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Sen. Specter visits Waynesburg
Observer-Reporter
Waynesburg, PA
Friday, August 29, 2008 -
By: Bob Niedbala
U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter addressed issues ranging from energy to terrorism and the protection of civil liberties during a town meeting Thursday at Waynesburg University.
The Republican senator from Pennsylvania, first elected in 1980, recently completed chemotherapy for a recurrence of Hodgkin's disease.
Specter told the audience of about 35 people he is doing well and even joked about his lack of hair. "I get more comments on my hair style these days than I do on my positions on public policy," he said.
Before answering questions from those in attendance, Specter spoke about several issues of interest to him. The first was energy and the high price of gasoline.
Specter said one action the country can take to address the issue of high prices is to revoke the anti-trust exemptions afforded OPEC nations, which now meet privately to set oil production levels.
He also said he favors drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge, which he believes can be done while still protecting the environment, and developing alternative energies and clean coal technologies.
On international matters, Specter said the country should be "a lot tougher" on Russia in regard to its invasion of Georgia. It also must continue to address terrorism, but "with an appropriate regard for constitutional rights and civil liberties," he said.
The first questioner told Specter he was concerned civil liberties had come under "direct attack" by both the Patriot Act and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
The Patriot Act extended the powers of law enforcement for national security purposes, Specter said. "I think (the extension of powers) were necessary but within limits," he said.
The act placed restrictions on what the FBI could do in regard to national security, he said. It also required the inspector general to periodically report on whether those restrictions were observed.
Specter cited one instance in which it was found the act was misused. "So there has to be very, very careful checks and balances," he said.
Specter also called the expansion of the president's authority a cause for concern. "We have seen since 9-11 the greatest expansion of executive authority this country has ever had," he said.
He spoke of the president's use of "signing statements," in which a bill approved by Congress is modified by the president, apparently violating the Constitution which allows the president only to either sign the bill into law or veto it.
He also spoke of the president's action to curtail the right to habeas corpus, a court petition seeking relief from unlawful detention, an action that eventually had to be decided by the Supreme Court.
In response to a question, Specter said Congress is working to develop a "permanent fix" for funding bank-sponsored student loans.
The questioner noted money for Pell grants to needy students had increased slightly this year but at the expense of subsidies for the bank-sponsored student loans, which help serve many middle class students.
Specter said he would support a bill that would eliminate the "offset" charge between a veteran's military retirement and his veteran's disability compensation.
Specter also told one questioner he would look into an issue regarding the testing of veterans for exposure to uranium depleted weaponry and the use of vaccines on troops that had not been approved by the Federal Drug Administration.
Specter also was thanked for supporting funding for health care for medically underserved areas and for supporting issues regarding rights of the disabled.
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