Maria’s Monday Memo
Senator Maria Cantwell’s Weekly Update
for Washington State
Monday, April 25, 2005
___________________________________________________________________
Restoring Privacy to Library and Bookstore Records
Our nation’s traditions demand a respect for the privacy of people’s personal effects. That’s why I am very concerned about provisions in the PATRIOT Act that compromise the privacy of bookstore proprietors, librarians and their customers. The SAFE Act, of which I am a cosponsor, is a reasonable fix to make sure we protect both our nation’s borders and our right to privacy. National security is the top concern, but it doesn’t have to come at the expense of our civil liberties. It’s time to reevaluate important parts of the PATRIOT Act. Law-abiding American citizens should not have to give up their freedoms for government investigations that have nothing to do with terrorism.
This past weekend, during a press conference at the Seattle Public Library, I called on the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on legislation designed to reign in the government’s powers to secretly investigate libraries, booksellers and their customers. The Security And Freedom Enhancement (SAFE) Act would roll back provisions of the PATRIOT Act that allow the federal government to confiscate the papers, electronic records and equipment of libraries and booksellers, as part of open-ended government investigations of American citizens. Instead, the SAFE Act would require government investigators to show a connection between the records they are seeking and a suspected terrorist or spy.
___________________________________________________________________
House Energy Bill a Raw Deal for Washington State Taxpayers
Last week, the House of Representatives passed an energy bill that gives polluters a free ride, while local communities in Washington state and across the country are left to foot the bill for groundwater contamination. The bill contains liability protection for the producers of the chemical methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), a pollutant and possible carcinogen. This favor does nothing to move America toward energy independence, but it will shift $29 billion in cleanup costs to local communities.
While only 6 percent of the bill’s tax incentives will benefit producers of alternative fuels, more than 90 percent will go to oil, gas, and other traditional energy producers. These are the same companies wracking up record profits while prices at American gas pumps soar.
A 21st Century energy policy should concentrate on alternative energy sources and renewable energy, and the House bill fails miserably. It’s a bad joke at the expense of American consumers and taxpayers – and the OPEC cartel will be laughing all the way to the bank. I will use my seat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to fight for a Senate energy bill that gets serious about addressing our nation’s energy challenges.
__________________________________________________________________
Preserving Hanford’s Historic B Reactor
Last fall, the President signed into law legislation I supported with Rep. Doc Hastings of Pasco to preserve Hanford’s historic B Reactor. The B reactor was an important site of “Manhattan Project,” the World War II effort to develop and construct the first atomic bomb.
On Wednesday I urged Senate Appropriations leaders to fully fund the study to preserve Manhattan Project sites. Without this funding, the study won’t be complete, and the B reactor would not be preserved. Future generations should have the opportunity to understand the work of our nuclear veterans, their dedication to our country, and the difficult issues our country faced during the nuclear arms race era. The contributions to science and country made by former Hanford workers should not be forgotten.
This is an important issue for local leaders because the historic park would not only preserve an important historical marker that recognizes the sacrifices of our nation’s ‘nuclear veterans,’ but a preserved B reactor would be a major tourist attraction that could create jobs for residents of the Tri-Cities area. The B Reactor historical park enjoys strong local support, including from the B Reactor Museum Association, the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau, and the Atomic Heritage Foundation.
For more information, please visit my web site: http://cantwell.senate.gov
for Washington State
Monday, April 25, 2005
___________________________________________________________________
Restoring Privacy to Library and Bookstore Records
Our nation’s traditions demand a respect for the privacy of people’s personal effects. That’s why I am very concerned about provisions in the PATRIOT Act that compromise the privacy of bookstore proprietors, librarians and their customers. The SAFE Act, of which I am a cosponsor, is a reasonable fix to make sure we protect both our nation’s borders and our right to privacy. National security is the top concern, but it doesn’t have to come at the expense of our civil liberties. It’s time to reevaluate important parts of the PATRIOT Act. Law-abiding American citizens should not have to give up their freedoms for government investigations that have nothing to do with terrorism.
This past weekend, during a press conference at the Seattle Public Library, I called on the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on legislation designed to reign in the government’s powers to secretly investigate libraries, booksellers and their customers. The Security And Freedom Enhancement (SAFE) Act would roll back provisions of the PATRIOT Act that allow the federal government to confiscate the papers, electronic records and equipment of libraries and booksellers, as part of open-ended government investigations of American citizens. Instead, the SAFE Act would require government investigators to show a connection between the records they are seeking and a suspected terrorist or spy.
___________________________________________________________________
House Energy Bill a Raw Deal for Washington State Taxpayers
Last week, the House of Representatives passed an energy bill that gives polluters a free ride, while local communities in Washington state and across the country are left to foot the bill for groundwater contamination. The bill contains liability protection for the producers of the chemical methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), a pollutant and possible carcinogen. This favor does nothing to move America toward energy independence, but it will shift $29 billion in cleanup costs to local communities.
While only 6 percent of the bill’s tax incentives will benefit producers of alternative fuels, more than 90 percent will go to oil, gas, and other traditional energy producers. These are the same companies wracking up record profits while prices at American gas pumps soar.
A 21st Century energy policy should concentrate on alternative energy sources and renewable energy, and the House bill fails miserably. It’s a bad joke at the expense of American consumers and taxpayers – and the OPEC cartel will be laughing all the way to the bank. I will use my seat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to fight for a Senate energy bill that gets serious about addressing our nation’s energy challenges.
__________________________________________________________________
Preserving Hanford’s Historic B Reactor
Last fall, the President signed into law legislation I supported with Rep. Doc Hastings of Pasco to preserve Hanford’s historic B Reactor. The B reactor was an important site of “Manhattan Project,” the World War II effort to develop and construct the first atomic bomb.
On Wednesday I urged Senate Appropriations leaders to fully fund the study to preserve Manhattan Project sites. Without this funding, the study won’t be complete, and the B reactor would not be preserved. Future generations should have the opportunity to understand the work of our nuclear veterans, their dedication to our country, and the difficult issues our country faced during the nuclear arms race era. The contributions to science and country made by former Hanford workers should not be forgotten.
This is an important issue for local leaders because the historic park would not only preserve an important historical marker that recognizes the sacrifices of our nation’s ‘nuclear veterans,’ but a preserved B reactor would be a major tourist attraction that could create jobs for residents of the Tri-Cities area. The B Reactor historical park enjoys strong local support, including from the B Reactor Museum Association, the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau, and the Atomic Heritage Foundation.
For more information, please visit my web site: http://cantwell.senate.gov
posted by T. Scott Brineman at 4:58 AM
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