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United States · Official source
6,315 records where Rep. Hinchey, Maurice D. [D-NY-22] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2008
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 245 North Main Street in New City, New York, as the "Kenneth Peter Zebrowski Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2008
Entitles a member of the uniformed services to additional pay of $1,500 per month while the member's service is extended, or eligibility for retirement is suspended, by the exercise of any provision of law commonly referred to as a "stop-loss authority."
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2008
Long Path Trail Study Act of 2008 - Amends the National Trails System Act to require that the Long Path Trail from Fort Lee, New Jersey, to the Adirondack Mountains in New York be studied for possible designation as a national scenic trail.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2008
Honors the life of Louis Jordan on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Recognizes his important contributions to American music as a musician, composer, and entertainer.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2008
Urges: (1) the members of the international community, including the United States, that possess the capability to expeditiously provide the tactical and utility helicopters needed for the United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur to do so as soon as possible; (2) the President to personally ask other heads of state to contribute aircraft and crews for the Darfur mission; and (3) the Department of State to organize a special meeting of the U.N. Security Council, the Friends of UNAMID working group, and the U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations to resolve outstanding force and equipment issues.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2008
Trade Reform, Accountability, Development, and Employment Act of 2008, or the TRADE Act of 2008 - Directs the Comptroller General of the United States to: (1) review biennially certain free trade agreements (including Uruguay Round Agreements) between the United States and foreign countries; and (2) report to the Congressional Trade Agreement Review Committee regarding such agreements, including analyses of specified subjects and of each agreement, as well as whether the country has a democratic form of government that respects certain core labor rights and fundamental human rights, protects intellectual property rights, and enforces environmental laws. Declares that implementing bills of new trade agreements shall not be subject to expedited consideration or special procedures limiting amendment,unless such agreements include certain standards with respect to: (1) labor; (2) environment and public safety; (3) food and product health and safety; (4) provision of services; (5) investment; (6) procurement; (7) intellectual property; (8) agriculture; (9) trade remedies and safeguards; (10) rules of origin; (11) dispute resolution and enforcement; (12) technical assistance; (13) national security; and (14) taxation. Requires the President to submit to Congress a plan for the renegotiation of existing trade agreements to bring them into compliance with such standards. Establishes a Congressional Trade Agreement Review Committee. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) certain requirements urging the attainment of certain trade goals shall apply to all existing and new trade agreements; and (2) a certain process for U.S. trade negotiations should be followed when Congress considers legislation providing special procedures for implementing bills of trade agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2008
Recognizes the historical significance to the nation, and supports the continued celebration, of Juneteenth Independence Day (June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved African Americans were free). Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and more effectively facing the challenges of the future; and (2) the celebration of the end of slavery is an important and enriching part of the history and heritage of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2008
Trade Agreement Benchmarks and Accountability Act - Subjects bills implementing trade agreements to a point of order in both the Senate and the House of Representatives unless certain conditions are met. Withdraws congressional approval of a bill implementing a trade agreement if a report by the International Trade Commission (ITC) indicates that certain benchmarks and predictions made with respect to an agreement are not being met unless a joint resolution waiving such benchmarks and predictions is enacted by Congress. Describes the benchmarks as analyses of the following effects of the agreement: (1) resulting job creation and job losses; (2) resulting improvement in wages for U.S. workers; (3) implementation and enforcement of the labor and environmental standards by each country that is a party to the agreement; and (4) the extent to which the agreement will result in an increase in access by U.S. businesses to the market of each country that is a party to the agreement, particularly those sectors identified by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) as of special importance.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2008
The White House Conference on Food and Nutrition - Directs: (1) the President to call the White House Conference on Food and Nutrition to be convened in order to make fundamental policy recommendations on ways to end hunger and to improve nutrition in the United States; and (2) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of the Treasury to plan and conduct the Conference. Sets forth Conference provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2008
Roosevelt Scholars Act of 2008 - Establishes the Theodore Roosevelt Scholarship Foundation as an independent establishment in the executive branch. Directs the Foundation to award scholarships in an annual nationwide competition to individuals (to be known as "Roosevelt Scholars") who are: (1) enrolled in or seeking admission to accredited full-time graduate studies that prepare such individuals for occupations that are critical to the missions of federal agencies; and (2) nominated by persons that have direct knowledge of their academic or work experience. Sets the maximum scholarship amount at $60,000 for each of up to five academic years, covering tuition, room and board, books, and fees. Requires Roosevelt Scholars to: (1) agree to serve in the federal government for a period of years equal to the number of academic years during which they received their scholarship; (2) complete a federal internship related to their studies while earning their degree; (3) participate in certain extracurricular activities designed to assist their pursuit of federal careers and development of leadership qualities; and (4) serve as sources of information regarding federal employment opportunities. Establishes the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Scholarship Trust Fund consisting of appropriations and gifts for such scholarships. Sets forth additional duties of the Foundation, including the creation of an online directory of all federal scholarship opportunities available to individuals pursuing federal employment and an online directory of current occupations critical to the missions of federal agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2008
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: ( 1) modify the exemption from the 10% penalty for premature distributions from governmental employee benefit plans to qualified public safety employees to eliminate the restriction that such plans be defined benefit plans; and (2) exempt from tax penalties certain periodic payments made to qualified public safety employees before the enactment of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (i.e., August 17, 2006).
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2008
Condemns all forms of sexual violence, including rape, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Calls on the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to address the large-scale sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Urges an increased U.S. and donor country effort to provide greater assistance for police and military human rights training in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Calls on the Secretary of State to: (1) appoint a special envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to sustain U.S. engagement in a peace process and stabilization programs; and (2) encourage the Congolese government to refer individuals or armed groups found guilty of rape and sexual violence consistent in magnitude to crimes against humanity to an international criminal court system. Encourages: (1) the international community to ensure greater coordination in its response to sexual violence and to provide further humanitarian assistance in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo; (2) full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1325 and related law and policy on the protection of women and girls; and (3) U.S. companies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to exert oversight concerning where their products are coming from and who is benefiting from the trade. Reaffirms support for constitutional government, the rule of law, human rights, and democratic processes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2008
Supports the goals and ideals of Vietnam Veterans Day. Calls on the American people to remember those men and women who sacrificed their lives defending the nation in Vietnam, recognize the prisoners of war and Armed Forces members who are missing in action, and honor all Vietnam veterans who served the nation faithfully to protect its freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2008
Honors the valedictorians and graduating seniors of the class of 2008 for their academic achievements and contributions to their communities. Encourages all valedictorians and graduating seniors to continue their studies. Supports the continued social engagement of valedictorians and graduating seniors.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2008
Expresses support for the designation of a National Scleroderma Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2008
Supports the goals and ideals of Caribbean-American Heritage Month (in the month of June). Affirms that: (1) the contributions of Caribbean-Americans are a significant part of the history, progress, and heritage of the United States; and (2) the ethnic and racial diversity of the United States enriches and strengthens the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2008
Mourns the loss of Irena Sendler, a woman whose bravery and heroic efforts saved over 2,500 Jewish children during the Holocaust.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2008
Honors the life of Robert Mondavi, a pioneer and patriarch of the California wine industry.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2008
Veterans Pain Care Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement a comprehensive policy on the management of pain experienced by veterans, including department-wide management of acute and chronic pain, the standard of care, the consistent application of pain assessments, health care personnel education and training, and education for veterans and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2008
Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Act of 2008 - Requires the President to establish, in the Office of Science and Technology Policy, a Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (STEM education) within the National Science and Technology Council. Establishes an Office of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education in the Department of Education, to be administered by an Assistant Secretary. Requires the Assistant Secretary to conduct an annual evaluation of the STEM education programs administered by the department. Requires the Secretary of Education to award a grant to establish a voluntary State Consortium on STEM Education and a grant to the National Science Digital Library to establish a National STEM Education Research Repository.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2008
Recognizes the important social and economic contributions and accomplishments of the New Deal to our nation on the 75th anniversary of legislation establishing the initial New Deal social and public works programs. Encourages observation of National New Deal Week.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2008
Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Accountability Act of 2008 - Amends the Federal Tort Claims Act to allow claims for damages to be brought against the United States for personal injury or death of a member of the Armed Forces arising out of a negligent or wrongful act or omission in the performance of medical, dental, or related health care functions that: (1) takes place other than in the context of combat; and (2) is provided by persons acting within the scope of their office or employment by or at the direction of the Armed Forces, whether inside or outside the United States. Provides for a reduction of claims under this Act by the present value of other benefits attributable to such death or injury received by the member and by that member's estate, survivors, and beneficiaries pursuant to other federal law.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2008
Kid-Safe Chemicals Act of 2008 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to require each manufacturer of a chemical substance distributed in commerce to submit to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): (1) a statement certifying that the substance meets required safety standards or that there is insufficient data to make such determination; and (2) all reasonably available information concerning the substance not previously submitted. Requires manufacturers to update such information at least every three years or at any time new information becomes available on a substance's toxicity. Requires manufacturers to provide chemical safety information upon the Administrator's request. Prohibits the manufacture, importation, or distribution in commerce of a chemical substance if the Administrator determines that the manufacturer has failed to comply with this Act or that the substance does not meet applicable safety standards. Authorizes the Administrator to prohibit a specified use of a chemical substance in consumer products if the use of the product in the home results in human exposure that does not meet the safety standard. Requires the Administrator to: (1) publish a priority list that categorizes all chemical substances distributed in commerce; (2) develop a priority list for making safety determinations of at least 300 chemical substances; (3) determine whether a manufacturer has established that its priority-list substances meet applicable safety standards; (4) arrange for the Director of the National Center for Environmental Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct a biomonitoring study to determine the presence of a chemical substance in human cord blood if the Administrator determines that it may be present in human blood, fluids, or tissue; (5) implement animal testing alternatives; (6) create market incentives for the development of safer alternatives to existing chemical substances; (7) establish an Interagency Science Advisory Board on Children's Health and Toxic Substances; (8) cooperate with international efforts to monitor chemical substances; and (9) create a database to share information on the toxicity and use of, and exposure to, chemical substances and provide public access to such data.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2008
Calls on the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend and the Postal Service to issue a commemorative stamp honoring law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2008
Extractive Industries Transparency Disclosure Act - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to instruct the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to require specified annual reports of an issuer to disclose the total payments made to an agency or instrumentality of a foreign government: (1) for natural resources in a foreign country; or (2) in connection with the extraction of natural resources from a foreign country. Requires compilation of such information so that it is accessible by the public directly from the SEC website without separately accessing the annual reports of each issuer filing the information on the EDGAR system.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2008
Home Retention and Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to establish the right of an eligible deferred-foreclosure consumer, defendable in court, to defer initiation of a foreclosure or related action, including a foreclosure sale, brought by any creditor, servicer, or holder of an eligible deferred-foreclosure mortgage, during a specified deferment period. Declares invalid any foreclosure action or proceeding regarding a deferred-foreclosure mortgage if the creditor or servicer fails to notify the consumer: (1) at least 30 days before instituting the action or proceeding; and (2) at least once during each subsequent 30-day period until the foreclosure becomes final. Prescribes procedures governing: (1) initiating foreclosure deferment; (2) payment notices during the deferment period; and (3) the manner of consumer payment during the deferment period. Amortizes over the life of the mortgage the difference between the amount of monthly payment due under the eligible deferred-foreclosure mortgage and the deferment payment amount. Prohibits a creditor or servicer from imposing any late fee or other fee or charge during the deferment period. Requires the creditor or servicer to provide the consumer with separate, written notification, distinct from all other correspondence, regarding: (1) any interest rate increase with respect to a sub-prime mortgage; (2) any minimum monthly payment increase with respect to a negative amortization mortgage; (3) clear and conspicuous disclosure of the good faith estimate of the monthly payment applicable after the adjustment or reset date; and (4) a list of alternatives available to consumers prior to the date of adjustment or increase. Authorizes appropriations for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation to implement foreclosure mitigation activities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2008
Gas Price Relief for Consumers Act of 2008 - No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act of 2008 or NOPEC - Amends the Sherman Act to make it illegal for any foreign state or instrumentality thereof to act collectively or in combination with any other foreign state or any other person, when such action has a direct, substantial, and reasonably foreseeable effect on the market, supply, price, or distribution of petroleum in the United States, to: (1) limit the production or distribution of oil, natural gas, or any other petroleum product (petroleum); (2) set or maintain the price of petroleum; or (3) otherwise take any action in restraint of trade for petroleum. Denies a foreign state engaged in such conduct sovereign immunity from the jurisdiction or judgements of U.S. courts in any action brought to enforce this Act. States that no U.S. court shall decline, based on the act of state doctrine, to make a determination on the merits in an action brought under this Act. Authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action in U.S. district court to enforce this Act. Makes an exception to the jurisdictional immunity of a foreign state in an action brought under this Act. Directs the Attorney General to establish in the Department of Justice (DOJ) a Petroleum Industry Antitrust Task Force to, among other things, develop, coordinate, and facilitate the implementation of DOJ investigative and enforcement policies related to petroleum industry antitrust issues under federal law. Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study evaluating the effects of mergers addressed in covered petroleum merger consent decrees on competition in the markets involved, including the effectiveness of divestitures required in such decrees in preserving competition in those markets.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2008
Expresses the sense of Congress that the 225th Anniversary of the Continental Congress meeting at Nassau Hall in Princeton, New Jersey, should be commemorated.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2008
Preserving the American Historical Record Act - Authorizes the Archivist of the United States to make grants to states to: (1) protect historical records; (2) use such records in new and creative ways; (3) provide education and training to those who care for historical records; and (4) create a wide variety of access tools, including finding aids, documentary editions, indexes, and images of key records maintained on state and local organization websites. Requires the Archivist to consult with state and local officials on criteria for making the grants.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2008
Polar Bear Seas Protection Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from offering or approving any new lease, or approving an exploration or development plan, within any area of the Chukchi or Beaufort Sea marine and coastal ecosystems until: (1) the National Research Council reports to Congress on certain missing information regarding the composition, distribution, status, and ecology of the living marine resources in such ecosystems; (2) the polar bear is listed as either an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and critical habitat is designated for it; (3) the Secretary performs an oil spill response gap analysis for proposed and existing arctic oil operations; and (4) the Secretary makes specified determinations, including that oil and gas exploration and development can be conducted in the Beaufort and Chukchi Sea Planning Areas without posing a risk of substantial adverse impact to wildlife, or wildlife habitat and subsistence.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2008
Honors military support groups for their support of members of the Armed Forces and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2008
Declares that the United States, through the International Whaling Commission, should: (1) use all appropriate measures to end commercial whaling, including scientific, special permit, coastal, and community-based whaling; (2) oppose any initiative that would result in any new, Commission-sanctioned coastal or community-based whaling, even if it is portrayed as noncommercial, including commercial whaling by coastal communities that does not qualify as aboriginal subsistence whaling; and (3) seek to strengthen conservation and management measures.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2008
Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2008 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to extend through FY2012 the grant program for armor vests for law enforcement officers.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2008
Family Fairness Act of 2008 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to make an employee eligible for coverage under such Act if that employee has been employed for at least 12 months by a covered employer with respect to whom such leave is requested. (Eliminates the requirement, under current law, that the employee have served at least 1,250 hours during the 12-month period before the leave request.)
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2008
Expresses support for the designation of National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. Encourages increased awareness about the prevalence of asthma and allergies and the disparities in asthma cases based on race, ethnicity, and economic status. Recognizes: (1) health care professionals that treat asthma- and allergy-related health issues; and (2) the nation's commitment to continued education surrounding asthma and allergy treatment and symptoms and to advancing care for both conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2008
Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fill Suspension and Consumer Protection Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to suspend petroleum acquisition for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) through the royalty-in-kind program during the period between enactment of this Act and December 31, 2008. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to suspend petroleum acquisition for the SPR through any acquisition method during such period. Authorizes both Secretaries to resume acquisition during such period, but no earlier than 30 days after the President notifies Congress that the weighted average price of petroleum in the United States for the most recent 90-day period is $75 or less per barrel. Directs the Secretary of Energy, to the extent practicable, to: (1) accept delivery of royalty-in-kind oil scheduled for delivery to the Department of Energy (DOE) for the SPR pursuant to an existing contract with the Secretary of the Interior; and (2) negotiate deferral of any oil delivery scheduled for the SPR pursuant to a contract entered into by DOE before, and in effect on, the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2008
Gas Price Spike Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a windfall profit tax on crude oil, natural gas, or products of crude oil or natural gas. Defines "windfall profit" as so much of the profit on a sale of crude oil, natural gas, or related products as exceeds a reasonable profit. Establishes the Reasonable Profits Board to determine levels of reasonable profit from the sale of such products. Allows a tax credit for the purchase of certain fuel-efficient, American-made passenger vehicles. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to operators of mass transit systems, including bus and commuter rail systems, to reduce passenger fares on such systems.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2008
Extends condolences to the people of Burma for the grave loss of life and vast destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis, and vows full support with the people of Burma. Calls on Americans to provide emergency assistance to cyclone victims in Burma through humanitarian agencies. Calls for the Burmese military junta to consider the well-being of its people and accept international assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2008
Fair and Justifiable Credit Card Interest Rate Act of 2008 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit the annual percentage rate applicable to any extension of credit on a credit card account under an open end consumer credit plan from exceeding 20%.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2008
United States Commission on Rebuilding America for the 21st Century Act - Establishes the United States Commission on Rebuilding America for the 21st Century to review published materials on the nation's transportation, water, energy, public lands, and housing infrastructure and assess the challenges of meeting the nation's infrastructure needs in the 21st century. Directs the Commission to submit to Congress a report that: (1) documents those challenges and articulates a national vision of infrastructure investments to overcome them; (2) contains specific recommendations on policies and investments to provide for streamlined state and local transportation investment processes, an electric grid that delivers clean, safe, and affordable energy, reductions in greenhouse has emissions, and improved transportation mobility, community health outcomes, water conservation, and public lands infrastructure accommodating user growth without degrading the environment; and (3) contains a set of model principles to ensure that future investments in the nation's infrastructure incorporate the report's findings and recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2008
Stillbirth Awareness and Research Act of 2008 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) more states should enact legislation that allows the issuance of a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth; and (2) the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) should increase the allocation of funds and other resources for stillbirth research. Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to establish and maintain a scientific registry of stillbirths in the United States, which shall include for each stillbirth information on the stillborn fetus and the mother's health and pregnancy as collected and submitted by states on the U.S. Standard Report of Fetal Death. Requires the Secretary to: (1) provide for the development of a standard definition of stillbirth and a standard protocol for stillbirth data collection and surveillance; and (2) carry out a national campaign to increase public and state awareness of such definition and protocol and public awareness and knowledge of stillbirths.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2008
Trust in Reliable Understanding of Consumer Costs Act, or the TRUCC Act - Amends federal transportation law to require certain fuel costs disclosures and fuel costs reimbursements by a motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder providing or arranging transportation or service using fuel for which it does not bear the cost. Requires such a motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder to: (1) reimburse persons (truckers) that do bear fuel costs for any such costs they have paid; and (2) give such persons a written list that identifies any freight charge, brokerage fee or commission, fuel surcharge or adjustment, and any other charges. Prohibits any person from causing a motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder to present false or misleading information on a document or in an oral representation about the actual rate, charge, or allowance to any party to the transaction or transportation.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2008
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 101 West Main Street in Waterville, New York, as the "Cpl. John P. Sigsbee Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2008
Declares that the Secretary of Defense should immediately: (1) submit to Congress a plan to minimize the use of stop-loss orders that prevent Armed Forces members who have completed their contractual obligations from voluntarily separating from the Armed Forces; and (2) implement a new stop-loss policy to ensure that no member of the Armed Forces who has completed a tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan is subject to a stop-loss order.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2008
Calls for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reverse its policy that aims to eliminate patient access to compounded medications containing estriol prescribed by physicians.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2008
Creates, for veterans who were subjected to certain chemical or biological warfare testing involving Project 112 conducted through Deseret Test Center (including the Shipboard Hazard and Defense Project, also known as Project SHAD), a presumption that a disease was incurred in or aggravated by service, notwithstanding that there is no record of evidence of the disease during the period of service, if the disease warrants presumtion of service connection by reason of increased exposure to a biological, chemical, or other toxic agent.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2008
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) it is U.S. policy to oppose slavery, torture, racism, discrimination, and xenophobia; (2) the United States should give thorough review to domestic policy and legislative proposals that would improve the lives of marginalized U.S. communities; and (3) the Senate and the United States should ratify specified international conventions.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2008
Commends the Firefighter Cancer Support Network for: (1) the support its members provide to fire service members and their families facing cancer; and (2) the awareness it brings to such members and families about cancer prevention and screening. Encourages fire service organizations to provide information to fire service members about the Network.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2008
International Violence Against Women Act of 2008 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to establish in the Department of State the Office of Women's Global Initiatives (which shall replace the Office of International Women's Issues) to coordinate U.S. government efforts respecting international women's issues. Establishes within the Department an Advisory Commission on International Violence Against Women. Directs the President to develop a comprehensive strategy to prevent violence against women and girls. Directs the Coordinator of the Women's Global Initiatives to ensure that foreign assistance programs incorporate measures to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. Provides that U.S. training of foreign military and police forces incorporates training on prevention of violence against women and girls. Directs the Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to assist programs that prevent and respond to violence against women and girls in all humanitarian relief, conflict, and post-conflict operations. Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) encourage U.N. member states to expand the number of female members of U.N. peacekeeping missions; and (2) take emergency measures to respond to violence against women and girls during conflict or post-conflict operations. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United Nations should strengthen its ability to prevent violence against women and girls by U.N. military and civilian personnel. Provides that Foreign Service training include instruction on prevention of violence against women and girls. Authorizes appropriations to support the United Nations Development Fund for Women Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence Against Women.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2008
Condemns recent decisions by the government of the Russian Federation to establish official ties with the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, a process that impedes reconciliation between those regions and the government of the Republic of Georgia and that violates Georgia's sovereignty and Russia's commitments to international peacekeeping. Encourages Russia to work with Georgia, the peoples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and the international community to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. Calls on U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to investigate the April 2008 downing of an unarmed Georgian reconnaissance aircraft. Supports the declaration of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Bucharest Summit stating that Georgia will become a NATO member.