U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Tom Allen (D-ME) speaks about the Democratic party’s push for a larger Senate majority. Allen also addressed his stances on issues like health care and oil prices.

By Joel Ebert and Holly Jackson

On behalf of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spoke in Denver Wednesday afternoon about the need to expand the Democratic majority in this year’s Senate elections. He introduced six candidates running for seats in the Senate this fall. Among them were former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO), Rep. Tom Udall (D-NM), Rep. Tom Allen (D-ME), Rep. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner.

The Democratic candidates are in close races for eleven Senate seats, and Sen. Reid was optimistic that the party will win the spots. Reid said, “The Democratic majority is slim…we know we need more numbers.”

Reid added that the Democrats are reaching for sixty seats, in order to prevent Republican filibusters, which have recently been used in record numbers. In the 109th Congress, only 54 filibusters were used. By comparison, the 110th Congress has already used a record-breaking 92 filibusters.

After Reid spoke, Sen. Charles Schumer discussed the importance of Wednesday’s meeting. Schumer said, “This gathering doesn’t have thousands of people…but it’s probably the second most important gathering that you will be at for the future of this country,” referring to this week’s Democratic National Convention.

Schumer emphasized the fact that the Senate races are just as important as the Presidential race. A Democratic majority must be elected, according to Schumer, in order to fulfill the party’s promise of change by passing comprehensive legislation. He acknowledged that if Sen. Barack Obama is elected President, he will need the support of a Democratic-led Congress.

The six candidates that joined Reid and Schumer will be running competitive races against Republican incumbents.

While the candidates all discussed change, most touched on specific issues. Allen and Shaheen shared a concern about the cost of heating oil, while Warner, the keynote speaker at the DNC on Wednesday, said he will take a stand to improve the country’s infrastructure.

Warner said “This is one of these moments in history…what happens over the next two, four, six, eight years will determine whether this country has the same preeminence in the twenty-first century that it had in the twentieth.”

The DSCC and some Senatorial candidates will address the delegates about their push for Senate seats at the DNC after the Roll Call Vote, which will take place Wednesday evening.

During a conference call from the Middle East Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says that while the Taliban activities have increased in Afghanistan so has the ability of the U.S. coalition to deal with them. He also speaks about the problems found in southern Afghanistan on the border with Pakistan where militants are able to cross into Afghanistan. (0:53)

 

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In a conference call with reporters, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said that the U.S. had a presence in Afghanistan after Sept. 11, 2001. He said that all the attention was diverted to Iraq and that Afghanistan might be better off had more attention been paid to that conflict. (0:28)

 

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“The situation is good, but we feel that there is a lot more work to do,” said Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on a conference call with reporters to discuss his trip to Afghanistan to meet with President Hamid Karzai. Senator Reid was accompanied by other members of the U.S. Senate including Jeff Bingamen(D-N.M.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and John Isakson (R-Ga.). The delegation flew first to Kyrgyzstan. After visiting troops and commanders in Afghanistan, they are staying for a day in Kazakhstan.

The Senate majority leader said there is concern about the resurgence of the Taliban, but that the ability to “deal with them” has been increased. Principal areas of concern are in eastern Afghanistan, as well as increasing violence in the south on the border with Pakistan.

Ried reported that the senators had met commanders in Afghanistan, principally Gen. David McKiernan, commander of International Security Assistance Force - Afghanistan (ISAF). “They generals made it clear that they need more resources,” he said.

ISAF commanders have requested three additional combat brigades, specifically citing the need for trainers and mentors for Afghan army and national police. At the April summit in Bucharest, the Department of Defense increased pressure on NATO allies to increase troop levels to Afghanistan and remove caveats that keep certain countries’ troops from combat. Recently the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has said that the DoD is considering sending more troops to Afghanistan “sooner rather than later.” The Defense Department recently extended the deployment of about 3,450 Marines in Afghanistan by one month. Additionally, about 200 trainers were slated to go to Afghanistan last week.

Reid emphasized that he wants to give Afghanistan the attention it needs, saying it would have been better is Afghanistan had been given consistent troop level from the beginning.

Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain have said they would send 10,000 more troops to Afghanistan if elected president.

Continuing their protest, the House Republicans held a press conference in Statuary Hall in the Capitol with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Congressman Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) said Congress must come back from its five-week vacation and produce an up-or-down vote on the Republicans’ American Energy Act. He said the Republicans will continue their protest on the House floor without microphones and lights until they get their vote.

Gingrich said there are pro-energy Democrats as well as pro-Energy Republicans. He said that although Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will block any vote, he is confident that the bill will achieve a majority when Congress returns in early September. Congressman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) said Democrats and Republicans can come together to make lasting pro-energy changes, but Speaker Pelosi must call back Congress, or at the very least schedule a vote on the first day Congress returns. Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) called on Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to speak to Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) about bringing back the Senate as well, as the push for pro-energy legislation should be a two-party effort.

After the press conference, at 11:00 a.m., Putnam and Foxx, among other representatives, retreated to the House floor to continue their protest. Representatives spoke in front of more than four hundred tourists in the chamber. Putnam said that every day the House is out of session is another day the U.S. is dependent on foreign energy. The crowds in the chamber gave a massive standing ovation when Foxx declared the United States “the greatest country in the world.”

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.”

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on increasing coordination between state and federal governments concerning crimes associated polygamy. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) said some crimes committed by fundamentalist polygamist groups are almost unspeakable. Senator Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) said the crimes include statutory rape, domestic abuse, and child abuse. (more…)

Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) hosted a conference call on the upcoming National Clean Energy Summit which will be held at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Mid-August. Reid said one only needs to look at a corner gas station to know that the energy crisis is serious. The summit on clean energy can lead to developments that are good for the economy, good for the environment, and good for jobs.

Dan Weiss, Senior Fellow and Director of Climate Strategy at the Center for American Progress, said the summit’s goal is to develop a consensus on energy policies for the next President that participants can bring to their respective party conventions next month.

Former President Bill Clinton said the government needs to take a leading role in making a commitment to a national clean energy policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Clinton said he is particularly excited about the summit bringing together the leaders and the American community to solve the climate crisis. Reid said the American people are overwhelmingly supportive of renewable energy, and that he is aware that a “drill, drill, drill” policy will not make gas prices any lower. (23:33)

 

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The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) welcomed respected national leaders such as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) to speak at its 25th annual conference. The National Leadership Luncheon kicked off with a $1 million donation to NALEO from State Farm Insurance Companies. (more…)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) spoke today at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing. Reid spoke about the momentum in the utility industry to invest in renewable generation has come about because of states passing renewable portfolio standards. Reid says that if 20 percent of the nation’s power came from renewable energy by 2020, the United States would create 200,000 new jobs and save consumers $10.5 billion in lower electricity and natural gas bills.
(0:49)

 

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