Witnesses rally for Congress to enforce right to vote for all

Senator Leahy chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee on a hearing titled "Protecting the Constitutional Right to Vote for All Americans." The hearing was almost canceled as Senator Kennedy was scheduled to co-chair the hearing. Senator Leahy out of respect was questioning whether or not to postpone the hearing, but decided to proceed. Jonah Goldman, Director of the National Campaign for Fair Elections, Pam Karlan, Professor of Public Interest Law at Stanford in addition to three other witnesses were on hand.

Senator Leahy recounted the story of a dozen elderly nuns and their attempt to vote in Indiana just two weeks ago. They were turned away from the polls for not having the appropriate photo ID. Indiana's restrictive photo ID law for eligibility of voting has come under scrutiny since this incident.

Senator Russ Feingold was on hand and his testimony stated, "But we can't simply be disappointed that the Supreme Court now stands on the wrong side of history -- it is incumbent on us to act. Congress' responsibility to protect the right to vote remains intact, and th Supreme Court's recent decision urgently compels us to fulfill that duty."

The witnesses testimonies were to be attributed to the record to support enforcement of the right to vote for all and to address the issue of photo identifications on voting day. In addition, there was an effort to discredit misleading adds that gave false information on when, where and how to vote in certain states.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Criticizes "Shameful" U.S. Spending In Iraq

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) chaired a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing addressing wasted money, fraud, and the abuse of American tax money in the reconstruction of Iraq.

The Committee interrogated a panel of leaders knowledgeable about the wasted funds spent by the Bush Administration. Leahy described the carefree spending as "shameful." Leahy and the Committee criticized Bush's funding and close relationship with the controversial Halliburton Energy Corporation, and a lack of responsible oversight for government spending over the course of the war and during rebuilding efforts.

Panel members explained that America has had some success in Iraq, urging that sustaining the improvements we have made in the war-ravished nation is necessary to ensuring our success remains permanent. Leahy and the Committee each agreed that spending accountability should be held for the sake of both taxpayers and U.S. soldiers.

The hearing also featured a number of protestors in the audience, as well as photographs of American's in Iraq holding bags of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money.