In the News
by Jim Lobe
With U.S. President Barack Obama preparing to host Haitian President Rene Preval at the White House Wednesday, Congress is moving quickly to show support for far-reaching debt relief and additional aid for the earthquake-stricken Caribbean nation.
The Senate Friday approved a resolution urging the U.S. representative at major international lending institutions to push for the cancellation of all of Haiti's outstanding multilateral debt – about 700 million dollars – or about two-thirds of the country's total outstanding debt of some 1.2 billion dollars.
A House panel approved a resolution aimed at easing Haiti's debt burden to help with reconstruction efforts in the wake of the devastating January 12 earthquake.
The House Financial Services Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy, Trade and Technology approved a measure directing US representatives to the IMF, the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and other international organizations to work for Haitian debt relief.
by Ryan Grim
A House subcommittee approved a measure on Thursday to press major international financial institutions to completely cancel all debts owed by Haiti, where a major earthquake devastated what little capacity Haiti had to pay the debts back.
The International Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee approved the Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act, introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), which also aims to encourage direct assistance in the form of grants from those institutions, rather than loans.
By Richard Simon
As the House on Tuesday approved "Billy's Law," a bill designed to aid families searching for missing loved ones, Janice Smolinski had more than a casual interest.
Her son, Billy, for whom the legislation is named, disappeared more than five years ago.
By RHONDA B. GRAHAM
It's unfortunate that the first black American president feels he can't confab with African-American leaders about jobs in their community outside Black History month.
This is the distinct impression from Barack Obama's Oval Office meeting Wednesday with Benjamin T. Jealous, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Marc H. Morial, president of the National Urban League; and the Rev. Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network.
By Christi Parsons and Janet Hook
Amid signs that black Americans are not sharing in the nation's fledgling economic recovery, President Obama on Wednesday met at the White House with African American leaders, who urged him to adopt a new approach more tightly focused on chronically depressed communities.
While the unemployment rate in January dropped below 10% for the first time in five months, joblessness among blacks increased slightly, to 16.5%.
by Kevin Sherrington
Nothing attracts attention like a crying baby in church unless it's a congressional hearing on sports, and it's a toss-up as to which is more annoying.
At least screaming infants can be mollified. Politicians are forever colicky.
But occasionally these characteristics work to the greater good, as should be the case when the House Judiciary Committee holds a forum today in Houston on concussions in football.
by Tony Romm
Add Rep. Maxine Waters (Calif.) to the list of Democrats who now say their healthcare reform bills are imperiled.
By Norman Ornstein
When President Obama urged lawmakers during his State of the Union speech to work with him on "restoring the public trust," he was hardly going out on a limb. The Congress he was addressing is one of the least popular in decades. Barely a quarter of Americans approve of the job it's doing, according to the latest Gallup/USA Today poll, while 58 percent said it was below average or one of the worst ever, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal survey last month.
By Josh Grossberg Staff Writer
In a departure from what has become a familiar scene in the national debate over health care, nobody clashed at a town hall meeting hosted by South Bay Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters on Saturday.
Instead, the more than 400 people who attended the event at Los Angeles Southwest College near Inglewood applauded, chanted and gave standing ovations during Waters' presentation, which lasted far longer than the two hours it was scheduled for.