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Schakowsky Uncovers 1,001 Contractor Deathes in Iraq By ariel glasser on Monday, August 06, 2007

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) announced that over 1,000 contractors have been killed in Iraq since the war began in March 2003.  Congresswoman Schakowsky obtained this information after contacting the U.S. Department of Labor to request the latest numbers on contractor injuries and deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Under the Defense Base Act, claims for deaths and injuries for employees of federal government contractors are filed with the Department of Labor, which had received 1,001 death claims as of June 30, 2007.  Schakowsky released the following statement in response to this news.

“This is a sad, but significant milestone.  Until now, the American people have largely been kept in the dark about the true costs of the war in Iraq.  Although most of these contractors are Americans, the Department of Defense refuses to include their deaths in the total number of U.S. causalities in Iraq.  The Pentagon has reported that 3,668 Americans have died in Iraq when in actuality that number is much higher. 

I asked the Department of Labor for this information because the American people deserve to know how many Americans have been injured or lost their lives in Iraq.  Sadly, hundreds of American families are grieving over the loss of their loved ones while our government fails to publicly acknowledge their service and sacrifice.

The American people are not getting the full story about the role and scope of military contractors in Iraq.  Under current law, Congress can’t even get a straight answer from the Pentagon about how many contractors are operating inside of Iraq, and yet the American taxpayer is expected to foot the bill.  According to some estimates, there are as many as a 100,000 military contractors operating inside Iraq. 

I have been working to provide transparency and oversight to an industry with little oversight.  The use of private contractors deployed with U.S. military personnel overseas, in particular armed security-contractors, remains one of the biggest grey areas of the entire war effort.  My bill, H.R. 897, the Iraq and Afghanistan Contractor Sunshine Act, would let Congress get information about private contracts and require reporting of contractor injuries and deaths. I am determined to get to the bottom of this issue so that the American people can understand the full extent and true costs of this war.”

In May 2007, the House unanimously passed a contracting oversight amendment offered by U.S. Representatives Schakowsky and Price (D-NC) to the Defense Authorization Bill.  The amendment would create a database to collect descriptions contracts, including the value of the contracts, amount of overhead spent, total number of personnel employed on the contracts and other general information.  The Schakowsky/Price Amendment will make certain that Members of Congress will have access to this database and that they can request to view individual contracts.  Currently, Congress is unable to provide oversight of these contracts because they do not have access to them.
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House Passes the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security and Consumer Protection Act By ariel glasser on Saturday, August 04, 2007
 

Washington, D.C.--U.S. Representative Schakowsky (D-IL) today expressed her strong support for H.R. 3221, the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security and Consumer Protection Act, which passed the House on August 4 by a vote of 241 to 172.  

“I am pleased that the House also passed the bipartisan Udall-Platts amendment, which takes a giant step forward in expanding our use of home-grown, environmentally-sound renewable energy,” said Schakowsky.  “By setting a standard for renewable energy use by electric utilities, we can reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, address global warming and create good jobs here in the U.S.”

Congresswoman Schakowsky also delivered the following remarks on the House floor in support of the energy bill:

"Madame Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Udall-Platts amendment.  This amendment requires the United States to adopt a renewable portfolio standard for electric utilities of 15 percent by 2020, fulfilling our obligation as the world’s lone superpower to be at the forefront in protecting the environment. 

The need for a renewable portfolio standard is clear.  With only five percent of the world population, the United States produces nearly 25 percent of annual global heat-trapping emissions.  Electricity generation accounts for fully one-third of these emissions.  We have a responsibility and a compelling interest to significantly reduce these harmful emissions. Renewable electricity standards offer a smart, affordable climate solution with a proven track record.

Passing a renewable fuel standard not only reduces our nation’s harmful impact on the environment, it also makes us more secure.  Today, he United States imports nearly 60 percent of its oil from the Middle East and politically unstable nations such as Algeria, Nigeria and Venezuela.  As alarming as this statistics is, evidence suggests that unless we change our behavior, the situation will only become more dire.  In fact, a recent study found that if the United States continues its current consumption without increasing its domestic production, by 2010 we will have to import 75 percent of our fuel.

To prevent this sort of prediction from becoming a reality, it is crucial, that the United States takes steps to decrease its dependence on foreign oil.  The 15 by 20 principle is the answer to this challenge.  It can be achieved by tapping a multitude of natural resources.  We can harvest the sun and wind to produce new energy.  We can grow a wide variety of crops to produce ethanol and biodiesel and we can utilize livestock wastes to produce biogas and generate new power sources.

In addition to the advantages that renewable energy holds in terms of environmental and national security issues, there is also a strong economic incentive as well.  Many renewable energy facilities are located near key regions across rural America.  These facilities provide good jobs, often near small towns which have suffered from population declines.

Currently, renewable energy accounts for about 14% of the world's energy consumption.  While this number is encouraging, the United States lags behind.  According to a September 2006 report by the Center for American Progress, just over 6% of our electricity needs come from renewable energy sources.

We can do better, and, Americans want us to do better.  I believe that setting a goal of 15 percent of America’s total energy needs from renewable sources by 2020 sets us on the right path.  I strongly endorse this amendment and I urge my colleagues to support it."
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Schakowsky Statement Against the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act By ariel glasser on Saturday, August 04, 2007

Washington, D.C.--U.S. Reprsentative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) spoke out against and joined the majority of the Democratic Caucus in voting against S. 1927, the Protect America Act, which will give the Bush Administration wide latitude in conducting warrantless surveillance.  The bill, which passed the House on August 4 by a vote of 227 to 183, had been requested by President Bush and was signed into law on August 6.  It will sunset after 180 days. 

Congresswoman Schakowsky delivered the following remarks on the House floor in opposition to the bill:

"This bill is an offense to the Constitution that we are sworn to protect.

Let me tell you what we are voting on tonight.  If we pass this bill, we are voting for the warrantless, that means no court order, warrantless surveillance of our phone calls, a warrantless collection of personal data, e-mails, and Internet usage, the evisceration of the power of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance court, and making it little more than a rubber stamp for Alberto Gonzales.

Are these the principles our Nation was built on?  Our Founding Fathers knew better.  John Adams: ‘A Constitution of government once changed from freedom can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.’

We have Thomas Jefferson: ‘I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.’

And, finally, Ben Franklin: ‘They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.’

We can have liberty and safety. The House Democrats offered that plan. We should heed the word of our Founding Fathers and reject this legislation."
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Schakowsky Introduces Bill to Stop Companies From Polluting the Great Lakes By ariel glasser on Friday, August 03, 2007

 

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced the Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Act, H.R. 3360, after British Petroleum (BP) received a waiver to dump increased levels of ammonia and suspending particles into Lake Michigan.  Congresswoman Schakowsky’s bill would change current law by requiring the approval of every state that borders a Great Lake before a permit can be issued to increase the amount of pollution that can be discharged into a Great Lake.

“The decision by BP, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (DEM), and the U.S. EPA is unacceptable and potentially devastating to the region,” said U.S. Representative Schakowsky.  “While my colleagues and I will continue to work on a solution to resolve the BP situation, I believe we should act immediately to change existing law to make sure that this type of situation never happens again.  My bill will put safeguards in place to prohibit one state from polluting a shared Great Lake without the consent of all the bordering states.”

The Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Act would require that before a state government grants a company a waiver to increase the amount of pollution it dumps into any of the Great Lakes, it must not only receive approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) but from each state that borders the affected lake.  Under current law, bordering states are limited to comment only. The bill would amend the Clean Water Act and stipulates that if any bordering state objects, the waiver will not be granted. 

“The Great Lakes, including Lake Michigan, provide 20 percent of all the surface water in the world,” said Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).  “Lake Michigan is, without question, the most treasured resource to residents in states that border it and is our ‘Grand Canyon,’ something in which we take enormous pride.  Dumping more toxic metals threatens the Lake and those who rely on it for not only their drinking water, but for recreation and commerce as well.”

On July 25, 2007, Congress passed H. Con. Res. 187, which expressed its disapproval at Indiana DEM’s for issuing a permit to allow BP to increase their daily dumping into Lake Michigan.  The resolution also urged the State of Indiana to reconsider the permit and condemned the U.S. EPA for allowing increased dumping of pollution into the Great Lakes.

Last month, the U.S EPA granted a waiver to British Petroleum (BP) to allow it dump ammonia and suspended particulate matter into the Great Lakes.  The waiver reverses progress made in cleaning up Lake Michigan and allows BP to dump an additional 1,584 pounds of ammonia, an increase of 54 percent over the current level, into the lake each day.  The waiver also allows BP to discharge up to an additional 4,925 pounds of suspended solids into the lake each day, an increase of 35 percent. 

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Schakowsky, Sen. Brown, House Democrats, Unions Introduce Legislation to Reward "Patriot Employers" By ariel glasser on Thursday, August 02, 2007

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Representatives Phil Hare (D-IL), Betty Sutton (D-OH), Tim Ryan (D-OH), Steve Kagen (D-WI), Danny Davis (D-IL) and Hilda Solis (D-CA) today introduced legislation to reward companies that invest in American jobs, pay decent wages, provide good benefits, and support their employees when they are called to active duty.  The Patriot Corporations of America Act would provide a tax break to companies that make a commitment to American workers.  Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Barack Obama (D-IL), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced companion legislation in the Senate today.

“The Patriot Corporation Act would reward companies that invest in our nation and its workers,” said Congresswoman Schakowsky (D-IL).  “Americans have had enough of businesses offshoring jobs and skirting the law to increase their bottom line.  We must stop rewarding outsourcers and tax dodgers, and make corporations earn their tax incentives by investing in America and American workers.  Our bill will create a new patriotic corporate ethic in America that unites workers and their employers in the mutual goal of building a stronger, more prosperous democratic business sector to compete in the twenty-first century global economy.”

“For far too long, our government has betrayed the middle class while giving tax breaks to billionaires and multinational corporations that ship jobs overseas,” Senator Brown (D-OH) said. “Instead we should reward patriot companies that are loyal to workers and advance jobs.”

“When companies make headlines today it is often for all the wrong reasons:  fraud, tax avoidance and profiteering,” Senator Durbin (D-IL) said.  “Americans have had enough with a corporate culture that rewards bad behavior and ignores the well being of workers.  It is time for Patriot Employers to be recognized for doing right by their workers even while they do well for their customers and shareholders.” 

“Instead of providing incentives for employers to outsource and move their headquarters overseas, we should encourage corporations to be patriot employers that create good jobs with good benefits for American workers,” said Senator Obama (D-IL).  “Patriot employers help maintain American competitiveness in the global marketplace, while keeping our workforce and our middle class strong.”
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House Passes Bill to Provide Health Coverage to 11 Million Children By ariel glasser on Wednesday, August 01, 2007
 

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) joined a majority of her colleagues in the House of Representatives today to pass the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act (CHAMP) of 2007, H.R. 3162.  The bill, which reauthorizes the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), passed the House by a vote of 225 to 205.  Under current law, SCHIP is set to expire September 30, 2007.

“Today, the Democratically-led Congress delivered on our promise to provide health care to 11 million children,” said U.S. Representative Schakowsky.  “As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and a Chief Deputy Whip, I worked with my colleagues to ensure that we provided health care to the people who need it the most, our children.”

The CHAMP Act reauthorizes CHIP for 6 million children and provides 5 million more low-income children with health coverage-covering at total of 11 million children.  The bill maintains current law regarding eligibility for SCHIP and gives states the ability to reach millions of uninsured children who are eligible for, but no enrolled in, the program.

“After days of obstructionist tactics by the Republican minority, we were finally able to pass a bill to expand health care to 5 million more children. I am proud to join a majority of my colleagues in the House to reauthorize the States Children’s Health Insurance Program and to make critical improvements to Medicare for seniors and people with disabilities.”

Since it was created in 1997, the CHIP program has received broad bipartisan support and has proven to be a successful program.  It was the product of bipartisan negotiations between a Republican-led Congress and the Clinton Administration. The program has cut the number of uninsured children by one-third in the last decade.  It has continued to receive bipartisan support from a majority of Democratic and Republican governors and over 91 percent of voters.

In addition to providing health insurance to children, the CHAMP Act includes provisions to protect and improve Medicare.  The bill reverses the Republican attempts to privatize Medicare by phasing out overpayments to private plans over the next four years. The bill ensures that seniors have access to the doctors of their choice by stopping a scheduled 10 percent payment cut to doctors.  The bill also improves Medicare by providing new preventive benefits and improved access to care by reducing out-of-pocket costs for low-income-seniors.  Finally, the bill also streamlines eligibility requirements, eliminates barriers to enrollment, and makes improvements to the assets test that has kept low-income seniors from getting the care they need.
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Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Approves Schakowsky's Child Product Safety Legislation By ariel glasser on Tuesday, July 31, 2007

 Washington, D.C. – The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection today approved Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s (D-IL) “Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act,” H.R. 1699.  The bill will now be referred to the full committee where it is likely to easily pass.
 
“This bill will help keep dangerous, recalled products away from our children,” said U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky.  “It will decrease the needless and preventable injuries and deaths by making the recall of children’s products more effective.”

H.R. 1699, the “Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act” would require that durable products for babies and children include a postage-paid registration card for quick notification of parents in the event of a product recall.  Under current law, companies are not required to include a recall registration card with their products.  In addition, actual notices of a recall are often dependent on news outlets picking up the story and spreading the word.  Schakowsky’s bill would correct this problem by enabling manufacturers to directly and immediately contact each parent who bought a product that has been recalled.

Schakowsky’s bill is named after Danny Keysar, the 17-month old son of Linda Ginzel and her husband, Boaz Keysar, who died when the Playskool Travel-Lite portable crib he had been napping in at his babysitter’s home collapsed. The rails of the crib folded into a “V”-shaped wedge when he stood up and he was strangled to death.  The tragic accident happened five years after the crib had been recalled.  Sadly, Danny’s parents, his caregiver, or the state safety inspector who visited the home just eight days before Danny’s death were completely unaware of the recall.  Had Danny’s Act been in effect, there would have been a much greater chance of saving Danny’s life – and the six children who have since died from the Travel-Lite.
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House Approves Measure to Prohibit Permanent Bases in Iraq By ariel glasser on Wednesday, July 25, 2007
 

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) applauded the passage of H.R. 2929, which would limit the use of funds to establish any permanent military bases in Iraq.  The bipartisan measure, which Congresswoman Schakowsky cosponsored, passed the House overwhelmingly by a vote of 399 to 24. 

Congresswoman Schakowsky delivered the following remarks on the House floor today in support of H.R. 2929.

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to strongly support H.R. 2929, a bill to prohibit permanent bases in Iraq, and I thank Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Tom Allen for their persistent leadership on this important issue. 

The House passed the responsible redeployment from Iraq this month to get our troops out of Iraq by April.  The question now is not whether we will redeploy our troops, but when and how. 

This resolution makes it emphatically clear to the Iraqi people and to President Bush that we do not intend to keep troops in Iraq indefinitely. 

The United States must not be seen as an occupier.  Otherwise our presence there will be used to recruit insurgents; to keep Iraq entrenched in violence, and to create an even more dangerous environment for our troops.

This House, it’s true, has already expressed its opposition to permanent bases, but today we do it clearly with bipartisan support and send a very clear statement, and I urge all of my colleagues to listen to the will of the American people, of the Iraqi people, and support H.R. 2929.”
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House Rejects BP's Plans to Dump Pollution into Great Lakes By ariel glasser on Wednesday, July 25, 2007

 WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) applauded the passage of H. Con. Res. 187, which opposes British Petroleum’s (BP) dumping of industrial waste into the Great Lakes.  The resolution passed the full House today by a vote of 387 to 26.  The measure was introduced after BP received approval from the State of Indiana and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to dump 54 percent more ammonia and 35 percent more liquid waste into Lake Michigan.

Congresswoman Schakowsky released the following statement today after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H. Con. Res. 187.

“Today’s vote showed that Congress is united in its opposition to BP’s dumping of industrial waste into Lake Michigan.  An overwhelming bipartisan majority demanded today that BP abandon plans to increase pollution into our Great Lakes. 

After meeting with BP’s top executives yesterday, I believe that they finally ‘get it’ that it is completely unacceptable to pollute Lake Michigan and that it is in their best interest to find an environmentally acceptable solution to this problem. 

I am cautiously optimistic that BP will return to Congress at the beginning of September with a new plan for disposing of these materials without putting the integrity of the Lake at risk. 

However, if BP does not abandon their plans, then they had better prepare themselves for a fight, because Congress stands ready and willing to take any necessary action to stop BP from polluting Lake Michigan.”

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House Approves $650,000 in FY08 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations By ariel glasser on Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Washington, D.C.—Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives approved $650,000 for two projects in the 9th Congressional District of Illinois. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) requested these funds as part of the FY 2008 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations.  This bill now moves to the Senate for consideration before it can become law.

“We should be looking for ways to expand and improve transportation options for Chicagoland residents,” said U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky.  “I am proud that I was able to help secure $500,000 in this bill to expand the Yellow Line in Skokie.  This project would help reduce traffic congestion and improve our environment.  I hope that the Senate will move quickly to pass this bill and maintain the current funding levels.”

“The Black Ensemble Theatre has been providing African-American artists with a place to showcase their talents for more than 30 years,” said U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky.  “This funding will help the Black Ensemble Theatre construct a new theatre so they can continue to foster the development of African-American artists in the Chicagoland area enriching our entire community.”

The following projects were included in the House-passed version of the FY 2008 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations. 

$500,000 CTA Yellow Line Extension, Skokie, IL.
The funding would be used to extend of the CTA’s Yellow Line public transit train from Dempster Street to Old Orchard Road in Skokie, IL. The expansion was authorized in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) bill.  The project received $1 million from Section 5309 in FY 2006.

$150,000 Black Ensemble Theatre, Chicago, IL.
The funding would be used to construct a new 300 seat theater to further professional development, employment opportunities, and entertainment for a diverse field of communities. The Black Ensemble Theater is a nationally recognized organization, producing over 100 professional productions and providing employment for over 3,000 African American artists.

The FY08 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations must still pass the U.S. Senate and be signed into law by the President.
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