Friday, June 20, 2008 Jim Webb's Website | Constituent Services | Newsroom | Photos | Contact | Subscribe | Unsubscribe |
|
In the Senate FEDERAL EMPLOYEES PARENTAL LEAVE ACT SEEKS FAIRNESS FOR WORKING FAMILIES This week, I introduced legislation which would provide four weeks of paid leave to federal employees after the birth or adoption of a child. The federal government's current policy does not provide any paid parental leave for its employees, while 75% of Fortune 100 companies provide an average of six to eight weeks of paid leave to new mothers.As the nation's largest employer, the federal government should set the standard for family-friendly workplace policy that supports new families. The Federal Employees Parental Leave Act has received support from a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House and Senate, and has been endorsed by leading women's and federal employee advocacy groups. I am pleased to announce that the House version, introduced by Representative Carolyn Maloney, was passed overwhelmingly yesterday. GI BILL PASSES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
I am pleased to announce that yesterday the 21st Century GI Bill that I introduced 17 months ago passed in the House of Representatives. The bill was included in the war supplemental spending bill. The Senate will likely vote on the spending bill next week. I am confident that President Bush will sign this bill into law in order to secure educational benefits for those who have served so faithfully and well since September 11th.
COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED TO WARTIME CONTRACTING COMMISSION 
In December, Congress passed legislation that I cosponsored with Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) to establish a Commission on Wartime Contracting charged with addressing the systemic waste, fraud, and abuse associated with the federal government's private security contracts. I am pleased to announce the appointment of Michael J. Thibault, Charles Tiefer, Linda J. Gustitus, and Clark Kent Ervin to the Commission. The White House and Republican congressional leadership separately have announced three of the remaining four appointments to the Commission. These appointments are a major step forward in creating a commission that will improve our government's contracting practices, increase transparency, and hold accountable those responsible for waste, fraud, and abuse. We will likewise be watching the selections of our colleagues in Congress and the White House to make sure that they perform in consonance with the intentions of this legislation. The work that this Commission will perform during its two-year charter is something American taxpayers both demand and deserve. FARM BILL STRENGTHENS CONSERVATION EFFORTS, TIGHTENS FARM PROGRAM LOOPHOLES, PROMOTES NUTRITION 
Wednesday night, Congress overrode the President's veto and enacted the 2008 Farm Bill. While I would like to have seen greater reforms to our nation's commodity programs, I supported passage of the Farm Bill because it provides a record level of funding to clean-up the Chesapeake Bay, offers some modest reforms to the nation's commodity programs and invests in our national nutrition and hunger programs.
The Chesapeake Bay is one of Virginia's most important resources in economic and cultural terms to watermen and surrounding communities. I am pleased Congress included $440 million in additional conservation funding, with $188 million dedicated to helping farmers in the Chesapeake watershed. The Farm Bill also provides half a billion dollars in new spending on federal food assistance programs for low income people, including $5.4 billion over the next ten years to the Food Stamp Program. I saw the importance of these programs last week in Richmond at the Central Virginia Foodbank. Virginia VISIT TO CENTRAL VIRGINIA FOODBANK HIGHLIGHTS GROWING NEED  Last week, I toured the Central Virginia Foodbank in Richmond to discuss the impact of rising food costs on Virginians. I was hosted by the staff of the foodbank and Meals on Wheels and warmly greeted by their all-volunteer team of cooks. With energy and other costs on the rise, more Virginians have less disposable income and are turning to organizations like the Central Virginia Foodbank to meet their basic needs. The Farm Bill, which became law this week, includes half a billion dollars in new spending on federal food assistance programs for low income people. These increased federal resources are necessary. Rising food and gas prices have contributed to a 40% decline in the number of donated items to the Central Virginia Foodbank. They have also put a strain on the Meals on Wheels' volunteers, who use their own cars and trucks to deliver food to needy individuals in the communities. I commend the work the Central Virginia Foodbank has done and urge Virginians to donate food and support to those in need during these challenging times. For more information on the Central Virginia Foodbank, please visit: http://www.cvfb.org/ FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE NECESSARY FOR CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERMEN 
Last month, I led a bipartisan coalition of the Virginia Congressional Delegation in urging Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez to grant federal disaster assistance for Chesapeake Bay watermen to alleviate the economic impact caused by new regulations and declining numbers of blue crabs.
Earlier this year, due to environmental stresses and a sharp decline in the Bay's blue crab population, strict new restrictions were put in place to reduce the harvest of female crabs by 34%. The economic impact of these restrictions on Virginia is expected to total $11-$15 million over the next three years. While these fishing restrictions are necessary to ensure that the blue crab fishery recovers and is available for future generations, it is also clear they will directly hit the pocketbooks of Virginia's watermen, which is why this disaster designation is so critical. I intend to continue to work with Governor Kaine, the Virginia Congressional Delegation, and the Secretary of Commerce to address the pressing needs of the Bay's watermen. To read the May 21 letter to Secretary Gutierrez, calling for federal disaster assistance for Chesapeake Bay watermen, please go to: http://webb.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=298542& Media Appearances I have appeared on several television and radio talk shows recently. Click on the links below to listen to the following interviews:
Jim Webb's Website | Constituent Services | Newsroom | Photos | Contact | Subscribe | Unsubscribe |
June 20, 2008 | In This Issue