CENTRAL POINTS: In order to win the future, America must out-innovate and out-build the rest of the world. Yet the U.S. patent system lags woefully behind. Over 750,000 patent applications have yet to be approved due to inefficiencies in the approval process. The America Invents Act will create jobs and promote innovation by reforming the…
CENTRAL POINTS In his State of the Union address, President Obama heeded voters’ call and offered a balanced approach to spending, economic growth and job creation. While it makes sense to cut wasteful and unnecessary programs, we must invest in what moves our country forward, spurs economic growth and strengthens the middle-class. The FAA…
Summary This week, the Senate is expected to consider a Continuing Resolution that will fund federal government operations through March 4, 2011. Under the new Continuing Resolution, funding would continue at Fiscal Year 2010 enacted levels for most programs. This legislation was offered as a Senate amendment, S.Amdt. 4885, to the Fiscal Year 2011 Consolidated…
Summary The federal government shares responsibility with state, local, and private organizations to help protect our nation’s natural resources for current and future generations. In order to help fulfill that responsibility, the 110th Congress passed and President Bush signed into law the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008. Furthermore, at the beginning of 111th Congress,…
Summary There are hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought to the United States by their family at an early age and remain undocumented. For most, the United States is the only country they have ever known. Many of these individuals are at risk of being punished because they do not have the proper…
Summary H.R.2965, theDon’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010 would put in place a process to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law prohibiting homosexuals from serving openly in the armed services by striking Section 654 of Title 10 of the United States Code (USC), and allow the Secretary of Defense to manage implementation…
Summary This week, the Senate will consider the Fiscal Year 2011 Consolidated Appropriations Act [link to full text], legislation to fund the federal government for Fiscal Year 2011. The Senate Omnibus measure is a substitute amendment to the Continuing Resolution, H.R.3082, which passed the House on December 8, 2010. The Senate Omnibus is $29 billion…
Summary The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), negotiated between the United States and the Russian Federation, is a follow-on agreement to the original START Treaty between the U.S. and the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan that expired in December 5, 2009. Signed by Presidents Obama and Medvedev on April 8, 2010, New…
Summary This week, the Senate will consider legislation, the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act, S.Amdt.4753, sponsored by Senators Reid and McConnell to extend the vital tax cuts for America’s middle class and a wide range of individuals and businesses that will otherwise expire at the end of this month. This measure…
Summary On June 17, 2009, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee favorably reported S.1462 to the Senate. This legislation contained, among many provisions, a number of important energy efficiency improvements for products like electric spas, commercial furnaces, and certain types of light-bulbs. After reporting S.1462, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee continued to…