Friday, August 8th, 2008 Jim Webb's Website | Constituent Services | Newsroom | Photos | Contact | Subscribe | Unsubscribe |
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In Virginia SUCCESSFUL WEBB-WARNER BILL INCREASES ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY 
Last week, the Senate passed the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2008, which included the Minority Serving Institutions Advanced Technology and Education Act. This legislation, which Senator Warner and I introduced last year, provides resources to address the technology gap that exists at many minority educational institutions. It establishes a grant program to assist Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) with increased access to computers, technology and the Internet for their students. The bill now goes to the president to be signed into law.
There are more than 200 Hispanic Serving Institutions, at least 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and more than 30 tribal colleges throughout the United States that will be eligible for these technology grants. Virginia is home to six HBCUs, including: Norfolk State University, St. Paul's College, Hampton University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Virginia University of Lynchburg. Bridging the "digital divide" and investing in our Historically Black Colleges and other Minority Serving Institutions is crucial in a world where technology goes hand in hand with economic development and success. This important legislation will improve both the quality of learning and the ability of students to compete with anyone, anywhere in the world. WORKERS ASSISTANCE GRANTED TO LAID OFF EMPLOYEES  After petitioning the U.S. Department of Labor, I am pleased to report that Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) has been granted to 400 Virginia employees of American Furniture of Martinsville, who will be laid off later this summer. TAA provides career counseling, up to two years of training, income support during training, job search assistance, and relocation allowances to qualifying workers who become unemployed for trade-related reasons. Last week, I sent a letter to the Department of Labor in support of a petition filed by American Furniture to help these workers make the difficult transition to new jobs at a time when Virginia's manufacturing industry is facing hard times. In addition to providing support for laid off employees, we must address U.S. trade policies that are unfair and disproportionally affect the American workforce. These policies are a matter of economic fairness and I am committed to advancing the interests of American workers in the United States Senate. EPA LETTER TO REPEAL ETHANOL MANDATE TO REDUCE FEED AND FOOD PRICES 
After hearing from a number of Virginians concerned about higher feed prices, Senator Warner and I wrote to the Environmental Protection Agency on July 18th to request a temporary waiver of the ethanol mandate, which requires the oil industry to blend increasing amounts of ethanol into gasoline. I am concerned about the adverse effects the mandate is having on consumers and our livestock producers. Increasing costs of corn have also affected the livelihoods of many in Virginia's key agricultural sectors and could lead to job losses.
It is my hope that by temporarily lifting the ethanol mandate, our poultry, dairy and livestock producers will benefit from reduced feed prices and will pass those savings onto consumers. In addition to the EPA letter, I have pushed a number of legislative initiatives aimed at reducing rising energy prices for Virginia farmers and consumers. These legislative initiatives include reasserting controls over the oil speculation market that has artificially driven up the cost of gas and allowing exploration for additional natural energy resources 50 miles off the coast of Virginia. To read the Bureau of National Affairs story, "Citing Food Prices, Virginia Senators Call for `Temporary Relief' From Biofuels Mandate," please visit: http://webb.senate.gov/newsroom/record_article.cfm?id=301863&& In the Senate LEGISLATION INTRODUCED REQUIRING APPROVAL OF IRAQ SECURITY AGREEMENTS Last week, a bipartisan group of my colleagues and I introduced the "Iraq Security Agreement Act of 2008," which would require congressional approval of any U.S. agreement with Iraq that contains a security commitment or defense arrangement. The Bush Administration is currently negotiating two agreements with Iraq--a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and a Strategic Framework Agreement (SFA)--that would establish our future relationship with Iraq. These agreements cover a broad range of topics, including political, economic, and security issues. To date, the Bush Administration has declined even to show Congress the wording of the proposed agreements. The "Iraq Security Agreement Act of 2008" would ensure that any agreement with Iraq would not be implemented without the explicit consent of Congress, and also would protect the constitutional responsibilities of the Senate in this important national security matter. National commitments of such magnitude and length must be subject to approval of Congress, and I intend to make this bill a priority in the months ahead. COMPREHENSIVE HOUSING RESCUE LEGISLATION BECOMES LAW 
On July 30th, President Bush signed into law comprehensive bipartisan housing legislation that was passed by the Senate on July 24th. This new law is designed to restore housing market confidence, help homeowners across Virginia and our nation deal with the ongoing housing crisis, and provide temporary authority to the Federal Government to help Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which control half of the mortgages in the United States.
But, we should challenge the notion that it is acceptable for executives to make record profits when business is good, but that the American workforce should collectively shoulder the burden when business is bad. So, in addition to assisting thousands of Virginians struggling to keep their homes, this bill gives federal regulators the authority to limit excessive compensation packages of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac executives. Our nation's workers shouldn't have their taxes used to continue the record-high benefits of the executives who run these institutions. REPUBLICAN FILIBUSTER OF BILL TO REIN IN OIL SPECULATORS 
At the end of July, the Senate attempted to debate and pass legislation designed to rein in market speculators but a Republican filibuster took away a golden opportunity to quickly drive down prices at the gas pump. The bill would have provided much-needed regulation of a market that has been flooded with speculative investment since being de-regulated in 2000, causing oil prices to reach unprecedented and unnatural highs.
Even oil company executives admit that this isn't simply a supply and demand problem. In 2002, oil was $24 a barrel. It was recently above $145 a barrel. No one would try to claim that demand has gone up six times in the last six years or that supply has been reduced to that extent. The oil speculators are out of control, in a market that was not designed for large-scale speculation. We could have fixed that with this legislation. I will continue to call on the Senate to reconsider the oil speculation issue in a new series of votes. We should not let this issue slide off the legislative calendar simply because of the recalcitrance of some senators. It is too important to American consumers.
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