August 2007 August 8, 2007
Welcome to the August edition of my Washington Report. I hope this newsletter keeps you informed about some of the important matters facing our State, our Nation, and the U.S. Senate.

The issues before the Senate are critical. They shape the direction of our nation. Here's a few of the most important things I've been working on: If you have any comments or questions on these or any other issues, please don't hesitate to let me know. Please send any comments you have through my website.

Best wishes,





U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein
Changing the Mission in Iraq
Return to Top

 Iraq is in embroiled in a sectarian civil war, and only political action by the Iraqi government can bring it to an end. So, I believe the United States must begin the orderly redeployment of our armed forces from Iraq.

The simple truth is this: The United States is in its fifth year in Iraq, with no end in sight and no exit strategy from President Bush. Casualties and the financial toll on this country will continue to mount as long as our troops are in the middle of this bloody civil conflict.

The Iraqi government, meanwhile, has shown little inclination to move forward. It is fractured, and has failed to take the actions needed to unify the nation – including rolling back the de-Baathification process and ensuring that all Iraqis share in Iraq’s oil wealth.

So, I believe that U.S. combat forces should be redeployed out of Iraq by next spring. A smaller force could remain for a limited mission – including force protection, anti-terrorism operations, and training the Iraqi military.

Redeploying our forces will signal the Iraqi government that the time has come for it to take responsibility for Iraq.

For more information, you can read my most recent speeches delivered on the floor of the United States Senate:
  • Iraq Speech from July 17, 2007: click here to read or to watch
  • Iraq Speech from July 11, 2007: click here to read or to watch
You can also read my statement on the July benchmark report here.

Increasing the Federal Minimum Wage
Return to Top

 On July 24, the federal minimum wage increased for the first time in a decade.  This marked an important step forward in alleviating poverty.

The July increase – from $5.15 to $5.85 per hour – was the first of three increases for the minimum wage that will occur over the next two years. One year from now (July 2008), it will rise to $6.55, and one year after that (July 2009), it will increase to $7.25.

These are the consequences of almost 10 years of inaction: Nearly 40 million Americans live in poverty, and 13 million of them are children.

In fact today, the purchasing power of the minimum wage is at its lowest level since 1955.  And at the same time, the cost of living is up 26 percent since the last minimum wage increase in 1997.  

Increasing the federal minimum wage to $7.25 will add nearly $4,400 to a minimum wage worker’s annual income. This is expected to improve the livelihood of more than 13 million Americans who are struggling to rise above the poverty line. Eighty percent of those impacted would be adult workers, and most are full-time employees.

So, the increase was long overdue. And I am proud that the Democratic Congress is working to put more money in the pockets of hard-working Americans.

For more information, you can read the statement I issued, praising the enactment of the minimum wage increase.

Closing Down the Detention Facility at Guantanamo Bay
Return to Top

 I believe that the continued operation of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility hurts the United States around the world every day.

This was underscored by recent Congressional testimony from an intelligence officer who participated in the Guantanamo tribunal process. He reported that the legal system at Guantanamo relies on shaky evidence – and that officers have been pressured to rush hundreds of hearings.

It is clear that the Bush Administration has sought to create a separate and lesser standard of justice for Guantanamo detainees. This goes against America’s most-cherished values, including respect for the rule of law and for due process.

The time has come for President Bush to close the detention facility within a year and establish a process for bringing the detainees to justice.

I am committed to ensuring that terror suspects are captured, prosecuted and punished. But as we do so, it is vitally important that we remember that we are a nation of laws.

Guantanamo does not make America safer. In fact, its continued operation makes it more likely that U.S. troops will be denied their rights if captured on foreign battlefields in the future.

Closing Guantanamo will restore America’s moral authority and make us more effective in the fight against terrorism. And it will remove a symbol that has led to criticism from our allies and handed our enemies a powerful recruiting tool.

For more information, please read my op-ed published in the San Francisco Chronicle on July 30, 1007.

You can also read or watch my speech delivered on the floor of the United States Senate on July 16, 2007.
Helping Students Pay for College
Return to Top

 All across the country, millions of students and their families are struggling to pay the rising costs of a college education. As a result, many students rely on loans to finance their education. Others decide not to attend college because they simply cannot afford it.

But there’s good news.

The Senate recently approved legislation to help address rising college costs and to reform the student loan system.

  • First, the Senate voted to provide over $17 billion in new grant aid to low-income college students -- $2.5 billion of which would go to California students.
  • Second, the Senate authorized an increase in the Federal Pell Grant System – from the current level of $4,310 per year to $6,300 per year. These grants help more than 5.3 million low- and middle-income students afford college, including more than 623,000 California students. 
  • Third, a measure to eliminate a provision in the Pell Grant program’s eligibility formula that unfairly penalizes our neediest students who attend low-cost institutions – such as community colleges – from receiving the maximum Pell Grant award.  In California, over 260,000 community college students would benefit from this one simple fix.  

The bottom line is this: a college degree is more important than ever to ensure success in today’s global economy. And I’m proud that the Senate is doing its part to help provide our neediest students with the resources necessary to reach their highest potential.

For more information, I encourage you to learn more about the Pell Grant Program.

You can also read two of my speeches that I entered into the Congressional Record in support of the two Senate-passed Higher Education Bills:

Providing Health Insurance for Children
Return to Top

 Living in one of the most expensive states in the nation, Californians are forced to pay more on groceries, more on housing, more on transportation, and not surprisingly, more on health care.

That’s why California’s Healthy Families program is so important.  This program is a vital resource for working parents who can’t afford health insurance

Healthy Families provides health, dental and vision coverage for children in Californian families earning up to 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.  That’s $42,925 for a family of 3, or $51,625 for a family of 4.  

If you are a working parent who can’t find a way to provide health insurance for your children, I urge you to look into Healthy Families.

Since its creation in 1998, Healthy Families has been very successful:

  • California’s rate of uninsured children dropped from 21 percent in 1998 to 14 percent in 2005.   
  • And at the end of 2006, the program was providing coverage for 770,000 children.

I encourage you to look into whether this program can help your family too.   

Healthy Families, and similar programs in states across the country, are funded by the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program.  But without action, this program will expire on September 30, 2007.  

To prevent this vital program from disappearing, the Senate recently approved a bipartisan bill to reauthorize and expand it.   This bill would increase our investment by $35 billion, covering 3.2 million additional children.  

This legislation would also allow states to expand their programs to cover families earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level, or $61,950 for a family of four.  This is critical for high cost states like California.  

For more information, and to find out if your child is eligible for coverage, I encourage you to visit the Healthy Families website. 

Visit My Official Site | Contact Me | Unsubscribe