Crowds gather in Washington, D.C. to celebrate Independence Day. Talk Radio News Service asked visitors what it means to be in the nation’s capital for July 4th and if they think they have more or less independence with the new administration.
By Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) addressed Monday’s fatal Washington Metrorail collision, saying that he and other representatives from Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. will meet with the appropriate officials to determine what can be done to prevent future accidents.
The Majority Leader was reluctant to attribute the crash to a lack of funding.
“I want to wait before jumping to a conclusion that this was a lack of money. We don’t know yet whether this was a human error, computer error [or] equipment error,” said Hoyer during a pen and pad session with reporters Tuesday. Wednesday, the Majority Leader announced that he and other legislators will attempt to secure an additional $3 billion for Metrorail.
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) requested to have the accident brought to the attention of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. According to a statement released by Norton earlier this week, a series of hearings will be held after the 4th of July recess.
by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
Talk Radio News Service speaks with Congressman Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) about the Red River catastrophe and what efforts he is making in Washington, D.C. for North Dakotans. Pomeroy also addresses the H1N1 epidemic and expresses what precautions Americans should take. (09:00)
by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
Green for All and the Service Employees International Union converged in Washington, D.C. today, recommending to lawmakers how they should act following draft legislation recently put forward by Senate Democrats to introduce the Climate Equity Alliance, which is an alliance pushing for strong climate legislation that protects and provides opportunity for low- and moderate-income communities.
Jason Walsh, National Policy Director at Green for All said that, based on shared values, more than two dozen organizations from the research, advocacy, faith-based, labor and civil rights communities have formed this alliance.
“The urgent need of transition to a clean energy economy presents us with some critical choices…. We should therefore approach climate policy not only as environmental policy, though it is certainly that, but also as economic policy and as civil-rights policy that can advance principles of fairness and opportunity and equal access,” said Walsh.
The alliance believes that the best way to advance those principles “is to ensure that the strong policies needed to reduce green house gas emissions, also protect low and moderate income households and expand economic opportunity,” Walsh said.
U.S. climate policy needs to include effective mechanisms that reach all low-income households and effectively offset cost increases and to ensure that quality of life for those families is maintained, said Robert Greenstein, Executive Director at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
“This is definitely doable as part of climate legislation,” Greenstein said. “One certainly doesn’t want climate policy to have the unintended side effect of increasing poverty and hardship… Well-designed climate policy can assure that there aren’t such adverse effects by auctioning emissions allowances and devoting an appropriate portion of the proceeds to effectively deliver consumer relief for low and moderate income households”.
Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO of Green for All, said “We believe that if climate policy can fight pollution, it can also alleviate poverty at the same time,” adding that she wants to make ensure that the alliance is equitable and takes in account low and moderate-income communities.
“We want to ensure that climate policies provide equal protection and also equal opportunity for all communities,” she said. “Our hope is that working together, if we do this right, we’ll really be able to make sure that both our planet and the people that inhabit it are not really just surviving but in fact thriving in a clean energy economy.”
by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
Former Colombian President, César Gaviria, said this week that the policy of trying to stop the flow of drugs to the U.S. is a failure and he suggested that the U.S. take a look at the drug policy in Europe because they have been very successful. Gavira offered his criticism at an event in Washington discussing a new report the by Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy. (00:27)
by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
The planned rocket launch in defiance of international law by North Korea should not hinder U.S. hopes of achieving the peaceful denuclearization of the North, an opinion backed by senior-level U.S. diplomats.
“Korea and the U.S. are fully at one voice now in tackling the North Korea missile launch and also in pushing forward the six-party process,” said Han Duk-soo, Korean Ambassador to the United States.
“The six-party talks should be promoted. That is at present the only alternative to the peaceful denuclearization of North Korea,” said Han Duk-soo. “Peace and security and prosperity in this region is very crucial not only for this region but also for the global community.”
Lee Ki-Taek, Vice Chairman of the National Unification Advisory Council said that the launch was a threat. But “It does not matter whether it was a satellite or missile for it was clearly not hope,”he said.
Charles L. Pritchard, President of the Korea Economic Institute in Washington, D.C. said that the Obama administration has shown a “conservative” response to what’s been going on with North Korea.
“The United States, it has been said here already, intends to maintain the six-party talks as the basis of engagement of North Korea. That may not turn out to be quite as accurate as they hoped,” Pritchard said.
Pritchard said that the U.S. has made an emphasis on bilateral ties, and has been directly engaged in the consultation process with North Korea and Japan.
Pritchard suggested that the continuation of the tri-lateral coordination is necessary, but that the idea of withholding visas for North Koreans as a form of punishment should be tossed out the window.
Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Brian Cowen brought some St. Patrick’s Day cheer today, as he met with President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on his visit to Washington D.C. The trio were greeted with the sound of bagpipes from the United States Air Force Reserve Pipe Band as they walked down the House of Representative steps. The Irish Prime Minister later discussed his visit with press outside the Cannon House Building.
Talk Radio News Service, Victoria Jones, interviews David A. Keene, chairman of The American Conservative Union at the 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. Keene talks about the history of CPAC and how the younger people are making a difference for Conservatives and Republicans. Keene also talks about the congressional ratings and who was ranked the lowest and highest. (09:31)
Talk Radio News Service, Victoria Jones, interviews Kerri Houston, the Institute for Liberty’s Senior Vice President for Policy at the 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C. Houston talks about health care, importation legislation, and prescription costs. Houston says that President Obama learned a very wise lesson about government run health care from Hillary Clinton in the 1990’s saying that, “You do not share the whole package of popcorn down someone’s throat.” (10:20)
Talk Radio News Service, Victoria Jones, interviews Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation at the 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C. Gottlieb talks about firearm policies and how by stopping gun shows will create black markets and take away rights from gun owners. (05:17)
