By Sam Wechsler – Talk Radio News Service

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has been successful in providing and saving jobs in the transportation sector, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Wednesday. He also pointed out that we are only four months into a two year recovery plan, so most results aren’t yet perceptible.

Durbin says the government has provided checks for $60.4 billion and has allocated $234 billion of the total $787 billion stimulus package. Ed Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, said that an historic $48 billion of the stimulus will be spent on transportation.

“I wish the recession would end tomorrow but we have to be patient…for those who say ‘accelerate payments,’ I have the same basic feeling myself. But I just know from human and government experience that haste does make waste. Let’s make sure these funds are well invested and well spent,” said Durbin.

Wytkind discussed the multiplier effect that occurs when the transportation industry spends money that simultaneously benefits other sectors of the economy, such as the steel and lumber industries.

Wytkind criticized former President George W. Bush’s administration for neglecting to use the transportation industry as a mode for job creation. “The fact is that Americans are hurting, our members are hurting, because of eight years of do-nothing economic policies. [President Obama and the new Congress] are wedded to turning around an economy that is reeling,” said Wytkind.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says that health reform will initially be expensive but the benefits will come later. Durbin explains that Americans will see the advantages of the system in the long term. (0:19)

 

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By Jonathan Bronstein, Talk Radio News

Two items that weigh 50 grams, an average chocolate bar and a relatively small amount of crack cocaine, and while the former may be sweet and delectable, being in possession of the latter will put one behind bars for a minimum of 10 years.

By contrast, 5000 grams of powdered cocaine would be needed to put an individual in jail for 10 years, a fact that demonstrates the incongruity of federal drug laws, according to Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)

Currently the punishment ratio between powdered cocaine to crack cocaine is 100:1, meaning that one needs 100 times as much powdered cocaine as crack cocaine to achieve an equal sentence.

“The evidence does not justify a sentencing disparity between these two drugs,” said Durbin. “The sentencing disparity between crack and powdered cocaine is both unjustified and unjust.”

The reason for this discrepancy between the two forms of the same drug can be attributed to the crack epidemic, which was perceived to be the greatest threat to American urban security. As a result, Congress passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, which set the current federal penalty for crack and powder cocaine trafficking.

But such a law has caused an unintended consequence as now minorities, especially African Americas, have deep ceded distrust of the government because they feel that this law is intentionally racist.

“We (Americans) have to do something, and we have to do something now to address this phenomenon that is affecting our country and that is having a devastating affect on the African American community,” said Judge Reggie Walton of Washington D.C.

Durbin cited 2007 crime statistics, which revealed that 81 percent of all crack offenders were African Americans, while only 24 percent of all crack users were African Americans. Durbin felt that this disparity only exacerbated the feelings of distrust towards the judicial system.

“These racial disparities undermine trust in our criminal justice system and have a corrosive effect on the relationship between law enforcement and minority communities,” said Durbin.

Assistant Attorney General Larry Breuer spoke on behalf of the Obama Administration and stressed that this unfair disparity must be eliminated because it hurts the legitimacy of the justice system.

“Out laws and their enforcement must not only be fair, but they also must be perceived as fair,” said Breuer, who continued to say that “The perception of unfairness undermines governmental authority in the criminal process.”

Coffee Brown, University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News Service

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,(D- Nev.), Sen. Chuck Schumer, (D- N.Y) Sen. Patty Murray, (D-Wash.), and Sen. Dick Durbin, (D- Ill.), presented a favorable Senate Majority response to President Obama’s budget proposal. ($3.5 trillion, according to the Christian Science Monitor)
Reid feels the president’s budget is “in keeping with the message he delivered on Tuesday night, a message of hope, a message that directs his priorities: education, healthcare, and energy. “
“I salute the president on, I think, an excellent budget,” Schumer said.
Murray said, “He’s following up his words by putting into this budget investments that will make our economy stronger, reducing our dependence on oil, investing in healthcare policy, and investing in education.”
“Even more important,” she added, “I appreciate his honesty about the underlying fundamentals of this bill.” She finds criticisms ironic coming from those who did not put the cost of the war into their budget. “We did not get budgets that were honest about the real costs we knew were going to be out there.” This one is, she finished.

But, what about cuts? “We inherited the deepest economic hole that we’ve had since the great depression,” Reid said, adding, “This budget will cut taxes for 95 percent of the American people. Anyone making less than $250,000 will pay no new taxes. We’re giving tax breaks to the people that need them the most, middle class Americans.”
It will cut the deficit in half over the first term, he promised. “We now have adopted the pay-as-you-go program that we had during the Clinton years, and during the Clinton years the deficit was reduced by $600 billion.” There will be $2 trillion in cuts over the next ten years.
Schumer added, “We will have a more active government but, at the same time, a more responsible government that eliminates waste. This budget is aimed at the middle class like a laser. The days are over when Republicans used to give 90 percent of the tax cuts to the very wealthy and say they’re giving tax cuts to everybody.”

Asked if he thought Congress was moving too slowly, Reid said: “In a very short period of time we’ve passed a huge land bill, we’ve passed the Lilly Ledbetter matter, we passed the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the economic recovery package,” and the pace is not slowing.
Schumer added that they are making “Making Work Pay” permanent, continuing tax cuts for families with children, and the job tax credit. “Something I feel very good about, the 2,500 dollar American Opportunity Tax Credit for college…he makes that permanent,” in the form of a tax deduction for tuition.
Schumer went on to say, “I’ve always seen a housing bill (pending reforms to limit foreclosures) as a matter of fairness, now it’s a matter of fairness and urgency.” Critics of this reform, he added, don’t realize how many homes have been lost, “and 99 percent of the time, the bank gets the house and the attendant responsibilities, and have to hope they can sell them to somebody. “We’re trying to give that family a fighting chance to stay in that home.”
Reid said that bankruptcy courts could renegotiate vacation homes, but not primary residences.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) thinks the burden of preventing human rights violations sometimes falls on private companies that choose to work abroad. (0:57)

 

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The Obama campaign held a conference call with two of Sen. Barack Obama’s congressional Democratic colleagues from Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and Congressman Rahm Emmanuel, the Chairman of the Democratic Caucus. The two spoke about new ads being released to day by the Obama campaign that highlight the economy as the number one issue in the presidential race.

Durbin spoke about the economic indicators that are down. Citing job loss and the housing crisis Durbin said that Obama’s opponent, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is divorced from the reality of American families. Durbin said that McCain has the same “failed policies” of the Bush administration.

Durbin said that the Obama economic plan will bring tax relief to 95 percent of American families who are middle income, “They are the ones who need a helping hand,” he said.

Emanuel, referencing recent self deprecating commentd made by McCain said that, “John McCain is right about John McCain.” Emmanuel argued that Barack Obama is not a product of the entrenched Washington experience..”There’s one authentic agent of change in Washington and that’s Barack Obama,” he said.

Emmanuel also said that with the McCain/Paline ticket the American people would be getting a two for one deal “George Bush’s economic policies and Dick Cheney’s foreign policies.”

When asked if Obama was being “swiftboated” by a statements made by the Republican vice presidential nominee Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Durbin said that the Democrats have lived through one swiftboat experience and that they’re not about to do it again. Emmanuel said that be watching Palin voters will see not only Palin’s lack of experience but also “McCain’s lack of judgement.”

The Obama Campaign hosted a conference call with reporters joined by Rep. Rahm Emmanuel (D-Ill.) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to talk about the campaign’s focus on the economy. During the call Emmanuel says that the Republican presidential ticket is a two-for-one deal with Republican nominee Sen. John McCain and representing George Bush’s economic policies and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin representing Dick Cheney’s foreign policy. (15:46)

 

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) held a pen-and-pad briefing on the news of oil companies making record profits. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the oil companies are using their record profits to buy back their stock and make it more expensive, rather than make gas more affordable for American consumers. Schumer said the oil companies’ record profits could do so much to lower gas prices, such as give $2000 to every American family. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said oil companies are trying to increase their profits while consumers suffer.

Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said the Republicans’ agenda is the oil companies’ agenda. Their push for drilling in Alaska will give the companies more acres to siphon profit from. Reid said the Republicans’ persistent obstruction of all Democratic efforts to support renewable energy is “mind-boggling.”

At a Senate leadership “Pen and Pad” session, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said too many members of the Republican party will not address what he described as the “most important issue of our time” – global warming. He said that Republicans are afraid of change and are only interested in maintaining the status quo.

Reid said that his main focus in the upcoming weeks will be the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act. In addition to benefiting the environment, this bill is estimated to lower foreign oil imports by 50 percent. He said that the problem facing the Senate is the Republican Party’s refusal to add any sort of input concerning the bill. Reid added that he is ready and willing to negotiate amendments to the Act, although he noted that Republicans seem unwilling to even do that much.
(more…)

As the congressional Democrats announce their version of the budget they are emphasizing more domestic spending particularly in job creation and bolstering unemployment assistance. At a press conference after the Democratic budget was introduced on the Senate floor were Democratic Senators Debbie Stabenow (MI), Dick Durbin (IL), Edward Kennedy (MA) and Rep. Xavier Becerra (CA).

They said that they had three priorities to stimulate the American workforce in their Fiscal 2009 budget proposal: development of “green collar jobs” that build the renewable energy industry, education and job training so that American workers can compete in a global marketplace and a focus on jobs that create infrastructure, rebuilding roads and bridges. They also want to give further economic relief to working families by way of tax relief. Durbin said that the Bush administration has only continued to give “massive” tax cuts for “those who haven’t asked for them and don’t need them.”

Becerra likened the U.S. government to a family struggling to make ends meet. He took out a credit card from his wallet, “We have been using the government credit card too long to make ends meet.” He also spoke of how the United States continues to borrow from “creditors” like China. He threw out a total of $400 billion borrowed from China “so far.”

Kennedy emphasized that the money had already been appropriated for growing unemployment infrastructure and had only to be authorized in this budget measure. Kennedy also said that this was a time for federal leadership to step in and help working families. He said that Democrats are there for the American worker.

When asked about the moratorium on earmarks supported by presidential candidates and Senate colleagues Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, both Stabenow and Durbin said that they would not support a moratorium on earmarks. “We need to amend it, not end it,” said Stabenow and they both defended the process of earmarks as being open and transparent with the American people. Kennedy said he was opening to examining a moratorium as a solution.