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12/16/2008
Planning Commission Gets $60,000 Grant
Congressman Tom Petri reports that the U.S. Commerce Department has awarded a $60,000 grant to the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission to aid the recovery following the June 2008 floods in Calumet, Fond du Lac, Winnebago, Marquette and Green Lake counties.  Full Release

12/5/2008
Petri Inspects Alternative Cars
WASHINGTON - With Detroit auto executives in town seeking a loan from the government, General Motors thought it would be a good time to display new technology next to the Capitol Building.  Rep. Tom Petri took the opportunity to inspect experimental hydrogen-powered vehicles and to learn about the Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in electric-gasoline hybrid which GM has scheduled for commercial production in Nov. 2010.  Full Release

11/26/2008
Digital Television Transition
Federal Communications Commission officials are visiting Milwaukee and Green Bay December 2-3, 2008, as part of an extensive outreach effort regarding the transition to digital TV on February 17, 2009.  A town hall meeting with FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps will be held at Marquette University in Milwaukee at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2.  Local stations will conduct a DTV transition test for the Green Bay/Appleton market at 6:10 p.m. on December 3, and a DTV Answers Hotline will be open from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.  Wisconsin is a high target market for outreach as we have a high number of households that rely solely on over-the-air signals for television reception.    A copy of the FCC press release with further details can be found here.  Full Release

11/18/2008
Extend SeniorCare, Wisconsin Delegation Tells Obama
WASHINGTON - Members of Wisconsin's congressional delegation are calling on President-elect Barack Obama to allow the state to continue using federal funds for its popular SeniorCare prescription drug program past Dec. 31, 2009, when the federal government's current waiver is set to expire.  Without a renewal of the waiver, SeniorCare participants will need to switch to the federal government's Medicare Part D program to continue receiving government-subsidized prescription drug benefits.  Full Release

10/30/2008
KOHL, FEINGOLD, PETRI, KAGEN APPLAUD ITC RULING IN FAVOR OF APPLETON PAPER COMPANY
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold, and Representatives Tom Petri and Steve Kagen, applauded the International Trade Commission’s decision to rule in favor of the paper company Appleton in their case against China and Germany.  The Commission’s vote in Certain Lightweight Thermal Paper from China and Germany, Inv. No. 701-TA-451 and 731-TA-1126-1127 (Final) was affirmative with respect to China and Germany. The vote on China was 6-0 and the vote on Germany was 3-3.  The ITC’s ruling means it will take stronger steps to enforce anti-dumping laws against Chinese and German paper manufacturers that endanger U.S. producers.  Full Release