Stimulus package: America’s right to follow up

The Committee on homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held a hearing today regarding The Recovery Investment Act and how to follow the trail of money that will be spent. Among the participants were Chairman Joseph I. Lieberman (ID-Conn) and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine). Testimony was given by Robert Nabors, Deputy Director Office of Management and Budget.

Lieberman discussed the responsibility of the Committee under the Senate rules which is to study “the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness, of all agencies and departments of the Government.” He stated that it is important to work closely with the Obama Administration on this issue, because the last thing America needs is money, waste, or fraud.

Collins emphasized the importance of spending the stimulus funds effectively and with transparency plus accountability. To achieve this, Congress included strong safeguards in the stimulus bill. She described an example of this which is the funding for agency Inspectors General and the Government Accountability Office, which will act as watchdogs over the government.
Collins also referred to a new website, recovery.com, that has been created to allow every citizen to watch how their tax money is being spent.

Nabors in his testimony further discussed this website and has estimated that it has received over 150 million hits since February the 17th. “ We anticipate that the website will be a valuable resource for tracking their use,” said Nabors.

Building a Better, Safer World

The Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota held an event today entitled “Building a Better, Safer World: What Would a McCain Presidency Do?” Sen. Joseph Lieberman was a late-addition, he dominated the panel discussion. Other panelists included Ambassador Robert Portman, former Reagan Security Advsior Robert McFarlane and Richard Williamson, a foreign policy advisor to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush. All panelists are currently advisors to Sen. McCain and his campaign.

Much of the discussion focused on foreign policy issues set in the Middle East and the need for free trade agreements to cement American allies around the world. “Our image in a lot of the world is better than we think it is,” Sen. Lieberman said. “Iraq now is potentially a great model for the future in the Islamic world in this sense: Al Qaeda's been rejected ultimately by the Sunnis because they were brutal. Now you have the possibility in Iraq of a self-governing, self-defending and self-developing country economically.”

Ambassador Portman focused mainly on trade. “Trade is a politically controversial issue these days but is an essential issue of soft power." He continued, “Trade is single best weapon we have to reduce poverty. It's about more than trade with these countries, it's about countries being able to trade with each other.” Both Lieberman and Portman agreed that free trade should be increased during the next presidency.

The fight for privacy in the digital age

A full committee hearing on “Protecting Personal Information: Is the Federal Government Doing Enough?” was led by Chairman Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) and Ranking Member Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). Lieberman said that the United States needs to be concerned because new types of personal information and technology have led to justified concerns about privacy. Collins agreed and said that the battle for privacy is one worth waging in the digital age.

Lieberman explained that new technologies to gather, share, and store huge amounts of information have dramatically altered the privacy landscape. These new technologies and data practices that go along with them have overtaken some of the core definitions of the Privacy Act of 1974, and Lieberman said that revisions need to be made. Collins explained that the government needs to be diligent as technology develops rapidly. She said that Congress should build on the success of the original law and inspire confidence of the American public that the U.S. government is protecting their privacy.

Linda Koontz, the Director of Information Management Issues in the U.S. Government Accountability Office, agreed with both senators and said that the Privacy Act does need to be revised. She explained that the systems of records are too narrow and not all methods protect privacy. Hugo Teufel, the Chief Privacy Officer of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said that the government needs to focus on five different areas when dealing with the protection of personal information: policy, process, incidence and breeches, education, and outreach.

Ari Schwartz, the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Center for Democracy and Technology, asked “how can privacy be improved?” He said that the structure of the Privacy Act is solid but, as technology improves, not all areas of privacy are covered. Schwartz said that some agencies are becoming “promiscuous with data,” losing track of and giving away vital, personal information. Peter Swire, a Professor of Law at the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University, explained the importance of good leadership when dealing with privacy issues. He said that a privacy official would allow for coordination across agencies, would act as a source of expertise, would be available for special projects, and serve as a single point of contact. Everyone urged for the Committee to act this year and draft a bill of recommendations to improve the Privacy Act.

“Lieberman- Warner Climate Security Act” breezing through Senate

Following a vote on the “Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act” in the Senate, a news conference with remarks by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) was held in advocacy of the bill and how it will help keep our environment clean. The senators speaking at the press conference expressed their satisfaction with the bipartisan support the bill has received from other members of the Senate.

Concerning the bill, Senator Kerry described the role the next President will play in “getting this done” to solve the problem of global warming. Kerry mentioned that our nation has to set an example to other world powers such as China and India about properly funding initiatives to keep the environment clean.

Boxer talked about how, because Americans are concerned about climate change, this bill will pass more quickly than the Clean Air Act that took roughly a decade to pass. In an emotional moment, she told the story of a “beautiful” letter she received from ailing Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) about his appreciation and support for the bill.

Lieberman comically mentioned that, due to the success the bill had in acquiring Senate support, this morning’s vote was “A small step for mankind, and a giant step for the U.S. Senate.” He said the bill would help move American history in a direction it needs to go toward, with Boxer adding that funding for fuel alternatives could also help make our country less dependent on foreign oil.

McCain campaign: Obama disparages European allies

The McCain campaign hosted a conference call in response to Senator Barack Obama’s speech at the annual AIPAC policy conference. Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), House Chief Deputy Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va), and Randy Scheunemann, foreign policy advisor to Senator John McCain, spoke during the call and gave their thoughts on Obama’s recent statements.

Lieberman said there was a "disconnect" between what Obama said at the conference and what he previously said regarding the level of threat Iran poses. Cantor mentioned that it is easy to talk about supporting Israel, but much harder to actually do so. He said that McCain has a strong background in the military and extensive experience in the region, which is an essential part of understanding (and hopefully resolving) the long-running conflict taking place in Israel.

Scheunemann said that Obama "disparaged" U.S. allies by saying it was important for the U.S. to be directly involved in negotiations with Iran. He also said that by applying pressure to Iran through European allies, McCain was acting as a statesman, which was an important aspect of U.S. foreign policy.