estuardo Rodriguez | President Carter | Sargent Levensailor | Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) | Global Warming | Florida Gators | Jobs for America's Graduates | President Bush | Conservative Political Action Conference | Bill Gates | 2007 Congressional PIG Book | Don't Ask, Don't Tell | Cars Safety Act | Maine Gov. Baldacci | Connecticut Gov. Rell | National Governor's Association Conference | Baker | 2008 Budget | Secretaries Kissinger & Albright | Fr. Drinan Funeral | Sen. Dodd | Sen. Obama | Rep. Hodes | Reps. Shay & Meehan | March for Life | Mayor Scott Lang | Navy Reserve Commander Kenneth Goldsmith
Connecticut
Prospects for Stepped-up Sub Production Dim
WASHINGTON, April 25 —The “silent service” may be too silent for its own good, as the debate continues over increasing and speeding up production of the newest class of Navy submarines. (By Renee Dudley)
GOP Moderates Make Strides Despite Party’s Minority Status
WASHINGTON, April 20 – Although the curtain fell on their party’s majority last November, many Republican centrists now say they are more integral to Congress than during the 12 years their party played the lead, despite their early fears of being shoved off stage by the new Democratic-led cast on Capitol Hill. (By Anthony Rotunno)
Courtney’s Chief of Staff Feels Privileged to Work on Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON, April 12 – When freshmen members of Congress arrive in Washington they must start from scratch: they have to hire staff, learn how to vote and how to navigate Capitol Hill, and organize furniture and computers left by previous inhabitants – and it is the job of the chief of staff to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Jason Gross, chief of staff for Rep. Joseph Courtney (D-Conn.), says managing his boss’s office is a demanding job – made all the more challenging since Courtney has been in Congress less than four months.
(By Renee Dudley)
Senate Joins House in Setting Timetable for Troop Withdrawal
WASHINGTON, March 28 – Senate debate continued Wednesday on an emergency spending bill to fund the war in Iraq, following Tuesday’s vote to retain the legislation’s nonbinding provision establishing a firm timeline for troop withdrawal. (By Anthony Rotunno)
Bridgeport Native is First Lady’s Chief of Staff
WASHINGTON, March 28 – Unlike her husband’s West Wing Oval Office, the East Wing office of first lady Laura Bush is modest, and square. A wall of full bookshelves stands behind a simple desk, and sunlight shines through two glass windows overlooking the East Garden in bloom. Meetings have pulled Mrs. Bush away from her desk, but seated at a small conference table in the corner is a woman as poised and put-together as the first lady herself. (By Anthony Rotunno)
House Votes for Better Health Care Management for Veterans
WASHINGTON, March 28 – The House voted unanimously Wednesday to require better and more individualized case management for veterans receiving outpatient health care and for the creation of a new hotline for reporting deficiencies in health care facilities. (By Renee Dudley)
Senate Joins House in Setting Timeline for Troop Withdrawal
WASHINGTON, March 28 – Voting Tuesday to keep a timeline for withdrawal of troops from Iraq, the Senate joined the House in opposing President Bush’s stay-the-course plan, as debate about funding and a timeline continued Wednesday in the Senate. (By Renee Dudley)
House Members Endorse Construction of Additional Submarine
WASHINGTON, March 8 – Members of a House Armed Services subcommittee Thursday urged the building of an additional Virginia-class submarine each year starting next year, saying the gap in production could lead to a breakdown in national defense. (By Renee Dudley)
Group Wants Leaner Federal Budget by Eliminating Pork Projects
WASHINGTON, March 7 – Despite a $15.8 billion reduction in 2007 earmarked spending, some members of Congress say that even more fat needs to be trimmed from the federal budget by eliminating wasteful pork-barrel projects. (By Anthony Rotunno)
Pig Book: $78 Million Went to Deepwater Replacement Vessel
WASHINGTON, March 7—A group that opposes government waste listed as pork-barrel spending the nearly $79 million that has been authorized for a Coast Guard patrol boat as a temporary replacement needed because the Coast Guard’s huge new Deepwater fleet modernization program is running well behind schedule. (By Renee Dudley)
State Gets More Than $2.8 Million for Emergency Management
WASHINGTON, March 6 – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will allocate more than $2.8 million to support local emergency management in Connecticut. Deputy Commissioner Wayne Sandford of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security said the grant, although it is a $230,000 increase over last year’s sum, is still not enough. (By Renee Dudley)
Wide Achievement Gap Still Divides Connecticut Students
WASHINGTON, March 1 – Despite being recognized for having one of the nation’s 10 highest rates of academic achievement among the 50 states, the Connecticut public school system still has some of the nation’s widest ethnic and income-based achievement gaps, according to a new report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. (By Anthony Rotunno)
Conn. Gets High Marks and Low Marks on Education Report Card
WASHINGTON, March 1—Despite ranking at the top of the nation for overall academic achievement, Connecticut ranked near the bottom for academic achievement of low-income and minority students in a new state-by-state report card on educational effectiveness. (By Renee Dudley)
Shays Supports Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 – With President Bush’s troop surge in Iraq already underway, Reps. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., and Marty Meehan, D-Mass., re-introduced legislation Wednesday to repeal the disputed “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that bans gays from openly serving in the military. (By Anthony
Rotunno)
Rell Applauds Role of Businesses in Early Education
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 – Even as Gov. M. Jodi Rell Monday applauded Connecticut’s achievements in dealing with issues concerning early childhood education some state education experts said progress remains slow. (By Anthony Rotunno)
.
HUD Gives Greater Norwalk $1.3 Million for Homeless Assistance
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Tuesday more than $1.3 million in funding for Fairfield County homeless assistance projects, but state officials say the sum falls short of what is needed. (By Anthony Rotunno)
Connecticut Residents Would Pay Price for Bush’s Budget
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 – Connecticut residents would be forced to foot the bill if President Bush’s proposed cuts in K-12 education spending are adopted, according to a new study. (By Anthony Rotunno)
President's Proposed Budget Would Hurt Education, Study Says
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21-- Connecticut may have to use state tax dollars to fund education programs which would otherwise be cut if President Bush’s budget is passed, according to a new study by a liberal think tank. (By Renee Dudley).
Courtney on List of Vulnerable House Members to Receive Aid
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15-- Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) is on a list of Democratic House members who are already considered vulnerable in 2008 and are being tapped to receive extra fund raising and organizational help by a Democratic campaign organization trying to insure their re-election. (By Renee Dudley)
Political Climate More Important than Spending, Experts Say
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 – Although Republican incumbent Rob Simmons had a three-quarters of a million dollar advantage over Democratic challenger Joe Courtney, national political climate accounted for more than campaign spending did in the most recent elections, campaign finance experts said. (By Renee Dudley)
National Housing Trends Echoed in Connecticut
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 —Local housing officials say Connecticut is on pace with what Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke called a “substantial cooling” of the nationwide housing market. (By Renee Dudley)
Bernanke Predicts ‘Modest’ Growth, Norwalk Officials Agree
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 – Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told a Senate committee Wednesday the national economy is facing a period of modest growth in 2007 as it moves out of the “substantial cooling in the housing market” that dramatically ebbed the rapid economic expansion of the past several years. (By Anthony Rotunno)
Allen Makes State of the Coast Guard Address
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13–Adm. Thad Allen, the Coast Guard Commandant, stressed the need Tuesday for overhauling the bureaucratic structure of the Coast Guard, but he did not offer a timeline for implementing the changes. (By Renee Dudley) Shays Sits in Expensive Seat
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 – Rep. Christopher Shays , R-Conn., is sitting in one of the most expensive seats in the House. Last fall, Shays and his Democratic opponent for the Connecticut 4th District seat, former Westport First Selectwoman Diane Farrell, raised more than $6.9 million combined for their 2006 election campaigns. (By Anthony Rotunno)
Predatory Mortgage Lending Creating Crisis, Dodd Warns
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 – Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., accused the mortgage broker industry Wednesday of predatory and irresponsible lending that, he warned, was creating a crisis for American homeowners. (By Renee Dudley)
Defense Budget Holds the Line for Sub Production
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 – Spending on submarines would remain level despite overall increased spending under the defense budget that was released Monday. One additional Virginia Class submarine would be built in fiscal year 2008, while the Navy’s submarine research budget would be cut. (By Renee Dudley)
Sen. Dodd Proposes Paid Leave; Conn. Businesses Skeptical
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 –Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., announced Thursday his intention to write legislation that guarantees paid leave for workers in times of family and medical emergencies. Arguing that the United States is one of the few countries that have not yet established laws granting paid leave, Dodd said his legislation would provide workers with at least six weeks of time off with pay in a medical or family crisis. (By Anthony Rotunno)
Sen. Dodd Will Propose Paid Leave for Workers
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 —Employers and the federal government would pay workers for up to six weeks of family and medical leave if the proposal that Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) announced Thursday becomes law. (By Renee Dudley)
Shays Introduces Bill to Reform Campaign Finance Laws
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 – Confident that 2008 will mark the first $1 billion presidential race, Reps. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., Martin Meehan, D-Mass., and David Price, D-N.C., introduced legislation Tuesday to reform the presidential public financing system established in 1974 in the aftermath of Watergate. (By Anthony Rotunno)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 – Two busloads of war protesters from Southeastern Connecticut descended Saturday on the National Mall to join tens of thousands of others from around the country to oppose the war in Iraq. (By Renee Dudley)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 – Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) said he does not have any legislation to aid cities like New London that are short on public funds because of a lot of tax-exempt property. (By Renee Dudley)
Conn. Members of Congress Divided on Iraq, United on Energy
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 – Despite President Bush’s plea for bipartisan support in his State of the Union address Tuesday, Connecticut members of Congress are still divided on the president’s plan to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq. (By Anthony Rotunno)
Local Parishioners Join Washington March
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 – A group of 55 parishioners from St. Mary Roman Catholic Church in Norwalk and St. Aloysius Church in New Canaan trudged down a slushy Constitution Avenue earlier this week as participants of the 34th annual March for Life, a massive protest against the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States. (By Anthony Rotunno)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 – Woodstock resident and Navy Reserve Cmdr. Kenneth Goldsmith had the opportunity to see politics and policymakers up close Tuesday night as the guest of Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) at the State of the Union Address. (By Renee Dudley)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 – In a rebuke of President Bush, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted Wednesday to voice its disapproval of his plan to increase the number of U.S. troops in Iraq by 21,500. (By Anthony Rotunno)
Maine
WASHINGTON, April 25– Service Officer Rene Deschene advises military men and women with amputated limbs, post traumatic stress and injuries invisible to the naked eye in the Veterans of Foreign Wars office at the Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta. (By Carlene Olsen)
WASHINGTON, April 5 – Army Sgt. 1st Class Brian Levensailor’s new iMac computer remains untouched next to the older PC model on his desk, which features a slideshow of combat photos rotating across its screen. “I don’t know how to use these things,” Levensailor, a native of Guilford, Maine, says as he points to the sleek, white monitor sporting the apple logo. “But they put one in every room.” (By Carlene Olsen)
WASHINGTON, March 21 – University of Maine researchers showcased 10 key technology projects at a forum on Capitol Hill Wednesday in hopes of receiving additional funding from Congress. (By Carlene Olsen)
WASHINGTON, March 20 – Sen. Susan Collins announced her support Tuesday for legislation that would double Alzheimer’s disease research funds and ease medical costs for families. “It’s an agonizing experience to look into the eyes of a loved one and to receive only a confused look in return,” Collins said at a subcommittee hearing on retirement and aging.. “A strong and sustained research effort is our best tool to slow the progression… of this heart-breaking disease.” (By Carlene Olsen)
WASHINGTON, March 9 – Gov. John Baldacci told in an education conference Friday that state initiatives to improve student graduation rates are succeeding, but continuous support is needed to close the achievement gap. (By Carlene Olsen)
WASHINGTON, March 7 – In Congress, pork-barrel spending is down as members have brought home the least amount of bacon since 1999 in the form of special government spending projects this year, according to a report released Wednesday. (By Carlene Olsen)
WASHINGTON, March 6 – Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and other members of the Senate questioned military officials Tuesday about the medical conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and veterans’ hospitals nationwide. “We’re facing far greater problems than just the physical conditions at Walter Reed,” Collins said at an Armed Services Committee hearing. (By Carlene Olsen)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 – Maine potato growers said Wednesday that funding cuts proposed under the reauthorization of federal farm subsidies could hurt key research initiatives in the state. (By Carlene Olsen)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 – Spurred by a string of delays earlier this month that left angry passengers trapped on planes, Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) introduced legislation this month that would limit passenger waits onboard grounded airplanes. (By Carlene Olsen)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 — Gov. John Baldacci, in town for the National Governors Association Winter Meeting, joined governors from across the nation to discuss state issues, ranging from education to the economy. (By Carlene Olsen)
Collins Seeks to Modernize GI Bill
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 —Members of the military Reserves and the National Guard would receive expanded education benefits under legislation Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) proposed last week. (By Carlene Olsen)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 – “Global warming is indeed occurring, and it is undeniable that human actions had an impact on climate change,” Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) said at an international climate change summit Wednesday. (By Carlene Olsen)
Early Money Leads Suggest Plans for ‘08 Senate Race
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13—Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Democratic Rep. Thomas Allen left money trails in the last election that point towards a possible face-off in the 2008 race for Senate, campaign analysts said. (By Carlene Olsen)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 – Students in Maine and across the country improved their performance on Advanced Placement exams last year, leading an increasing number to graduate high school with college credit, according to a report released last week. (By Carlene Olsen)
Collins to Introduce ID Act Amendment
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 – Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced plans Friday to introduce a bill next week that would extend the time frame states have to create a federally mandated identification system for residents. (By Carlene Olsen)
Collins Pushes for Increased Teacher Tax Deduction
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 – Teachers would receive an increased tax deduction for school supply costs under a bill Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and John Warner (R-Va.) plan to introduce Tuesday. (By Carlene Olsen)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 – State initiatives for ocean policy reform made notable progress in 2006, earning two letter-grades above the national C-minus ranking, according to an ocean commission report released Tuesday. (By Carlene Olsen)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 - Six war protesters from Maine remained in town after this weekend’s anti-war rally to seek support from Maine’s congressional delegation for legislation to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq. (By Carlene Olsen)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24–Rep. Tom Allen said Wednesday that increased federal funding is needed to make President Bush’s proposal to substantially reduce oil consumption by 2017 a reality. (By Carlene Olsen)
Massachusetts
Congress Left Out in the Cold in Global Warming Debate
WASHINGTON, April 26 –The global warming debate is heating up on Capitol Hill, but Congress isn’t the branch turning the knob. On April 2, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Environmental Protection Agency violated the Clean Air Act by refusing to regulate motor vehicle carbon dioxide emissions. Scientists generally believe that man-made carbon dioxide emissions, from motor vehicles and other sources, are largely responsible for global climate change. (By Danny Lauridsen)
What's Ahead for No Child Left Behind?
WASHINGTON, April 26 – As the landmark federal law overseeing the country’s education system comes up for reauthorization this year, the debate on accountability and the federal government’s role in local schools is resurfacing. (By Priyanka Dayal)
WASHINGTON, April 26 —When federal immigration officials stormed New Bedford’s Michael Bianco Inc. factory in early March, detaining 361 Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition illegal immigrants and arresting the company’s owner and top managers, immigration reform once again moved into the legislative spotlight. (By Valerie Sullivan)
WASHINGTON, April 25 —Eric Mogilnicki spent the summer of 1982 in grocery store parking lots, urging voters to support Rep. Gerry E. Studds, D-Mass., by sporting a Studds bumper sticker on their cars. (By Valerie Sullivan)
WASHINGTON, April 25 —In a hearing Wednesday on Capitol Hill, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Debra M. Shrader, executive director of the non-profit commercial fishermen’s advocacy group Shore Support Inc. in New Bedford, called for improved regulations of fishing safety. (By Valerie Sullivan)
Kerry and Gingrich Debate Climate Change Solutions
WASHINGTON, April 10 – U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., and former Speaker of the House Newt L. Gingrich disagreed Tuesday over strategies for combating global climate change. (By Danny Lauridsen)
WASHINGTON, April 10 —Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich disagreed Tuesday over ways of dealing with global climate change, with Sen. Kerry advocating government regulation and Mr. Gingrich calling for voluntary change encouraged by government incentives. (By Valerie Sullivan)
Meehan Office Loses Staff, Presses On Until July
WASHINGTON, April 4— The House Democrats’ majority will be one vote smaller this summer and fall after U.S. Rep. Martin T. Meehan steps down to become chancellor of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. But residents of Mr. Meehan’s 5th District won’t be without the services that members of Congress traditionally offer. (By Danny Laureidsen)
Rep. McGovern: A Different Approach in the Rules Committee
WASHINGTON, March 30 – Every time he takes his seat in the cramped Rules Committee room on Capitol Hill, Worcester Democrat James P. McGovern is fulfilling his mentor’s dying wish. His mentor was the late J. Joseph Moakley, a widely admired congressman from Boston and former chairman of the committee. Through every discussion, debate and dispute, Mr. Moakley’s portrait stares down at Mr. McGovern. (By Priyanka Dayal)
Olver Calls for More Funding for Intercity and National Rails
WASHINGTON, March 28 – U.S. Rep. John W. Olver (D-Amherst) Wednesday criticized the Bush administration’s proposed funds for Amtrak, saying the president “would allow Amtrak to wither on the vine.” (By Danny Lauridsen)
Kerry, Markey Call for Action on Climate Change Legislation
WASHINGTON, March 20– U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Medford) joined members of Congress from across the country Tuesday to call for legislation to slow climate change and tighten energy emissions standards. (By Danny Lauridsen)
Worcester Police Benefit from Military Surplus
WASHINGTON, March 13 – The Worcester Police Department has received weapons, vehicles and office furniture through a little-known U.S. Department of Defense program that helps local police units cut costs. (By Priyanka Dayal)
Congressional Pig Book Thinner This Year
WASHINGTON –Congress isn’t bringing home the bacon like it used to, according to a new report released Wednesday. (By Danny Lauridsen)
WASHINGTON, March 7 —Government waste is down, Citizens Against Government Waste said in its 2007 Pig Book released Wednesday. Thomas A. Schatz, the non-partisan, non-profit group’s president, said the dollar amount of pork-barrel projects in the federal budget is “the smallest it’s been since 1999.” (By Valerie Sullivan)
Romney Seeks to Dispel Doubts of Conservatives
WASHINGTON, March 2 – Former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney Friday sought to dispel the doubts of conservative voters who are casting him as a flip-flopper, branding himself as a Ronald Reagan Republican who would shrink government and preserve traditional family values. (By Priyanka Dayal)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 —Massachusetts finished at the top of the class in a state-by-state report card on educational effectiveness released Wednesday by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Bay State received more A’s than any other state in the nation in in the nine categories that the report examined. (By Valerie Sullivan)
Massachusetts Outscores Other States on Education Effectiveness
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 – Massachusetts scored the highest in a state-by-state report on educational effectiveness released Wednesday, earning A’s in seven of nine grading categories. (By Priyanka Dayal)
Meehan Tries to Repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 – U.S. Rep. Martin T. Meehan (D-Lowell) re-introduced legislation Wednesday that would repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and allow persons dishonorably discharged due to sexual orientation to reapply for service. (By Danny Lauridsen)
Bush's Budget Would be Devastating for Mass., Rep. Frank Says
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 —If approved, the Bush administration's proposed budget would result in cuts in a number of programs across Massachusetts, according to a new study. The administration's budget would mean “significant cuts” in domestic social, educational and environmental programs, according to Sharon Parrott, director of welfare reform and income support at the liberal Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. (By Valerie Sullivan)
Mass. Receives $57.5 Million for Homeless Programs from HUD
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21– Massachusetts received $57.5 million Tuesday in grants for 2006 homeless programs from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a 6.8 percent increase from the previous year. (By Danny Lauridsen)
Meehan to Spend Recess in War Zone
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16—When Congress goes on recess next week, most representatives will be in their home districts catching up with their families and their constituents. But U.S. Rep. Martin T. Meehan, the Democrat from Lowell, has different plans. He’s going to Iraq. (By Priyanka Dayal)
Mass. Using Grant Money to Motivate School Boards, Students
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 – The National Governors Association Thursday recognized Massachusetts for using a $2 million grant to raise high school graduation standards and to track how public high school graduates perform in college. (By Priyanka Dayal)
Students Support Kennedy’s New Student Loan Legislation
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13–Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., introduced legislation Tuesday that would aim to boost college scholarships and student loans without requesting additional funds from taxpayers. (By Danny Lauridsen)
McGovern’s Iraq Pullout Bill Not Likely to Surface in Debate
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 – With the Democrats now in control of Congress, U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, is hoping for a more “open and honest” discussion about the war in Iraq, and he wants his new proposal to cut funding for the war to be part of the discussion. But the U.S. House leadership has decided to limit debate on the Iraq war next week to a non-binding resolution that they say will express support for the troops while rejecting President Bush’s plan to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq. (By Priyanka Dayal)
Mass. Delegation Helped Swing Democratic Victory in Congress
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 –Massachusetts congressmen used their excess green to add a little more blue on the map during the last election. The 10 U.S. House members from Massachusetts, all Democrats, had their seats functionally secured well before last November’s election. But they played a pivotal role in the Democrats’ sweep of Congress last fall by raising funds for and contributing heavily to the campaigns of candidates around the country. (By Priyaka Dayal and Danny Lauridsen)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8—Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) raised more than $1.8 million for his 2006 House race in which he was unopposed “because I thought I might … run for the Senate” in 2008, he said in a telephone interview Wednesday. But now that he is chairman of the Financial Services Committee Rep. Frank is content to stay in the House. “As chairman of the committee, I can do more than I could as a freshman senator,” he said. (By Valerie Sullivan)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1-- The Senate Thursday ended nine days of debate and approved a bill that would raise the national minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 an hour over the next two years. (By Priyanka Dayal)
.
Kerry, Snowe Introduce ‘Realistic’ Climate Change Bill
WASHINGTON. Feb. 1 – Sen. John F. Kerry reintroduced bipartisan legislation Thursday intended to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, which he called the major cause of climate change, to 65 percent below the 2000 levels by 2050. (By Danny Lauridsen)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1—Hundreds of friends—including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), faculty and students of Georgetown University Law Center and about 40 Catholic priests—celebrated the many hats worn by the Rev. Robert Drinan at a funeral mass for him Thursday. (By Valerie Sullivan)
Meehan Seeks Reform of Presidential Election Financing
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30-- Foreseeing more than $1 billion in spending by all candidates in the 2008 presidential election, Rep. Martin T. Meehan (D-Lowell) introduced legislation Tuesday that would give more federal money to presidential candidates and discourage them from opting out in favor of privately funded campaigns. (By Danny Lauridsen)
12-Year-Old Mass. Girl Speaks at Washington Antiwar Rally
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 –When she collected more than 100 signatures at her Harvard, Mass., middle school earlier this month for a petition to end the war in Iraq, Moriah Arnold never expected she’d be sharing that message with tens of thousands of people. (By Danny Lauridsen)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 —Attending his first winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, New Bedford Mayor Scott W. Lang was struck by the universality of the problems he and his colleagues face. “Every issue that New Bedford faces is a microcosm of the issues that every urban area faces,” he said. (By Valerie Sullivan)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 – The Senate Wednesday failed to pass a minimum wage increase, dealing a setback to U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and other Democrats who were hoping for speedy approval. (By Priyanka Dayal)
Massachusetts Congressmen Criticize Bush Proposals
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23-- Massachusetts members of Congress were not convinced by President Bush’s efforts to justify sending 21,500 more troops to Iraq in his State of the Union address last night. (By Danny Lauridsen)
Members of Congress React to State of the Union Speech
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 —Massachusetts members of Congress criticized President George W. Bush’s State of the Union address last night, specifically his proposals on energy and the war in Iraq. (By Valerie Sullivan)
New Hampshire
WASHINGTON, April 26 – A breast cancer diagnosis a few decades ago was a very different experience than it is today. Times have changed, and so has this disease that used to not leave much choice for the women involved, and was often a death sentence as well. (By Alyssa Marcus)
Controversy over Bill Aimed at Helping Veterans
WASHINGTON, April 25 —Tales of bureaucratic nightmares at veterans’ hospitals throughout the country in recent months have prompted a flurry of legislation on Capitol Hill aimed at providing relief to veterans. Amid the maelstrom of activity, a wide-ranging piece of legislation intended to expand access to health care in an unprecedented fashion for veterans is being greeted, however, with mixed responses. (By Greg Hellman)
WASHINGTON, April 24—Since 1937, the pursuit of affordable homes for low-income families has been a continually evolving federal policy, fraught with both complaints and compliments. New legislation, recently introduced in the House, aims at delivering the next evolutionary step by reforming the nation’s largest low-income housing assistance program, commonly called Section 8. It is a program deemed especially vital in New Hampshire—a state mired in an affordable housing crisis. (By Jessica Arriens)
WASHINGTON, April 4 —The Bush administration announced Wednesday that it wants to increase the number of special-education students qualified to take easier disability tests, creating more flexible regulations for assessing students than those set under the original No Child Left Behind Act. (By Jessica Arriens).
Sununu Assistant Chosen Cherry Blossom Princess
WASHINGTON, April 6 – When New Hampshire State Society president Michael McBride called Crystal Dollins to tell her that she was chosen as this year’s New Hampshire Cherry Blossom Princess, it was “a very happy moment,” Dollins said. (By Alyssa Marcus)
WASHINGTON, April 3 – When Victoria Bouchard, a student at Manchester Memorial High School, traveled to the nation’s capital for the first time last year, she was more than another tourist -- she arrived as an artist helping to decorate “the people’s House.” As one of the winners in an annual art contest for high school students sponsored by the House of Representatives, Bouchard got to see her work gracing the halls of Congress – an experience other New Hampshire high schoolers could share this year. (By Alyssa Marcus)
President’s Trip Director Honed His Skills in New Hampshire
WASHINGTON, March 30 -- When Hurricane Katrina blasted the Gulf Coast and the city of New Orleans in August of 2005, millions of people left homeless or without electricity looked to the president for comfort and aid in their time of need. As President Bush visited the disaster zone four days later and confronted the difficult road ahead to recovery, White House senior advance representative Jason Recher of Rye, N.H., along with an entire team of 20 White House staffers and volunteers stood behind him. They planned each appearance, accommodation, travel logistic and detail to coordinate the president’s travels through the Gulf region. (By Greg Hellman)
WASHINGTON, March 28—Former congressmen rarely fade into oblivion—and Charlie Bass is no exception. The New Hampshire Republican, who lost his 2nd District seat to Paul Hodes in November, is eager to show off the impressive offices of the Republican Main Street Partnership, where he is now president and CEO. (By Jessica Arriens)
Hodes Hails Iraq Spending Bill in Democratic Radio Response
WASHINGTON, March 24—New Hampshire Congressman Paul Hodes, delivering the Democratic response to the President’s weekly radio address Saturday morning, hailed the passage of the House Iraq spending bill, which sets a timeline for troop withdrawal, as an important step to altering the course of the war. (By Greg Hellman)
Judd, Gregg Vote to Require Senate Confirmation of U.S. Attorneys
WASHINGTON, March 20—Reacting to the scandal involving the Justice Department’s dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys, the Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to return to the system of requiring that chamber confirm federal prosecutor nominees. (By Greg Hellman)
Report Says National Guard ‘Not Ready,’
As N.H. Troops Continue to Serve
WASHINGTON, March 8—Nearly four years ago, on March 20, 2003, the United States invaded Iraq. Over two months ago, on Jan. 10, President Bush announced his troop surge—21,500 additional forces to help secure western Iraq and Baghdad. Before, in between and after those days—and all the other important dates that have shaped this war and public discourse about it—the New Hampshire National Guard has been “always ready, always there,” just as the national force’s motto says. (By Jessica Arriens)
Pork Barrel Spending Declines, Says Washington Watchdog Group
WASHINGTON, March 7 —There are many different ways to enjoy pork. In Washington, lawmakers have devised their own way—pork-barrel spending. This year’s examples include $5 million for Army alcohol breath testers, nearly $1.7 million to improve the shelf life of vegetables and $1 million to fund a California telescope that searches for alien life. (By Jessica Arriens)
Pig Book Reports Drop in Pork in Federal Spending
WASHINGTON, March 7 – For the release of the Citizens Against Government Waste Pig Book 2007, anyone walking into the first-floor ballroom of Washington’s Phoenix Park Hotel would have come upon an interesting scene. (By Alyssa Marcus)
Rep. Hodes Asks for Investigation of Veterans’ Health Care
WASHINGTON, March 5—New Hampshire Rep. Paul Hodes, president of the freshman class of House Democrats, has asked the investigative arm of Congress to conduct an independent investigation of veterans’ health care in a letter signed by all 42 new Democratic House members and one freshman Republican. (By Greg Hellman)
N.H. Receives $2 million Grant For Emergency Management
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28-- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a grant Wednesday for almost $2 million to support local emergency management throughout New Hampshire. (By Greg Hellman)
State’s Education Systems Average, says Chamber of Commerce
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28—The country’s education systems are in a state of emergency, according to a state-by-state report on education effectiveness released Wednesday, with New Hampshire receiving grades typical of the nation overall. (By Jessica Arriens)
Sununu, Clinton Reintroduce Child Car Safety Bill
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 – Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., reintroduced Tuesday a bill to require vehicles to have safety features to reduce the incidence of child injury and death in non-traffic accidents. (By Alyssa Marcus)
Gov. Lynch Speaks Out About Children’s Insurance Program
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 —New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch joined his colleagues from around the country in moving to protect a children’s health insurance program while attending the National Governors Association winter meeting. (By Greg Hellman)
New Hampshire Awarded $5.2 Million to Combat Homelessness
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 —New Hampshire will receive nearly $5.2 million in federal funding to support homeless programs throughout the state, as part of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development grants announced Tuesday. (By Jessica Arriens)
Sen. Sununu Already Feeling the Sting of the Opposition
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 —While there are nearly two years until the November 2008 election, U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, R-N.H., is already facing attacks from Democratic challengers and campaign groups. (By Jessica Arriens)
HUD Issues $5.2 Million in Grants to Fight Homelessness in N.H.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21-- The U.S. government issued $5.2 million in grants last month to state and local government organizations in New Hampshire to combat homelessness as part of a $1.33 billion nationwide funding initiative. (By Greg Hellman)
Money Isn’t Everything in Shea-Porter Campaign
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 – There are many theories on why Democrat Carol Shea-Porter defeated incumbent Republican Jeb Bradley in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District. Shea-Porter won because Republican turnout was “drastically lower” than in other elections, according to Andrew Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. The center’s polling found that in 2004 Republican turnout was 38 percent while Democratic turnout was 37 percent, Smith said. In 2006, Democratic turnout was up to 43 percent and Republican turnout dropped to 31 percent. (By Alyssa Marcus)
Hodes on List of Vulnerable House Members to Receive Aid
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15-- Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) is on a list of Democratic House members who are already considered vulnerable in 2008 and are being tapped to receive extra fund raising and organizational help by a Democratic campaign organization trying to insure their re-election. (By Alyssa Marcus and Renee Dudley)
Monadnock School Briefs Department of Education
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 —Emissaries from Monadnock Community Connections School briefed U.S. Department of Education employees Thursday about their alternative high school. (By Jessica Arriens)
Individuals Key to Hodes Victory
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 —If winning a congressional election were like winning an Oscar, Paul Hodes would have had to make “thanking all the little people” the highlight of his acceptance speech. (By Jessica Arriens)
Hodes and Shea-Porter Speak on Iraq Resolution
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 —New Hampshire Democratic Reps. Paul Hodes and Carol-Shea Porter are speaking this week in support of a nonbinding resolution opposing President Bush’s decision to send more troops to Iraq. (By Greg Hellman)
Hodes Appealed to Individual New Hampshire Voters
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 —In a year during which voters preoccupied with the Iraq war swept congressional Republicans out in favor of Democrats, freshman Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) out-raised incumbent Charlie Bass by appealing for change to individual New Hampshire voters. (By Greg Hellman)
No Teacher Left Behind: Report Recommends Testing Teachers
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 —Teachers and principals should be tested as well as students in any reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind law, according to a private bipartisan panel’s report released Tuesday. (By Jessica Arriens)
Rep. Hodes: 'Ultimate Reality Game Show'
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 – Welcome to Survivor Congress, starring 42 Democratic freshman representatives settling in a new territory—Washington, D.C. Leading the tribe is Rep, Paul Hodes (D-N.H.), Democratic Freshman Class president and New Hampshire’s rising congressional star. (By Greg Hellman)
Mr. Hodes Goes to Washington
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 —Paul Hodes’ office is a mess. Stacks of letters and cardboard boxes are strewn across shelves and cluttering the floor. A bag of candy perches atop a pile of papers on a desk. Bergen Kenny, Hodes’ communications director, looks around the office and states the obvious: “We’re still unpacking." (By Jessica Arriens)
Keene Residents Rally Against Iraq War
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 —Amidst chants of “No more war!” and “Impeach Bush!” Keene residents joined thousands of other protesters to rally against the Iraq War Saturday. (By Jessica Arriens)
Sununu Gets Funding for Women’s Business Centers
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 —The Senate has accepted Sen. John Sununu’s amendment to the minimum wage bill to preserve federal funding for a Women’s Business Center that serves parts of New Hampshire and two neighboring states. But the amendment’s fate depends on whether the Senate decides to approve the wage bill itself.(By Alyssa Marcus)
Senate Rejects Gregg’s Line-Item Veto Amendment
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24- Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) failed to add an amendment to the minimum wage bill Wednesday that would give presidents a line-item veto. He then joined in helping block the wage bill from immediately moving to a floor vote. (By Greg Hellman)
Delegation Split on the State of the Union Speech
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 – Members of New Hampshire’s congressional delegation split along party lines in their reaction to President Bush’s State of the Union speech last night. The state’s freshmen House Democrats criticized the president’s plan for continuing the war in Iraq and his domestic proposals while Senate Republicans hailed the economic growth of the last year and gave their continuing support for the Bush Administration’s handing of the Iraq war.
(By Greg Hellman & Alyssa Marcus)
|
