By Ira Sharkansky

JERUSALEM—There is an article in the most recent Economist that defines the problem of Israel and Palestine. Almost all of it is there in brief form, but not in a reasonable formulation.

The theme in most of the article is that President Obama must not just scold Prime Minister Netanyahu for his ill advised remarks, but pressure him to do what most countries (and the Economist) feel is necessary to make peace in the Middle East. That includes pursuing the development of a Palestinian State, halting the expansion of Jewish settlements, stop pressing the Palestinians to recognize Israel as a "Jewish state," recognizing that Israel must eventually withdraw from the Golan Heights, and comply with these wishes without a precondition of the United States frustrating Iran's development of nuclear weapons.

That is the shopping list of governments and individuals that consider themselves on the right side of history.

Then comes the kicker, that defines the problem of all those decent people, and Israel.

"Who would govern the Palestinian state the world wants . . . in the West Bank and Gaza?"

The article concedes that Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah party are too weak, Hamas has not done what is necessary to be included in the list of the enlightened. The Economist admits a further problem. "The snag is that the two halves of the Palestinian movement are at daggers’ drawn and have fluffed repeated opportunities to reconcile."

The appropriate analogy for what the magazine and others want is a "Hail Mary pass." That comes in the final moments of a football game, when the team with the ball is behind, and far from the goal line. The only possibility is a long pass, and the hope that a member of one's own team catches it.

The Economist puts is this way: The Americans must make the Israelis "more amenable to giving the Palestinians the fair deal—in essence, a proper state of their own—that might bring peace to the two peoples and to the wider region of the Middle East."

The core of the problem is what I've underlined. Why should an Israeli government give the Palestinians what they want, on the chance that it "might bring peace"? When Israel offered the Palestinians a great deal of what they said they wanted, in 2000, there came several years of violence that cost 1,100 Israeli lives, most of them civilians. There is not the trust among Israelis, inside and outside of the present government, to produce what is wanted by the Economist, not even if the American president wraps it in all the good words of assurance for Israel's safety.

Yet another element in the problem is the unwillingness or inability of the Palestinians to play a more complex role in negotiations than making demands. If compromise is part of the process that helps each side sell a bargain to its constituents, the Palestinians have not been playing by the rules. Neither the borders of 1967 nor the return of refugees are sellable to Israeli authorities or the public.


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Prime Minister Netanyahu might not be the best emissary to the Obama White House. His words, facial expressions, and body language often express arrogance. He has acquired a reputation of being unreliable, and even slippery. He has been condemned by ranking Americans in language seldom heard from one country's officials about those of another country.

Hopefully, national interest will prevail over personality, so that the American president and Israeli prime minister can conclude their meeting without rancor.

If there was an obvious solution to the problems standing in the way of a Middle East accord, it would not have taken so long to have moved so little. Before reasonable people can ask Israel to do what might help, they must also expect the Palestinians to do some of the things that might help. Those using a formulation like the Economist should recognize that they are putting the accent on the wrong syllable, and are missing an important part of the puzzle..

Sharkansky is professor emeritus of political science at Hebrew University. Email: msira@mscc.huji.ac.il

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Editor's Note: We are trying out a service that provides news releases to us from federal government agencies as well as from members of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. Utilizing this service, we intend to track issues affecting the Middle East, domestic and foreign Jewish communities, and also keep abreast of legislation being pursued by Jewish members of Congress. We solicit reader input to this feature. Email editor@sandiegojewishworld.com


Middle East

Berman sponsors bill to hire
more foreign service officers

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)— Congressman Howard Berman (CA-28), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on Thursday introduced wide-ranging legislation to improve and support U.S. foreign policy efforts, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 (H.R. 2410).

“Defense, diplomacy and development are the three pillars of our national security,” Berman said.  “But in recent years, diplomacy and development have been short-changed.  In order to meet the aims of American foreign policy today, we need to rebuild capacity in these critical areas.”

The legislation authorizes hiring 1500 additional Foreign Service Officers over the next two years and contains provisions on recruitment and training of officers to improve the Foreign Service’s ability to respond to modern challenges.  It requires the State Department to conduct a quadrennial review of its policies and programs that defines objectives, budget requirements and how these programs fit into the President’s national security strategy. 

Among other significant measures in the bill are provisions that:

• ensure that the United States will meet its financial commitments to the United Nations (U.N.) and other international organizations;

• allow financing the refurbishment of helicopters for U.N. peacekeeping missions in Darfur, the Republic of Congo and Chad;

• establish the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation as a new executive branch corporation to expand dramatically the number and economic diversity of U.S. students studying overseas;

• end the long-standing practice of excluding the committed partners of Foreign Service officers from the benefits routinely provided to the spouses and children of officers serving abroad;

• support the Administration’s plan to double the size of the Peace Corps, and authorize a plan to use short-term volunteers to respond to humanitarian and development needs worldwide;

• broaden the Merida anti-drug trafficking initiative to include the Caribbean, and improve monitoring and evaluation of Merida programs; and

• increase resources and training for enforcement of intellectual property rights, especially in countries identified by the U.S. government as lax in enforcing those rights.

Preceding provided by Congressman Berman


Levin says U.S. Defense Department budget
places more emphasis on counter-insurgency

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)--The following is excerpted from a transcript of Senator Carl Levin's opening remarks on the Defense Department's budget proposals. Levin chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee:

The Department's fiscal year 2010 budget request is, in Secretary Gates' words, a "reform" budget. In its broadest sense this budget would shift funds away from programs and technologies that the Secretary has determined have been mismanaged or are designed to address far less likely, distant risks, and therefore less useful to the counterinsurgency fight of today. Instead, this budget would provide more funds to increase the capabilities needed for the wars we are fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq and what the Administration feels are the threats we are more likely to face in the future.

The Department faces no more immediate challenge than implementing the President’s new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Key to the Administration’s new strategy will be growing the Afghan National Security Forces so that Afghanistan can more quickly take responsibility for providing for its own security. The FY2010 budget request includes significant funding for the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund to grow the Afghan Army to 134,000 and the Afghan police to 82,000 by 2011. When Committee members met recently with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his ministers, we heard directly from President Karzai, his Minister of Defense and his Interior Minister that they have the manpower available to significantly expand both the Army and the Police beyond those numbers, and are in a “hurry” to do so. With the cost of adding one more U.S. soldier in Afghanistan equal to the cost of adding 60 or more Afghan soldiers, it makes sense to invest in growing the Afghan security forces faster and I hope the witnesses will address the possibility and wisdom of doing so.

Reflecting another major component of the Administration’s new strategy in the region, the FY2010 budget includes significant funding for Pakistan. This includes authorization for the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Contingency Fund, to train and equip the Pakistan Frontier Corps and to build the capacity of the Pakistan Army to conduct counterinsurgency operations. I raised directly with Pakistan President Zardari last week my concern that unless Pakistan’s leaders commit in deeds and words their country's armed forces and security personnel to eliminating the threat from militant extremists, and make clear they are doing so for the sake of their own country's future, then no amount of assistance will be effective. I sincerely hope that Pakistan’s recent military operations in the North West Frontier Province reflect their long overdue realization that the extremists pose the single greatest threat to Pakistan’s survival. If Pakistan makes the fight against those extremists their own fight, then the United States should be willing to help Pakistan achieve a more stable and secure future. But we can't buy their support for our cause, or appear to do so, since that would play into the hands of their and our enemy. We can and should support their cause assuming it is aligned with ours and if they make their case openly and clearly to their public.

Even as our focus shifts to Afghanistan and Pakistan, the stability situation in Iraq remains a source of concern and significant effort. This June, pursuant to the U.S.—Iraqi SOFA, U.S. combat forces are supposed to be withdrawn from Iraqi urban areas, turning over the security of cities and major towns to Iraqi Security Forces. The agreement also sets a December 2011 deadline for the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq. President Obama has called for an end to the U.S. combat mission in Iraq by August 2010. I hope that the drawdown of forces in Iraq can be maintained while preserving our hard-fought gains, and while continuing to build Iraqi capacity to provide for their own security. The failure of Iraqi leaders to complete the political steps they promised to take long ago puts at risk the reaching of those goals.

One of Secretary Gates’ principles for building the FY2010 budget has been taking care of our men and women in uniform and their families, and caring for our wounded warriors. Close collaboration between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs is critically important to crafting and implementing policies and processes to ensure seamless care and transition for our wounded warriors and their families.

A top priority for the Department of Defense and the Congress in the months ahead must be reform of the process for overseeing the acquisition each year of hundreds of billions of dollars of products and services. Last week the Senate approved the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009. The House approved similar legislation this week. This legislation is an important step in getting control over the acquisition process, and hopefully Congress will promptly work out our differences and have a bill for the President soon.

There is great interest in DOD plans for the Air Force's F-22 fighter, C-17 cargo aircraft, combat search and rescue helicopter program, and the next generation tanker; the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship, DDG-1000, and DDG-51; the Army’s Future Combat System; and missile defense and satellite acquisition programs. They require tough choices by the Congress and require a clear explanation of how weapons systems changes are derived from the new strategy.

While the Department's significant program changes focus almost entirely on major weapon systems, much of the defense budget’s growth can be attributed to significant increases in the personnel and operation and maintenance accounts. Are there any changes that should be considered in these areas?

The Air Force and the Navy have in recent years reduced the size of their active-duty end strengths, in part to pay for equipment. This budget request halts the decline for both services. The Department must work with Congress to determine the appropriate active and reserve end strengths for all the military services as measured against current and future missions and requirements. I expect the Department to comprehensively address end strength levels in the upcoming Quadrennial Defense Review.

Typical of the first budget of a new administration, the fiscal year 2010 defense budget request does not include the future years' defense program, or spending projections for the next 5 years for the Department's procurement and research accounts. As the Secretary has indicated, the Department's longer range programmatic decisions and plans will be shaped by this year's Quadrennial Defense and Nuclear Posture Reviews.


Abu Khalaf designated a terrorist
by U.S. Treasury Department

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) —The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Thursday targeted the support network of al-Qa'ida in Iraq (AQI) by designating Syria-based Sa'ad Uwayyid 'Ubayd Mu'jil al Shammari (aka Abu Khalaf) under Executive Order 13224.  E.O. 13224 targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.  AQI is a Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

"We will continue to aggressively implement the international obligation to target al-Qa'ida-linked terrorists, like Abu Khalaf, who threaten the safety of Coalition Forces and the stability of Iraq," said Stuart Levey, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

Abu Khalaf acts for or on behalf of AQI by serving as a senior leader of AQI's Syria-based facilitation network.  As of early January 2009, Abu Khalaf was in charge of the foreign fighter facilitation network formerly headed by Badran Turki Hishan Al-Mazidih (aka Abu Ghadiyah).  Treasury designated Abu Ghadiyah in February 2008 for running a Syria-based AQI facilitation network that controlled the flow of money, weapons, terrorists and other resources through Syria to AQI.  Previously, Abu Khalaf was reportedly second in charge of the Islamic State of Iraq in Syria, a group formed by AQI that has claimed responsibility for mass kidnappings and a series of major attacks.

As of fall 2008, Abu Khalaf and an AQI member involved with foreign fighter facilitation transported terrorists from Syria to Iraq.  In one instance,   Abu Khalaf directed an AQI facilitator to recruit young North Africans for AQI.  The facilitator recruited a few suicide bombers, who attempted to travel to Iraq.  Abu Khalaf was also likely involved in facilitating the travel of a number of suicide operatives to the Levant region from Gulf-based extremist networks.  Separately, Abu Khalaf facilitated the transfer of equipment from Abu Ghadiyah to Iraq-based AQI networks.

Under Executive Order. 13224, any assets in which this individual has an interest are frozen, and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him.

Preceding from the U.S. Treasury Department

National Council of Churches calls on Congress to classify Armenian murders in 1915 as 'genocide'

NEW YORK (Press Release)—The U.S. government's reluctance to classify the 1915 massacre of 1.5 million Armenians as "genocide" leaves the matter festering in historical limbo, and the staff head of the National Council of Churches has urged the U.S. House of Representatives to set the matter straight.

The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, NCC General Secretary, has written to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, California) to  recommend passage of House Resolution 252,The bill, introduced by Rep. Adam B. Shiff (Democrat, California.) calls upon President Obama "to ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian Genocide, and for other purposes."

The legislation has 120 co-sponsors in the House.

In an April 24 statement on Armenian Remembrance Day, the President distressed Armenian Americans and their friends by avoiding the word "genocide" to describe the events of 1915. Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, NCC President, said he was deeply disappointed by the omission.

"I speak on this issue as a person who lost 50 percent of my family to the Armenian genocide in Turkey," Aykazian said in a letter to Kinnamon and the NCC Governing Board.

"I do not hate Turks, and I don't hate others who have committed similar atrocities, but what we, the Armenians, have always asked for is a simple acknowledgement by the American government of a historical fact ... A simple acknowledgement by the U.S. Government is paramount to appease the souls of the more than 1.5 million people who perished under the Ottoman Empire and the millions more left orphaned and maimed.

Preceding provided by National Council of Churches

U.S. Export-Import Bank approves $912.8 million in loans for Saudi Arabia to purchase generators

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a move to support U.S. jobs, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) on Friday approved $912.8 million in direct loans to finance the export of 23 GE gas turbine generator sets for three Saudi power plants.

The GE 7FA series gas turbine generator sets contain pollution control equipment to reduce NOx emissions.

The General Electric Company (GE), Fairfield, Conn., is exporting the 7FA gas turbine generator sets and related equipment and services to Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) for three projects:

The Faras power station, located in eastern Saudi Arabia near Al Hofuf -- an Ex-Im Bank direct loan of $150.7 million will support the sale of four generator sets to expand the plant's capacity by 500 megawatts

Power Plant #8 (PP8) in Western Ryadh -- an Ex-Im Bank direct loan of $151.1 million will support the sale of four generator sets to expand the plant's capacity by 492 megawatts

A new power station to be located near an existing plant at Al Qurayyah -- an Ex-Im Bank direct loan of $611.1 million will support the sale of 15 generator sets, resulting in a total installed capacity of 1,890 megawatts

"This transaction is good for both countries," said Bijan Kian, a member of Ex-Im Bank's board of directors. "It will help maintain jobs at GE and its U.S. suppliers throughout the country, while helping SEC meet Saudi Arabia's power needs through the use of low-NOx-emission equipment. Saudi Arabia is turning to export credit agencies (ECAs) such as Ex-Im Bank during the current credit crisis that commercial banks are facing. This transaction, by helping the development of Saudi Arabia's power infrastructure, creates enormous potential for follow-on business between our two countries."

The Ex-Im Bank direct loans will be disbursed through the funding bank, Calyon.

Ex-Im Bank is the official export-credit agency of the United States. The independent, self-sustaining federal agency, now in its 75th year, helps to create and maintain U.S. jobs by financing the sale of U.S. exports, primarily to emerging markets throughout the world, by providing loan guarantees, export-credit insurance and direct loans.

Preceding provided by Export-Import Bank

Harman explains foreign benefits of
supplemental appropriations act

WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release)-- Rep. Jane Harman (Democrat, California) delivered the following statement today on the House floor during rule debate on the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009:

I am keenly aware of the economic hardship faced by people in my district and all over the country, and the heart-felt questions being raised about the cost and policies involved in this bill.

After careful review, I believe the bill is needed and the policies it funds reflect a change in direction from failed Bush strategies in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the West Bank -- all locations I have visited in this past year.

We are ending the combat mission in Iraq -- a policy I strongly support. We are also embracing a strategy for Afghanistan which makes governance and not projection of military force the top priority.

Mission success there will only come from efforts to eliminate corruption and help the central and local governments provide essential services to the Afghan people. Otherwise, that country will revert to a failed state and safe haven for terrorists intent on attacking the United States and our allies.

Pakistan is even more dangerous because of its huge population, a military larger than ours and its nuclear arsenal. This bill funds non-military aid and counter-insurgency training to enable Pakistani forces to defeat the growing Taliban threat inside their borders.

A promising security program in the West Bank is also supported -- a key building block to a viable and independent Palestinian state. The bill makes explicit that no Palestinian funding will go to Hamas, which continues to rearm and threaten Israel. For the future, funding for our troops in harm’s way and missions like this will be on budget -- and fully debated through the regular process in Congress.

This is yet another good course correction by the Obama Administration and one I have long advocated. Vote aye on the rule and the underlying bill.

Preceding provided by Congresswoman Harman

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Politics

Federal Elections Commission fines Lieberman's
campaign committee, clears Aish Ha Torah

WASHINGTON D.C. (Press Release)--The Federal Election Commission announced on Friday that it had fined a campaign committee for U.S. Senator Joseph LIeberman (Independent, Connecticut) $50,000 and, in a separate case, had found
no justification for a complaint by the Council on American-Islamic Relations concerning the actions of Clarion Fund or Aish HaTorah. The commission released these details for both matters under review (MUR):

MUR 5862

Respondents—Friends of Joe Lieberman and Lynn Fusco as Treasurer

Complainant—Thomas Swan

Subject—The complaint alleged that Friends of Joe Lieberman and Fusco, in her official capacity as treasurer, violated the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (the Act), by spending more than $387,000 in cash payments that each exceeded the $100 limit allowed for petty cash disbursements. The complaint also alleged that the Committee and treasurer failed to disclose disbursements among these payments that were greater than $200. The complaint alleged further that the Committee and treasurer failed to maintain a written record detailing all disbursements made through this fund.

Outcome—The Commission found reason to believe the respondents violated the Act. In a conciliation agreement, Friends of Joe Lieberman agreed to pay a civil penalty of $50,000 and amend its campaign finance reports.

MUR 6080

Respondents—Clarion Fund, Inc.; Aish HaTorah International

Complainant-- Council on American-Islamic Relations

Subject--The complaint alleged that the Clarion Fund, Inc., a nonprofit corporation, made contributions and expenditures in connection with a federal election by distributing DVDs designed to benefit then-Republican Presidential candidate John McCain. The complaint further alleged Clarion Fund, Inc., may have used prohibited foreign contributions from Aish HaTorah International, an Israeli-based non-profit corporation, in connection with a federal election.

Outcome—The Commission found no reason to believe Respondents violated the Act, because the DVD failed to identify a federal candidate, lacked express advocacy, and there was no evidence the DVD was distributed in connection with a federal election.



RJC denounces state senator
who called Schumer 'that Jew'

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) -- Republican Jewish Coalition Executive Director Matthew Brooks said Friday:
The Republican Jewish Coalition condemns in the strongest terms the remark by Arkansas State Sen. Kim Hendren, who reportedly referred to U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer as "that Jew" at a Pulaski County GOP meeting last week. Sen. Hendren has since apologized for that comment, and rightly so.

That kind of language, which identifies an individual solely by their religion, their race, or another characteristic, has no place in politics.

The RJC has a long record of denouncing such comments, from Republicans or Democrats. We spoke out against Pat Buchanan as well as Howard Dean, and against Ramsey Clark as well as Bob Parker (once the Republican candidate for mayor of Indianapolis), after they used divisive language that reinforced negative stereotypes or played on prejudices about Jews, Christians, or others.

The Republican Party represents Americans from every religious and ethnic group. The GOP has welcomed the participation of Jewish Republicans. Rep. Hendren's remarks were notable as an exception to the GOP's tradition of inclusiveness, which stretches from President Lincoln, through leaders like Jack Kemp and Ronald Reagan, right to the present day.

Preceding provided by Republican Jewish Coalition

Jewish public officeholders

Cardin presses Russia for progress in
case of murdered American journalist

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, Maryland), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the U.S. Helsinki Commission) and Co-Chairman Congressman Alcee Hastings marked World Press Freedom Day this month by calling on the Russian government to step up its investigation and prosecution of those who have murdered journalists.

“We are approaching the fifth anniversary of the slaying of American journalist Paul Klebnikov in Moscow. I call upon the Russian authorities to bring justice to all of those responsible in any way for his murder” Cardin said.

After writing numerous articles and books exposing corruption, Forbes Russia editor Paul Klebnikov was shot and killed as he left his Moscow office in July 2004.

Representative Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission cited several nations that have restricted and utterly controlled their news outlets.

“Freedom of the press is only a cherished dream for many today in the OSCE region. Vibrant independent media are an essential element of any democracy. Leaders the world over who are determined to remain in office by any means necessary understand perfectly the power of the press. That is precisely why they and their associates strive so vigorously to control the media,” Hastings said.

As Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, Cardin met Tuesday, May 12, with Miklos Haraszti, the Representative for Freedom of the Media for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Cardin called Haraszti a tireless advocate for freedom of expression. Press freedom will receive additional attention at the annual OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting, scheduled to take place in Warsaw, Poland this fall.

Preceding provided by the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe


Feinstein offers bill for legalizing
immigration status of farmworkers

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today re-introduced legislation to provide much-needed relief to the nation’s ongoing agriculture labor shortage.

The Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security Act (AgJOBS) would reform the broken H-2A seasonal worker program, provide farmers with the stable, legal workforce they deserve, and offer a pathway to citizenship for hard-working, law-abiding immigrants already employed on American farms.

“Today across the United States, there are not enough agricultural workers to pick, prune, pack or harvest our country’s crops. With an inadequate supply of workers, farmers from Maine to California, and from Washington State to Georgia, have watched their produce rot and their farms lay fallow over the years,” Senator Feinstein said.

“As a result, billions of dollars are being drained out of our already struggling economy. This legislation would help to ensure a consistent, reliable agriculture work force to ensure that farmers and growers never again lose their crops because of a lack of workers.”

Sixteen senators have signed on as co-sponsors: Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.); Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.); Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.); Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.);  Robert Casey (D-Pa.); Chris Dodd (D-Conn.); Russ Feingold (D-Wis.); Ted Kauffman (D-Del.); Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.); John Kerry (D-Mass.); Herb Kohl (D-Wis.); Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.); Carl Levin (D-Mich.); Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.); Patty Murray (D-Wash.); and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)

The AgJOBS bill is a two-part bill. The first part would create a five-year pilot program to identify undocumented agricultural workers and legalize the immigration status for those who have been working in the United States for the past two years or more. The second part would reform the H-2A visa system to provide farmers and growers with a legal path to bring guest workers to the United States to harvest their crops.

The labor needs of the nation’s agriculture industry remain consistent. Across the country, farmers are reporting that they do not have enough labor to plant, tend and harvest their crops. There are not enough workers to milk cows. As a result, farmers have been forced to decrease the size of their farms and switch to less labor intensive and less profitable crops. Efforts have been made for years to get Americans to do the work, but they simply won’t do it.

Preceding provided by Senator Feinstein

Kohl moves bill increasing
Food for Peace funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)--The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved Sen. Herb Kohl’s proposal to increase funding for the “Food for Peace” program by $400 million to meet acute and growing hunger needs around the world.  Kohl included the funding in the FY09 Supplemental Appropriations bill, bringing the total for “Food for Peace,” or PL480, to $700 million.  Last month, Kohl met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to assess the additional demands anticipated for food relief this year.  Kohl also raised the issue with Secretary Clinton at an Appropriations Committee hearing on April 30th, at which time the Secretary acknowledged that food crises around the world have worsened.

“America has long been a world leader in its commitment to providing food aid to those who suffer from starvation, and American agriculture can play a central role in the solution to global food security,” Kohl said.  “From all accounts, this funding is necessary to stave off food shortages that have been worsened by civil unrest and climate challenges.”

Kohl is Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations panel with jurisdiction over the country’s two major international food relief programs, PL480 and the McGovern-Dole program for child nutrition.   

Kohl is working toward a coordinated, government-wide application of public and private resources to combat global hunger in a sustainable way and in a manner that promotes the U.S. national security agenda.   He continues to emphasize that U.S. agriculture and USDA programs can make contributions to this effort through long-standing relationships with the nation's land grant university network and other partners. 

Preceding provided by Senator Kohl


Lautenberg pushes for comprehensive surface
transportation plan for the United States

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)-- Senator Frank Lautenberg (Democrat, New Jersey), teamed with Senator Jay Rockefeller (Democrat, West Virginia) on Thursday to introduce The Federal Surface Transportation Policy and Planning Act of 2009.   Rockefeller is chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Lautenberg chairs the subcommittee on surface transportation.

The two senators said the  legislation ”establishes a comprehensive and unifying mission for the nation’s surface transportation system. “

“The United States’ population is projected to rise to 420 million people by 2050, a 50 percent increase from the year 2000.  This growth will only exacerbate the congestion and mobility challenges that plague our national surface transportation system today.  We need to establish a blueprint for a 21st century surface transportation system,” said Chairman Rockefeller.  “This bill does just that. I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues on this blueprint as we move forward on reauthorizing and reforming the surface transportation programs.”  

“A national surface transportation policy for our country is long overdue,” Senator Lautenberg said.  “We need a transportation policy that reestablishes our leadership throughout the world when it comes to transportation – and meets our country’s transportation demands for generations to come. This legislation will establish a national policy that improves safety, reduces congestion, creates jobs, and protects our environment.”

Major Goals of The Federal Surface Transportation Policy and Planning Act of 2009
•     Reduce national per capita motor vehicle miles traveled on an annual basis;
•     Reduce national motor vehicle-related fatalities by 50 percent by 2030;
•     Reduce national surface transportation-generated carbon dioxide levels by 40 percent by
      2030;
•     Reduce national surface transportation delays per capita on an annual basis;
•     Increase the percentage of system-critical surface transportation assets that are in a state   
      of good repair by 20 percent by 2030;
•     Increase the total usage of public transportation, intercity passenger rail services, and non-
      motorized transportation on an annual basis;
•     Increase the proportion of national freight transportation provided by non-highway or
      multimodal services by 10 percent by 2020; and
•     Reduce passenger and freight transportation delays and congestion at international points
      of entry on an annual basis.

Preceding provided by Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation



Schwartz cosponsors legislation for
mandatory 'coverage facts' on health plans

WASHINGTON, D.C  (Press Release)—On the heels of a recently released report urging greater transparency and better tools to help consumers compare health coverage, U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz (Democrat, Pennsylvania) co-introduced legislation on Thursday to bring much-needed simplicity and key facts on health coverage to consumers through the creation of a “Coverage Facts” label for health care plans – similar to the “nutrition label” on packaged foods.   

Other Coauthors were U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (Democrat, Wisconsin) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (Democrat, Connecticut)
.
The Informed Consumer Choices in Health Care Act of 2009 will give consumers the information they need to make informed decisions about health care coverage through an easy to understand, uniform label. This legislation will streamline and simplify health insurance forms, standardize key health insurance definitions, and provide greater assistance to consumers navigating difficult health coverage decisions.

“We get more understandable information when we choose a box of cereal than we do when choosing our health insurance.  This is unacceptable.  One of the biggest obstacles in health care is making sure families get enough information to make informed decisions,” said Senator Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care, and Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. “This legislation puts the insurance industry on notice – ingenuous pricing schemes and the bait-and-switch tactics of the past will no longer be tolerated.  By creating an easy to understand label, insurance companies will be held accountable and people will finally be able to make informed decisions that work best for them.”

“As we move toward a uniquely American solution to health reform, it is paramount that consumers have clear and meaningful information to be able to compare health insurance options.  Our plan ensures that American families know what they are signing up for, and how their health insurance will cover them in different circumstances. This is huge step forward for American consumers,” said Congresswoman Schwartz.
 
The creation of a standardized comparison tool is supported by a recently released report, “Coverage When It Counts” which studied the adequacy and transparency of health insurance and found that a person undergoing  a typical course of breast cancer treatment would end up spending nearly $4000 in one plan but $38,000 in the other plan – even though they had similar deductibles, co-pays, and “out-of-pocket limits.” 

Karen Pollitz, co-author of the report, and a research professor and project director at the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, added, "Health care coverage should ensure that patients get the health care they need and that they are protected financially in case they get sick.  For many consumers, having the right health care coverage can mean the difference between health security and financial catastrophe – yet consumers often cannot tell if a particular insurance policy will be adequate because of hidden contract terms and confusion about covered benefits and cost sharing.  The Informed Consumer Choices in Health Care Act of 2009 would bring a refreshing and necessary dose of simplicity to the process of purchasing health care coverage – which in the end will help protect families' health and financial security."

Preceding was provided by Congresswoman Schwartz

Waxman introduces bill to create
millions of clean energy jobs

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — Chairman Henry A. Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Edward J. Markey on Friday introduced “H.R. 2454, The American Clean Energy and Security Act.” The Energy and Commerce Committee will begin markup of the bill on Monday, May 18, at 1:00 p.m., and will complete consideration before the Memorial Day recess.

“The legislation will create millions of new clean energy jobs, save consumers hundreds of billions of dollars in energy costs, promote America’s energy independence and security, and cut global warming pollution,” said Chairman Waxman. “In support of these goals, this legislation ensures that consumers and industries in all regions of the country are protected. I look forward to working with all members of the Committee to approve this legislation to make America the world leader in new clean energy and energy efficiency technologies.”

“This bill marks the dawn of the clean energy age,” said Subcommittee Chairman Markey. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revive our economy and create millions of good-paying clean energy jobs. After months of hearings and discussions with my colleagues, I am pleased that we have produced a bill that has widespread support from all regions of the country.” The bill text is available online .