Kerry Implores Senate Panel To Send START To The Floor

In prepared remarks this morning, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) nudged lawmakers on the panel to vote ‘yes’ on the New START Treaty.

“We have had five months of investigation, study, and consultation. Now, it is time for us to act. We must act to improve the nuclear security of the United States. We must report New START to the Senate,” Kerry said.

The panel is expected to vote on a resolution later in the day. Kerry and  Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), the committee’s ranking Republican, are confident the resolution will pass out of committee, but have hesitated to say whether ratification will be taken up by the full Senate before the midterm elections…

California Lawmakers Introduce Pipeline Legislation

California Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D) and Barbara Boxer (D) have unveiled a bill aimed at preventing gas pipeline accidents, like the one that killed four people in San Bruno last week.

The Strengthening Pipeline Safety and Enforcement Act of 2010 would increase fines on companies that violate safety regulations and would expand oversight of the industry.

“The tragic explosion in San Bruno shows why we must increase inspections of our nation’s pipelines. This legislation will put more inspectors on the job protecting our communities while increasing penalties for safety violations,” said Boxer.

Sanders Welcomes Warren To Consumer Protection Bureau

Sources are reporting today that President Barack Obama will soon name Elizabeth Warren as a special adviser to the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Warren, who currently chairs the Congressional Oversight Panel, which has monitored the TARP program, will not need to be confirmed by the Senate.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) applauded the decision to appoint Warren to the agency.

“At a time when the working families of this country are profoundly disgusted by the greed, recklessness and illegal behavior of Wall Street, I applaud President Obama for appointing a tough and brilliant advocate to head the new Financial Consumer Protection Bureau.  The American people are tired of being ripped off by large banks and financial institutions and, in Professor Warren, they finally will have someone in a position of power who can protect their interests.”

Collins To OMB Nominee: Good Luck

Jacob ‘Jack’ Lew, the president’s nominee to succeed Peter Orszag as head of the Office of Management and Budget at the White House, will testify before a Senate committee later today, and is expected to be peppered with questions about the nation’s deficit and potential tax increases.

In her prepared remarks, Susan Collins (R-Maine), the top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, will warn Lew that he must prepare for a “perfect storm” of economic uncertainty.

“Rising entitlement costs soon will collide head-on with the cresting waves of aging Baby Boomers set to leave their jobs. The result will put even more pressure on already strained Social Security and Medicare expenditures,” Collins will say.

Collins, who supports extending tax cuts for all Americans, will also tell Lew he needs to keep a close watch on the nation’s soaring level of debt.

“Mr. Lew will need to develop a realistic plan that prevents the federal budget from becoming a mammoth anchor, dragging down growth in jobs and personal income.”

Measure To Repeal Healthcare Gets First Democratic Signature

Rep. Gene Tayor, a Democrat from Mississippi, became the first Democrat to attach his name to a GOP-backed petition to repeal the healthcare law that passed earlier this year.

The measure, put forth by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), now has 171 co-signatures. If that number reaches 218, King says he’ll bring the repeal measure to the floor for a full vote.

“Adding Rep. Taylor to the discharge petition is a significant step towards repealing Obamacare,” said King. “Rep. Taylor’s decision also means that the effort to repeal Obamacare now has something that the effort to pass Obamacare never achieved: bipartisan support. Americans want the President’s bill repealed, and Americans should ask their Representatives to sign the discharge petition.”