Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Tuesday that the government should negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for bulk discounts, and points to success that this has had in veterans’ affairs. (0:21)
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) says the Obama administration should base its decision to withdraw U.S. troops on what Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. general in Iraq, says. (0:48)
Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) commented Tuesday on the Senate primary race in Florida between Republican Governor Charlie Crist and State Speaker Marco Rubio. Lieberman says that independent voters are the fastest growing political force in the country. (0:48)
Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) says that President Barack Obama’s meeting Tuesday with a bipartisan collection of Senators on energy independence is a way for Obama to signal that energy independence is a priority for his administration. (0:29)
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) says the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has a responsibility to determine if the Federal Government had information that could have prevented the shootings at Fort Hood. (0:22)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) Tuesday addressed major obstacles facing the Senate’s health care reform legislation, including a possible move by pro-life Senators to introduce language barring federal funding for abortions, similar to the Stupak amendment that made its way into the Affordable Health Care for Americans Act.
“We’re going to continue to work with the pro-choice folks and the pro-life folks in the Senate and come up with something fair and reasonable,” Reid said during a late-morning press conference.
The majority leader added that the public option will continue to be included in the legislation, despite the objections levied by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who has threatened to filibuster any legislation with the provision.
“We’re going to move forward, I believe strongly, with the public option,” said Reid. “I had a conversation with Joe Lieberman an hour ago, it was a good conversation and I’m confident we’ll work something out.”
Reid, and the Democratic Senators that joined him, appeared at Tuesday’s conference flanked by U.S. servicemen and women. They took the opportunity to highlight the Caregiver and Veterans Affairs Act, a piece of legislation Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Ok.) has put a hold on.
Coburn has stated that although he supports the aim of the bill, which would give families of wounded veterans the resources for home treatment, he is uncomfortable passing the legislation until payment is addressed.
“Where was he when we were spending a trillion dollars on the war in Iraq? That wasn’t paid for,” Reid argued. “I have no ability to comprehend the illogic of [Senator] Coburn.”
By Ravi Bhatia – Talk Radio News Service
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has teamed up with Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) to find common ground on creating bipartisan climate change legislation, with hopes of making progress before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen next month.
“The green economy is coming. We can either follow or lead,” Graham said at a press conference on Wednesday. “Those countries who follow will pay a price. those countries who lead in creating a new green economy for the world will make money.”
Graham and Kerry wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times published on Oct. 11 that highlighted some of the goals of the legislation, which include acknowledging that climate change is real, investing in wind, solar and nuclear energy and breaking U.S dependence on foreign oil.
Republicans boycotted the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee markups of the Kerry-Boxer Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act on Tuesday and Wednesday in an attempt to urge the committee to submit the legislation to the Environmental Protection Agency for economic analysis. Ranking member Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) was the lone Republican to attend Wednesday’s meeting, although he departed after only 15 minutes.
“I do believe that all of the cars we have on the road and the trucks and the energy we use that produces carbon daily is not a good thing for the planet,” Graham said. “But if environmental policy is not good business policy you’ll never get 60 votes.”
According to Lieberman, the stakes are “too high” to wait on drafting climate change legislation.
“We will be held accountable by history unless we make every effort to find common ground,” he said.
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) says at a press conference with Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) that the stakes are “too high” to delay drafting climate change legislation. (0:31)
By Marianna Levyash – Talk Radio News Service
The US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs met Wednesday to markup the Weapons of Mass Destruction Prevention and Preparedness Act of 2009.
The bill heeds the recommendations of Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and the Commission on the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism that an attack featuring biological weapons of mass destruction is likely to occur by the year 2013.
According to a fact sheet released by the committee, the bill implements a “tiered-system” list of toxins and recommends that facilities handling the most dangerous toxins install the highest security measures.
Committee Chair Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) emphasized the need for swift passage of the legislation.
“It is my intention to reconvene as soon as possible to put the amendments on the bill,” he said.
The committee will hold another mark-up session in the coming weeks.
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) says that U.S. safety is not improving and that a new system is required to adequately prepare the nation for possible biological terrorist attacks. (0:23)
