Legislation Article Archive

Here is a list of prior Legislation articles that have appeared on our site. Click any headline to view the complete article.

PROTECTING OUR OCEANS AND THE GREAT LAKES
August 21, 2008 9:49 AM ET
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has introduced the National Oceans Protection Act, comprehensive legislation to protect our oceans and the Great Lakes.

CRACKING DOWN ON TAX CHEATS
August 20, 2008 9:25 AM ET
Tax havens are waging economic warfare against the United States and honest, hardworking American taxpayers. Each year, the U.S. Treasury loses an estimated $100 billion in tax revenues due to offshore tax abuses.

A 21ST CENTURY G.I. BILL
June 18, 2008 12:00 PM ET
Following World War II, our nation’s “greatest generation” returned home to a remarkable opportunity: a G.I. Bill that fully funded their college education.

AMERICA NEEDS FAIR TRADE
March 10, 2008 6:48 PM ET
We live in a global economy that continues to grow and expand.

KEEPING FAMILIES IN THEIR HOMES
March 4, 2008 4:35 PM ET
More and more homeowners are having trouble keeping up with their mortgage payments, particularly when they have adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs).

THIS YEAR IN CONGRESS
January 19, 2008 10:39 AM ET
From Iraq, to concerns about the state of our economy and the continued loss of manufacturing jobs, to health care for our kids, to foreclosures and protection for American consumers, our nation faces many challenges in the coming year.

COMBATING SKY-HIGH OIL PRICES
December 19, 2007 8:19 PM ET
With gasoline, diesel fuel and home heating oil near record high prices, Michigan families are feeling the squeeze.

VICTORY FOR MICHIGAN’S FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS
December 5, 2007 10:32 PM ET
The fall season is truly in full swing. The leaves are changing and continue to blanket our lawns. Farmers across Michigan have harvested their crops.

PROTECTING HISTORY IN THE GREAT LAKES
November 23, 2007 4:32 PM ET
Since the time glaciers receded leaving our pleasant peninsulas, the Great Lakes have shaped Michigan. And physical boundaries are only the beginning.

AL GORE DESERVES THE NOBEL PRIZE
October 15, 2007 1:03 PM ET
Congressman Jesse L. Jackson Jr. congratulated Al Gore for winning the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize for his work documenting the problem of global warming and potential solutions.

STOCK OPTION TAX LOOPHOLE MUST BE CLOSED
October 10, 2007 6:35 PM ET
Stock options are a key part of the compensation paid to U.S. corporate executives, making up nearly half of what the 500 largest U.S. companies paid their CEOs in 2006, according to Forbes magazine. Part of the reason is a costly glitch in our tax code that allows companies to recoup a sizable portion of their stock option pay at the expense of Uncle Sam.

THE VIEW FROM IRAQ
August 28, 2007 5:58 AM ET
Recently, I traveled to Iraq to assess the progress being made by the “surge” of American troops, whose purpose President Bush has stated is to provide Iraqi politicians with “breathing space” to achieve political reconciliation. I also wanted to evaluate the extent to which the Iraqi politicians are taking advantage of that opportunity.

THE ONLY HOPE FOR IRAQ
August 1, 2007 8:35 AM ET
Now in its fifth year, the Iraq war has cost more than 3,600 American lives, seven times that many wounded and nearly half a trillion dollars. Yet month after month, year after year, the Administration has touted progress in Iraq and called for patience.

TAKING TAX CHEATS OFF THE FEDERAL PAYROLL
May 14, 2007 7:05 AM ET
It’s a matter of common sense – if someone owed you money, you wouldn’t pay him for something else. You’d apply it to his debt.

A CLEAR AND ENCROACHING DANGER TO THE GREAT LAKES
March 5, 2007 3:33 PM ET
Every March, advocates for the Great Lakes host a “Great Lakes Day” in Washington to focus national attention on these precious resources, which we in Michigan cherish and rely on every day. This month, I introduced two bills, along with other concerned Senators, that are urgently needed to prevent a potential catastrophe for the lakes from the invasion of Asian carp.

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
February 20, 2007 8:21 AM ET
Every February the nation celebrates the achievements, sacrifices and contributions of African Americans to our country. Although we honor those contributions year-round as a part of American history, dedicating a particular month as Black History Month has helped to highlight a legacy that has too often been overlooked.

THE USS GERALD FORD
January 21, 2007 9:53 AM ET
Shortly before he passed away, former President Gerald Ford wrote to a friend, “In my life, I have received countless honors, but none was greater than the opportunity to wear the uniform of lieutenant commander of the United States Navy.”

AN ADDICTION TREATMENT THAT WORKS
December 16, 2006 8:08 AM ET
Heroin abuse plagues many of our communities, bringing drug-related crime and violence and tearing families apart. Roughly one million people in the United States are addicted to heroin, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

TIME FOR A MANUFACTURING POLICY, NOT JUST A MEETING
November 20, 2006 7:27 AM ET
Recently, the heads of the “Big Three” – General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler – went to Washington to meet with President Bush. The meeting, which had been repeatedly put off by the Administration, finally gave the automakers the chance to share their concerns about a wide range of manufacturing issues with the President.

CHANGING COURSE IN IRAQ
November 1, 2006 5:52 AM ET
As part of my work on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I recently traveled to Iraq and other countries in the Middle East to assess the situation there.

THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT REAUTHORIZATION HONORS OUR HEROES AND BUILDS FOR THE FUTURE
August 7, 2006 3:08 PM ET
For 100 years after the Civil War, millions of African Americans were denied the right to vote. Despite the 15th Amendment to the Constitution specifically prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, poll taxes, literacy tests and grandfather clauses--as well as brutal violence--were used to deny African American citizens this fundamental right in many Southern states. To prevent such disgraces from ever being revisited, the U. S. Senate resoundingly reauthorized the Voting Rights Act on July 20, 2006.

A NEW APOLLO PROGRAM TO PROMOTE MANUFACTURING IN AMERICA
May 31, 2006 6:25 AM ET
As we have seen in Michigan, our nation is hemorrhaging manufacturing jobs. America has lost 2.8 million manufacturing jobs in the last five years, and nearly 180,000 of those jobs have been in Michigan.

KNOLLENBERG FIGHTS FOR VETERANS FUNDING
May 25, 2006 6:57 AM ET
On the floor of the U.S. House, Congressman Joe Knollenberg (R-Bloomfield Hills) introduced legislation to provide an automatic, yearly cost of living adjustment (COLA) to thousands of disabled veterans across the country.

HOLD OIL COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUT OF CONTROL GAS PRICES
May 2, 2006 4:14 PM ET
Oil companies continue to post record profits on the backs of Michigan families. High gas prices are killing our jobs in Michigan and take a huge bite out of family budgets. I have proposed action to hold oil companies accountable for their outrageous prices and provide immediate relief for consumers.

KNOLLENBERG HAILS PASSAGE OF THE IRAN FREEDOM SUPPORT ACT
April 28, 2006 10:09 AM ET
In a show of solidarity with the international community and with the Iranian people, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Iran Freedom Support Act, co-sponsored by Congressman Joe Knollenberg (R/MI-09).

LOBBYING REFORM TOO CRITICAL TO SIDETRACK
March 20, 2006 6:05 AM ET
Sadly, there are many of our citizens who believe that Members of Congress are corrupt. It is unfortunate for at least three reasons.

U.S. HOUSE PASSES KNOLLENBERG’S BILL TO HONOR ACTIVE-DUTY TROOPS
March 14, 2006 3:14 PM ET
The U.S. House of Representatives today approved a resolution to designate an official day of recognition for the service of active-duty U.S. servicemen and women. Congressman Joe Knollenberg (R/MI-09) sponsored the measure on behalf of Alexandra McGregor, a sixteen year-old Waterford resident who originated the idea for this legislation.

CONG. JACKSON SECURES $50 MILLION FOR LIBERIA
March 14, 2006 3:03 PM ET
Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., said, "In the midst of a heated and negative fight over a United Arab Emirates (UAE) company owning six ports in the U.S., some good was accomplished in the Appropriations Committee."

EMERGENCY SPENDING BILL TO BE CONSIDERED BY U.S. HOUSE
March 13, 2006 7:52 AM ET
Congressman Joe Knollenberg (R/MI-09) has voted in support of an emergency spending bill to provide federal funds for U.S. troops overseas and the rebuilding and recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast region. The bill was passed out of the House Appropriations Committee and now heads to the floor of the U.S. House.

LOCAL STUDENT’S IDEA BECOMES REALITY IN U.S. HOUSE
March 3, 2006 6:22 AM ET
Knollenberg introduces resolution to create a national “Support Our Troops” day

On the floor of the U.S. House, Congressman Joe Knollenberg (R/MI-09) introduced legislation to designate a national “Support Our Troops” day to honor soldiers currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

SECURING OUR NORTHERN BORDER
February 1, 2006 2:34 PM ET
The Northern Border of the United States stretches more than 4,000 miles through 12 states, while our Southern Border measures just 1,900 miles along four states. Yet, as the 9/11 Commission pointed out in its final report, the Northern Border has traditionally received less attention and resources from the federal government.

By: US Senator Carl Levin (D) Michigan

CONGRESSMAN JACKSON MOURNS DEATH OF CORETTA SCOTT KING
February 1, 2006 2:26 PM ET
Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., today said, "I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of the First Lady of the Civil Rights Movement, Coretta Scott King. I knew and admired Mrs. King for her commitment to her husband and family, as well as to the civil rights movement and the philosophy of non-violence as a way of bringing peace and justice to our world.

U.S. HOUSE KICKS OFF LOBBYING REFORM: KNOLLENBERG CASTS VOTE FOR CHANGE IN ETHICS RULE
February 1, 2006 2:18 PM ET
The U.S. House of Representatives today kicked off the legislative year by approving a small but significant change in ethics rules. The legislation includes an expansion of prohibitions placed on former Members of Congress who leave public office and register as lobbyists. Congressman Joe Knollenberg (R/MI-09) voted in favor of the change.

KNOLLENBERG HAILS IRAQI VOTERS ON EVE OF ELECTION
December 15, 2005 9:30 AM ET
Congressman Joe Knollenberg (R/MI-09) today joined with many of his colleagues in expressing solidarity with the Iraqi people as they vote in an important and historic parliamentary election. Knollenberg showed his support by pressing his finger in the purple ink used to represent Iraqi democracy.

NEW MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PROGRAM MAY HELP SOME, BUT WE CAN DO BETTER FOR MICHIGAN’S SENIORS
November 13, 2005 8:15 AM ET
In 2003, Congress passed a bill that provides a limited Medicare prescription drug benefit. I didn’t support this bill because it has coverage gaps, is too complicated, and favors the pharmaceutical companies over America’s seniors. But until we can improve the law, this plan – while flawed – could help you.

By: U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) Michigan

STATES' RIGHTS OR A MORE PERFECT UNION
November 8, 2005 4:46 PM ET
I cannot conceive of a government in which there can exist two supremes.

- Gouverneur Morris, Pennsylvania delegate to the Philadelphia
Convention, 1787 (1)

Think of a place that's bitterly antigovernment and fiercely individualistic, where race is a constant subtext to daily life, and God and guns run through public discourse like an electric current. Think of a place where influential scholars market theories of white supremacy, where the word "liberal" is a negative epithet, where hang-'em-high law-and-order justice centered on the death penalty and throw-away-the-key sentencing are politically all but unstoppable. Think of a place obsessed with states' rights, as if it were the 1850s all over again and the Civil War had never been fought. Such characteristics have always described the South. Somehow, they now describe the nation.

- Peter Applebome, Dixie Rising (2)

In 3 Cases, High Court Shifts Power to States

- Washington Post headline, June 24, 1999

By: Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (D) Illinois

REMEMBERING ROSA PARKS
November 2, 2005 4:36 PM ET
With the death of Rosa Parks on October 24, we lost a true American heroine. Her moral clarity and quiet dignity helped to shape the civil rights movement and added great power to it. Her actions challenged the conscience of our nation and the world.

By: US Senator Carl Levin (D) Michigan

GAS AND HOME HEATING PRICES MUST BE AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE
October 12, 2005 6:45 AM ET
Michigan families and businesses are being delivered a one-two punch when it comes to energy prices, and it’s got to stop! Gas prices continue to climb to record highs, and home heating fuel costs are expected to increase dramatically this winter.

By: US Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) Michigan

LEARNING FROM LONDON
August 23, 2005 3:49 PM ET
Just one day after receiving the news that London will host the 2012 Olympics, Great Britain suffered the deadliest bombing in its capital since World War II.

By: US Senator Carl Levin (D) Michigan

CHANGING THE DYNAMIC IN IRAQ
July 11, 2005 2:41 PM ET
During the week of July 4, I had dinner in Fallujah, Iraq, with ten Marine Corps and Navy personnel from Michigan as part of my fifth visit to Iraq since the war began. We discussed their mission and the equipment they need to accomplish it, and we talked about how much they miss their loved ones and our great state. It was a deep privilege to share with them the gratitude of the American people for the sacrifices they are making for our country.

By: US Senator Carl Levin (D) Michigan

CRIME FIGHTING MOMS
May 27, 2005 7:26 AM ET
Last fall a mother from Ingham County noticed a strange man in her garage. The man fled and she immediately dialed 911.

IT’S TIME TO PUT MICHIGAN FAMILIES FIRST
May 27, 2005 7:23 AM ET
I was born and raised here in Michigan, where we are proud to make things and grow things for America. We are leaders in the manufacturing industry. We work hard, and we play by the rules. But these are very challenging times for Michigan families.

THE LONG ROAD TO BETTER HIGHWAYS
May 3, 2005 6:53 AM ET
Highways laden with potholes. Bumper-to-bumper traffic on overcrowded streets. Large orange barrels and “detour” signs and roadway closures.

LET’S KEEP THE SECURITY IN SOCIAL SECURITY
March 23, 2005 8:28 AM ET
Social Security is a great American success story. It represents the best of American values – if you work hard and play by the rules, you earn a secure retirement and a basic quality of life in your older years.

STANDING WITH OUR TROOPS
February 7, 2005 1:45 PM ET
Members of America's armed forces make many sacrifices for our country, daily putting their lives at risk in the line of duty. Too often, however, what our service members receive in return are incorrect paychecks, inadequate equipment, and unanswered questions regarding the length of their deployments.

A VICTORY FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS
January 17, 2005 8:16 AM ET
It is hard to imagine the majority of our firefighters in Michigan not having access to terrorism response training.

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2005
January 17, 2005 8:10 AM ET
As the new 109th Congress convenes, I want to share with you some of the achievements and disappointments of the past year and a few of my thoughts about the year ahead.

A NEW DIRECTION AT THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT
December 9, 2004 6:54 AM ET
In nominating Kellogg's CEO Carlos Gutierrez to be the next Secretary of Commerce recently, President Bush selected a Michigander who has a wealth of business experience both in the U.S. and abroad and who has a proven track record of wise budget management.

A GRATEFUL NATION REMEMBERS
November 15, 2004 6:40 AM ET
World War I, "the War to end all wars," ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. One year later, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as Armistice Day.

JOBS, JOBS, JOBS
October 29, 2004 10:29 AM ET
In real estate, the mantra is "location, location, location." For Michigan's economy today, it's "jobs, jobs, jobs."

THE RIGHT TO VOTE - PRICELESS
October 15, 2004 1:23 PM ET
The Declaration of Independence states that governments derive “their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.” The Constitution begins, “We the People of the United States,” and President Abraham Lincoln described our nation in the Gettysburg Address as a “government of the people, by the people and for the people.”

WAYNE COUNTY REACHES OUT TO WAR-TIME VETERANS
October 15, 2004 1:16 PM ET
Recently, Wayne County, Michigan's Department of Veterans Affairs hosted the first "Stand Down" for war-time veterans and their families.

PROTECTING OUR LIGHTHOUSES, ILLUMINATING OUR PAST
September 3, 2004 2:29 PM ET
In the swirling winds and skyscraper-size waves of a November storm, legend was made on Lake Superior in 1975.

DEALING WITH THE HIGH COST OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
August 24, 2004 3:17 PM ET
Over the past four years, U.S. prescription drugs prices have increased an average of nearly 20 percent annually. Americans today pay, on average, 60 percent more than the British for the same prescription drugs and two-thirds more than Canadians.

CONSUMERS AND CREDIT COUNSELING
July 23, 2004 9:13 AM ET
The United States is awash in consumer debt. Credit card debt alone now exceeds $730 billion, a figure even larger than this country's entire annual deficit. Much of this consumer debt is owed by working families of modest means trying to make ends meet. For many middle-class households, substantial debt is a fact of life and debt management is an urgent and painful necessity.

BUILDING THE NORTH COUNTRY TRAIL
June 11, 2004 8:38 AM ET
Most people are familiar with the 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail, which spans the East Coast from Maine to Georgia and has a long, storied history dating back to the 1920s. What few people know is that we are in the process of creating a trail even longer than the Appalachian Trail that will traverse the northern United States, and Michigan is home to a larger percentage of the trail than any other state.

RE-IMPORTATION—A PRESCRIPTION FOR LOWER PRICES
May 14, 2004 12:23 PM ET
Prescription drug prices are too high in this country, and I have made it one of my top priorities to lower them. In fact, the first bill I introduced in the U.S. Senate was to allow for the safe re-importation of lower priced prescription drugs from Canada.

REMEMBERING AMERICA'S HEROES
May 11, 2004 2:49 PM ET
This Memorial Day, thousands of veterans from across the country will journey to Washington, D.C. to honor their fallen fellow patriots and remember their own service.

TAKING AIM AT ABUSIVE TAX SHELTERS
April 26, 2004 7:05 AM ET
Every year, billions of dollars in revenue are diverted from the U.S. Treasury by tax shelter and tax haven abuses that are undermining the integrity of our tax system.

SENIORS AND OUR CHILDREN – A PRIORITY IN WAYNE COUNTY
April 24, 2004 5:50 AM ET
On Saturday May 1 we will be kicking off this year’s chore program on “Make a Senior Smile Day.” Dozens of volunteers will be out cleaning the yards of more than 200 seniors in Wayne County.

A CLEAR ROAD FOR MICHIGAN
April 5, 2004 4:53 PM ET
Tired of traffic congestion? Fed up with pot holes? Ready for a better public bus system? I know I am! From creating jobs, to easing traffic congestion, passing a good transportation bill is important to Michigan.

SENIOR OLYMPICS
March 15, 2004 8:22 AM ET
We just couldn't let them cancel it - senior Olympics - so our administration did all that we could to save it. And, we did. Last year this event that so many seniors look forward to was canceled, but we revived it and once again hundreds of seniors showed up to socialize and exercise.

MAKING JOBS OUR TOP PRIORITY
February 28, 2004 6:57 AM ET
Nothing is more important to Michigan than keeping and expanding manufacturing jobs. Sadly, jobs are being lost at an alarming rate. That's why I have authored a bill called the MORE JOBS Act, which, if passed, will create an immediate tax cut for US companies who create jobs in the U.S.

WAYNE COUNTY WORKING WITH THE AREA AGENCIES ON AGING
February 10, 2004 8:44 AM ET
In order to fully serve our senior citizens in Wayne County, we work with various organizations. We want to offer our citizens the best opportunities and government can't do it alone.

COUNTY EXECUTIVE FICANO AND COMMISSIONERS HAIL IMPROVEMENTS TO COUNTY-SPONSORED PRESCRIPTION PROGRAM
January 8, 2004 3:24 PM ET
The new Senior Prescription Savings Program is easier to use, adds more pharmacy locations, and provides better savings up to 50%

BAD DEAL FOR SENIORS - BAD DEAL FOR MEDICARE
January 6, 2004 1:01 PM ET
According to Greek mythology, the Greeks waged a fruitless war against the City of Troy. Unable to penetrate the fortified walls of the city, they hatched a new strategy. Within a large hollow wooden horse, presented as a gift, the Greeks hid the seeds that would sow the destruction of Troy.

A MESSAGE FROM THE WAYNE COUNTY EXECUTIVE
December 2, 2003 11:30 AM ET
I want to first say how excited we are to be part of the Maria Madeline Project. We have been developing innovative after school programming in Wayne County and what ExperienceSeniorPower and Tony Fama has been doing is along the same lines of what we do: helping our citizens.

CANADA’S TRASH IS NOT MICHIGAN’S TREASURE
November 13, 2003 6:04 AM ET
The people of Michigan have spoken. We do not want to be Canada’s landfill. Since June 2, over 165,000 people have signed a petition on my website calling on the EPA to stop the Canadian trash shipments into Michigan.

SENIORS MAY FINALLY ENJOY A PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT UNDER MEDICARE
July 13, 2003 2:25 PM ET
Real efforts to lower prescription drug prices and save American families and businesses billions of dollars may finally be on the way as part of Medicare legislation that recently passed the Senate.

I voted yes on the Medicare prescription drug bill and it was one of the toughest votes I have cast since becoming your Senator.

COVERING THE UNINSURED: A TOP SMALL BUSINESS ISSUE
June 5, 2003 6:02 AM ET
Michigan small businesses have a major stake in solving the current health care crisis. Why? Because about 75 percent of the uninsured are people who own or work for a small business, or are dependent on someone who does.

VOLUNTEER AT HOME AND SUPPORT THE TROOPS OVERSEAS
May 1, 2003 12:00 AM ET
My father was in the Navy during World War II and my husband served in the Air Force during the first Gulf War. Both have told me how important it was for the morale of all those in uniform to know they had the support of their nation.

LOOMING HEALTH CARE CRISIS DEMANDS SWIFT ACTION
December 2, 2002 12:00 AM ET
By Senator Debbie Stabenow

When the holidays are over and Congress reconvenes, one of the first orders of business must be passing legislation to ward off a looming crisis in Medicare and Medicaid that threatens the entire health care system for our families in Michigan and across the nation.

A HEALTHY PRESCRIPTION FOR SENIORS: DRUG COVERAGE UNDER MEDICARE
September 6, 2002 12:00 AM ET
By Senator Debbie Stabenow

In July, the U.S. Senate went a long way toward making prescription drugs more affordable for seniors and our working families who lack health-care coverage. And, we all know that this action is long over-due!

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