Category: Amanda Kozar
Shays is Optimistic About Iraqi Election After Trip to Iraq
By Mandy Kozar
WASHINGTON, Oct. 11-Republican Rep. Christopher Shays returned from his tenth trip to Iraq optimistic about Saturday’s Iraqi constitutional referendum and the progress of the Iraqi police and armed forces.
“My sense after speaking with [officials from the United Nations Mission for Iraq] and Iraqis in general is that if we’re able to provide real security, which we think we are, we’ll see upwards of 70 plus percent voting participation by Iraqis; it could even touch 80 percent,” Shays said in a conference call Tuesday.
Shays, chairman of the Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, was part of six-member bipartisan congressional delegation visiting Iraq in advance of the referendum.
“My prediction is that the constitutional referendum will be accepted,” Shays said, “It’s more likely to be accepted than not, but it still may fail.”
This is the tenth time since 2003 that Shays has visited the country, visits that he said allow him to view the situation for himself so he does not have to rely on other sources.
“I was wrong about weapons of mass destruction, and that took a bit of my confidence away,” Shays said. “That was one of the reasons that I was determined that I would not be in Washington, that I would go out into the field.”
For the constitution to fail, it has to be rejected by two-thirds of the voters in three of Iraq’s 18 provinces. The entire process would then start over, beginning with formation of a new government.
According to Shays, the central factor will be the participation of Sunni Iraqis in the vote.
“The key is to make sure that in the Sunni areas the Sunnis feel comfortable voting,” Shays said=. “That’s going to be a key issue.”
If it does not pass, however, that does not mean the entire process will have failed, he said. High voter turnout, pass or fail, would show that the democratic process is working, he added.
Shays also said that during his trip he was impressed with the progress the Iraqi military is making, a view that he said he does not see reflected in the American press.
“I’m getting this from the commanders, the sergeants and the rank-and-file troops,” Shays said, “These Iraqis are beginning to show a tremendous amount of skill and pride and professionalism. That’s what I’m hearing in Iraq. I don’t hear it in the United States.”
“I’m disappointed that some of my colleagues that don’t get to go to Iraq speak with such conviction about what they’re seeing, and what I see there is very different from what I read in the press,” Shays said. “My constituents have a very different view of what’s going on and what I am seeing.”
Shays said he is worried that what he sees as misinformation may cause a push for an exit strategy that he believes the Iraqis are not ready for.
“We’ll see the terrorists lasting longer because of our leaving maybe too soon,” Shays said. “My biggest concern is that we’ll leave too soon.”
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Senate Passes Amendment to Reimburse Troops
By Mandy Kozar
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6-The Senate has unanimously voted to direct the Department of Defense to reimburse soldiers who purchased their own military equipment while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The amendment to the defense spending bill, introduced by Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd, calls for reimbursement of soldiers who used their own money to buy "essential military equipment."
Although President Bush signed a bill in October 2004 that would reimburse troops who had to purchase critical safety equipment, the Department of Defense had yet to implement it at the time that Dodd put forward his amendment. Under that law, the Pentagon was supposed to comply by Feb. 25, 2005.
"I was forced to introduce this amendment," Dodd said after the vote Wednesday, "because it has been nearly a year since this provision became the law of the land, over seven months after the Defense Department was required by law to set up a system to compensate troops for purchasing protective gear used during combat, and nothing has been done."
The day before the Senate voted on the amendment, however, the Pentagon released a four-page memo describing its policy to reimburse troops for equipment bought after Sept. 10, 2001. and before Aug. 1, 2004.
In a telephone interview Thursday, Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, a Department of Defense spokeswoman, attributed the delay to the time it took to coordinate with the relevant military divisions.
The memo, written by Undersecretary of Defense David S.C. Chu, included a list of "shortage items" for which a member of the Armed Forces could be reimbursed up to $1,100 per service member.
Dodd, however, criticized the list as too little, too late.
"If you need any proof that the Department of Defense is coming up short, all you need to do is take a look at the list of reimbursement items," Dodd said.
The memo lists 11 items, ranging from a $551.60 ballistic vest to a $24 hydration system.
According to Dodd's amendment, on the other hand, soldiers could be reimbursed for a wider range of equipment that "they need to operate safely and successfully."
The Pentagon's policy is effective immediately, while Dodd's amendment must pass the House of Representatives to become law.
According to Lt. Col. John R. Whitford, spokesman for the Connecticut National Guard, there was a slight delay early in the war in Connecticut units getting their specially made interceptive body armor.
"Some of the soldiers, instead of waiting to get that issued to them either they purchased it on their own or they had their families purchase it and it was shipped overseas," Whitford said.
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Dodd and Lieberman React to Miers’ Nomination
By Mandy Kozar
WASHINGTON, Oct. 5-Connecticut Democratic Sens. Christopher Dodd and Joseph Lieberman say they have a lot to learn about President Bush's Supreme Court nominee, White House counsel Harriet Miers.
Lieberman said Monday, "Before this morning I knew nothing about Harriet Miers except her name and title."
Nominated to fill the vacancy that will be left by retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Miers, 60, has never been a judge and, until Monday, had received very little publicity.
"I am going to be interested in further exploration of her qualities and qualifications," Dodd said in an interview Wednesday.
Although she may be a nice person and a talented lawyer, Dodd said, these are "not necessarily qualifications that are essential for being placed on the Court for the next 20, 25 years."
Miers, who was Bush's personal lawyer before becoming his deputy chief of staff in 2003 and then White House counsel in 2004, would if nominated become only the third female justice in the history of the court.
O'Connor was often an important swing vote on the court, and Democrats are wary about her potential replacement.
"Justice O'Connor was an independent, intelligent and fair jurist and the person who replaces her will play an important role in shaping the direction of the Supreme Court for years to come," Dodd said in a news release Monday.
Unlike recently confirmed Chief Justice John Roberts, Miers has no judicial record for senators to review.
Dodd said that he, "as always, will carefully examine Harriet Miers' background and temperament to determine whether she's qualified to serve on the highest court in the land."
Similarly, Lieberman in his press release said, "I have a lot to learn before deciding whether or not to 'advise and consent' to her nomination to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court."
Although nominating someone with no judicial experience is not unheard of (the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist did not have judicial experience before he became a Supreme Court justice) the senators said that they will be waiting for the hearings to see if Miers is qualified.
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Rell Calls for Fuel Assistance Summit
By Mandy Kozar
WASHINGTON, Sept. 29-The cold weather is still a few weeks away, but Connecticut social service agencies are already worried about how they are going to help low-income residents pay for fuel this winter.
"We're going to get quite a bit of calls coming into the late fall and winter months," said Major William Sharpe, the Salvation Army's area coordinator for Greater Bridgeport. "We've got people who are back still trying to pay bills from last winter."
The Salvation Army's HeatShare assistance program is one of the many that will be feeling extra strain this winter as residents grapple with increased fuel prices.
The National Energy Assistance Directors' Association is predicting this winter's expenditures for families using home heating oil will increase by 31 percent and for those using natural gas by 71 percent. This is in addition to a projected $1,000 average annual increase in what families will pay for gasoline.
In response to the skyrocketing prices, Gov. Jodi Rell has called for a summit meeting on Oct. 7 in Hartford to discuss the state's fuel assistance needs.
"I want to make sure the state is prepared to help people get through the winter heating season," Rell said in a recent press release, "Summer is now officially over, and I want an assessment of what the state's energy assistance needs are before the cold weather hits."
Rell recently wrote to Connecticut's seven members of Congress urging that federal funds for low-income heating assistance be increased by at least $1 billion this year.
The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is the main source of funds for the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program, which helped more than 50,000 residents last winter.
Earlier this month, Rep. Christopher Shays joined more than 50 House members who signed a letter to President Bush asking for an increase in emergency funds for the heating assistance program.
Fuel assistance officials also are concerned that struggles to pay heating bills will cause some residents not to be able to pay for other necessities.
"The heating problems not only deal with the ability to pay your bills but when you make choices with diminishing resources sometimes you will have to choose between food, medicine and heat," the Salvation Army's Sharpe said.
At the summit meeting next week, Rell will be speaking with assistance program officials as well as legislators to draw up a plan for the state to provide help to residents who need it this winter.
"The bottom line," a spokesman from Rell's office said, "is that Gov. Rell will make sure the state safety net is preserved."
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Connecticut Senators Will Vote for Roberts
By Mandy Kozar
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -Democratic Senators Joseph Lieberman and Christopher Dodd announced Tuesday that they will vote to confirm Judge John Roberts to be chief justice of the United States.
"I'm impressed with his testimony and that he strikes me as being a good person," Dodd said during a conference call where he announced his decision.
Roberts, nominated to become the United States' 17 th chief justice, has been overwhelmingly supported by Republicans and is expected to win the final vote scheduled for Thursday.
Dodd and Lieberman joined 13 other Democratic senators who have already voiced their support, including Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democrat on the judiciary committee.
"I've weighed carefully this decision," Dodd said. "Obviously this is about as important a vote, other than the vote to declare war and amend the Constitution of the United States, you can cast."
Dodd, who in the past has supported GOP nominees Antonin Scalia, Sandra Day O'Connor, Anthony Kennedy and David Souter, said he based his decisions on three things: legal and intellectual competence, fair-mindedness and "a commitment to equal justice for all under the law."
Lieberman, speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday, emphasized the need for the Supreme Court to remain separate from politics and said that in his opinion Roberts could uphold that value.
"I will vote to confirm Judge Roberts and send him off to the non-political world of the Supreme Court with high hopes," Lieberman said.
Dodd and Lieberman both said Roberts' comments on privacy and civil rights during his confirmation hearings were reassuring, if somewhat tight-lipped.
"You can vote your fears and you can vote your hopes and I'm casting that vote on hope," Dodd said.
But Dodd warned President Bush about nominating someone with a more partisan temperament to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Roberts initially was nominated to replace O'Connor but when Chief Justice William Rehnquist died the President made Roberts the nominee for Chief Justice.
"He made, I thought a reasonable choice in Judge Roberts," Dodd said. "If he follows that pattern, then you could have a great legacy of putting good people on this court. If he goes the other way and decides he's got to placate the hard right in the country then I would expect a knock-down drag-out fight over the coming weeks."
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Shays: New Rate Plan Increases Cost But Not Efficiency
By Mandy Kozar
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 - Residents of southwestern Connecticut could face up to a 25 percent increase in their monthly electric bills without any improvement inj the reliability of the power supply under a new energy rate schedule for New England, the Connecticut congressional delegation warned.
"It's clearly going to take $13.5 billion, with no guarantee it provides anything," said Rep. Christopher Shays (D-Conn.) in an interview Wednesday "That's not a plan, that's not a guarantee of anything. It's just a large sucking sound."
Shays, along with his six fellow Connecticut members of Congress, are united against the "Locational Installed Capacity Plan," or LICAP, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's proposed rate plan that would raise electricity prices for regions that have high demand and low supply. Proponents of the plan say that it would provide an incentive for companies to build more power plants.
But, according to the delegation, the new plan would substantially increase consumers' electric bills without increasing the reliability of the power supply to those who need it most.
"What LICAP is trying to do is it's trying to make sure that there's reliable electric service in New England and Connecticut," said Barbara Connors, the regulatory commission's spokeswoman.
"There are certain areas of Connecticut where demand has increased in terms of electric power, and there hasn't been a corresponding increase in electric generation to match the increase in demand," Connors said.
The commission has ranked southwest Connecticut as one of the nation's top energy reliability risks, with demand for electricity growing faster than anywhere else in the state.
Currently, the southwest quarter of the state is responsible for using half of all electricity consumed by the entire state.
Fearing that Connecticut and New England could be facing blackouts such as those faced by California in the late 1990s, the operators of New England's power grid first proposed the higher rates in 2004. The commission postponed implementation until 2006 to allow for further discussion.
The Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control opposes the plan, pointing out that there is no guarantee that Connecticut would see the benefit of the increased revenues.
"You're going to have plant owners getting lots of money, and they don't have to use it for improvements," the department's spokeswoman, Beryl Lyons, said.
Even if new plants were built, Lyons said, the current transmission lines in southwestern Connecticut would not be able to support increased power supply.
"[The power companies] don't have to add on, they don't have to increase power supply and nobody is going to build because there's not enough transmission for new plants," Lyons said, "So far as we are concerned, it's purely punitive, at least for Connecticut."
Although Shays is concerned about electricity demands being met in his district and agrees that higher costs may be necessary, he sees no benefit from rate hikes.
"It's a model that says if we pay more, more will come into the marketplace," Shays said, "but it simply may mean that those who are in the marketplace may end up with $13.5 billion more in revenue at our expense, not spent in New England."
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is allowing 10 months before implementation of the plan to allow for continued negotiation.
"We're using this time to try to knock some sense into FERC and others," Shays said.
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Proposed Legislation Targets Oil Company Profits
By Mandy Kozar
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -In an attempt to provide relief to consumers hit by record-high gasoline prices and rising fuel costs - rates they said were the result of energy industry price gouging -- Senators Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) proposed legislation Tuesday that would provide rebates to consumers while pressuring oil companies to lower prices.
"We're convinced these are deliberate increases," Dodd said at a press conference. Blaming the soaring prices entirely on Hurricane Katrina, he added, is "totally false."
The proposed legislation would target the oil companies by imposing a 50 percent excise tax on the amount above $40 they charge for a barrel of crude oil. But any such profits that companies invest in such areas as energy research and building refineries would be excluded from the tax, which would then be returned to consumers in the form of a rebate.
Currently, crude oil is trading for slightly less than $70 a barrel. Dodd and Dorgan said the oil industry is gouging consumers and pocketing the record-breaking profits.
With winter just around the corner, Dodd said he was concerned with how residents of his state are going to cope with the soaring prices.
"Home heating oil in my area of the country may go up as much as 33 percent," Dodd said.
Already some areas are anticipating the need to rethink their budgets for the winter. Although he said it was too soon to know for sure, Norwalk Public Schools Superintendent. Salvatore Corda said he expects that his district will feel the effects of the rising fuel prices.
"We budgeted with an anticipated price of $48 a barrel; it is now I believe $67. It would appear therefore that our budget appropriation would be short and we will need additional resources," Corda said, "Whether we can meet that shortfall through existing budget lines or whether we will need to go through special appropriation remains to be seen. But I would expect that certainly that we are going to feel the pinch of that in some way."
It is not considered likely that the GOP-controlled Senate will act on the legislation.
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Failed Mercury Resolution Disappoints Connecticut Senators and Environmentalists
By Mandy Kozar
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 - Connecticut Democratic Senators Joseph Lieberman and Christopher Dodd have expressed outrage over Tuesday's failed effort to toughen federal regulations on mercury emissions into the air.
At issue was a Senate resolution that would have overturned an Environmental Protection Agency rule that Dodd, Lieberman and other environmental advocates say allows power plants to emit too much mercury pollution.
"The Senate had a real opportunity to pass a resolution that would directly improve the health of thousands of people in Connecticut and around the country by reversing a harmful rule that does little to reduce power plant mercury emissions," Dodd said in a Wednesday press release.
The resolution, defeated by a narrow 51-47 vote, was co-sponsored by a bipartisan Senate group that believes the EPA rules do not do enough to reduce mercury emissions caused by U.S. power plants.
"It is clear the EPA has not lived up to its responsibility to follow the law and impose tough standards that would cut mercury emissions substantially below today's levels," Lieberman said in a Wednesday statement .
Opponents of the rule say that it conflicts with the Clean Air Act requirement that industries employ the "maximum achievable control technology" to reduce mercury pollution.
The rule is based on a "trade and cap" system that allows plants that are producing more than the allowed mercury emissions to buy credits from plants that are producing less than the permitted amount.
"There needs to be stronger regulations," said Jonathan Banks, policy director of Clear the Air, a New England environmental group.
The EPA rule calls for a 70 percent emission reduction by the year 2018, a timeline that Banks said does very little to improve current conditions.
"That's just a lot of mercury over the course of a long time," he said. "The stuff just builds up in the environment, and the longer you go without reducing it the more you're building up in the environment and the longer it takes to cycle out of it."
Mercury is a neurotoxin that takes 10,000 years to leave the environment. Today, every freshwater source in Connecticut, as with many states in the Northeast, has been issued mercury advisories, and EPA health officials warn that children and pregnant women should limit their fish intake to avoid damage to the central nervous system, brain and kidneys.
But EPA officials issued a press release responding that the rule "is the first time the United States or any other country in the world has regulated mercury emissions from power plants."
Although the Senate resolution failed to pass, the senators and environmentalists are still hoping that the EPA rule can be overturned in court.
"It is beyond belief that the Senate would choose to uphold regulations that require next to no affirmative action on the part of industry," Lieberman said. "It is my hope that the courts will step in and follow the Clean Air Act and send the rule back to the EPA to get it right."
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