Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—June 20, 2014 – 12:35 P.M. EDT MS. VARGAS: Thank you, everybody, for participating today. This call is on the record and without embargo. You should also have received from the White House more information, including a factsheet from the Vice President’s trip to Guatemala and actions that we’re[Read More…]
National
Statement by President Obama on 2014 World Refugee Day
Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–June 20, 2014. Today I join people around the world in commemorating World Refugee Day. It is an opportunity to honor the resilience of those who flee violence and persecution and the dedication of those who help them. The forces that shatter communities and uproot their residents are difficult[Read More…]
Senators Wyden, Udall, Heinrich Urge President to End Bulk Collection While Congress Works to Pass Real Surveillance Reform
‘The Executive Branch Need Not Wait for Congress to End the Dragnet Collection of Millions of Americans’ Phone Records’ WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–June 20, 2014. U.S. Senators Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) urged President Obama to take immediate steps — while Congress works to pass true surveillance reform[Read More…]
May 2014 Jobless Rates Down in 20 States, Up in 16; Payroll Jobs Up in 36 States, Down in 14
Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—June 20, 2014. Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in May. Twenty states had unemployment rate decreases from April, 16 states had increases, and 14 states and the District of Columbia had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-nine states and the[Read More…]
State Department Briefing on the Trafficking in Persons Report 2014
Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–June 20, 2014. MR. RATHKE: Okay. Thank you, operator. I’m Jeff Rathke, director of the Press Office here at the State Department. And today we’re doing a call with Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, who is Ambassador-At-Large to Combat Trafficking in Persons. So today’s call will be on the record, but[Read More…]
U.S. State Dept. Updates Thailand Travel Alert, June 20, 2014
Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–June 20, 2014. The U.S. Department of State reminds U.S. citizens to be alert to the current political and security environment in Thailand under martial law. On May 22, the Royal Thai Army seized control of Thailand’s administration under the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and imposed[Read More…]
Representative Blumenauer Introduces Amendment to Eliminate New Nuclear Weapons Program, Clean Former Defense Sites
Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–June 19, 2014. Today, the House of Representatives voted on my amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2015 that would have prevented a $3.4 million down payment on a new nuclear-armed air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) and redirect that funding towards the cleanup and removal[Read More…]
Senator Bernie Sanders: Oil Speculators Use Iraq as Excuse to Drive Up Prices
WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–June 19 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today accused oil companies and Wall Street speculators of using unrest in Iraq as a phony excuse to artificially drive up crude oil and gasoline prices. The price of oil today rose above $115 a barrel – a new nine-month high on the[Read More…]
Senators Wyden, Grassley Press for Answers on Continuous Monitoring of Whistleblower and Legislative Branch Communications
WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–June 19, 2014. Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Wyden are pressing the Director of National Intelligence to explain in detail how the intelligence community plans to implement continuous monitoring of security clearance holders without undermining legal protections for whistleblowers or constitutional protections for the separation of powers between the executive[Read More…]
Reps. Woodall and Duckworth Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Eliminate Congressional Perk
Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–June 19, 2014. U.S. Representative Rob Woodall (R-GA-07) and U.S. Representative Tammy Duckworth (D-IL-08) introduced H.R. 4872, the “Ending Special Mail Privileges for Congress Act of 2014.” This bipartisan legislation repeals an antiquated federal law, known as the Franking privilege, that allows Members of Congress to use their signature[Read More…]
