Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) says Tuesday that he is bothered by the fact that the U.S. military uses so many contractors to help fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sanders and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) introduced legislation today that would phase out private security contractors in war zones. (:23)
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Senator Sanders Disturbed By Large Presence Of Military Contractors In Iraq And Afghanistan
Health Reform Will Benefit American People, Says Former Insurance Executive
Former insurance executive Wendell Potter sees healthcare reform as a benefit to all American people. (0:15)
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International Laws Threaten First Amendment Rights
By Antonia Aguilar – University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
The ability for a plaintiff to use foreign laws to inhibit publications within the U.S. is what prompted the Senate Judiciary Committee to address on Tuesday the growing threat of lawsuits against American writers and publishers, and explore ways to help better protect their First Amendment rights from threats against them overseas.
“Publications exposing financial improprieties, consumer protection issues, medical malpractice, and sexual abuse have all fallen victim to libel tourism lawsuits around the world,” said Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)
‘Libel tourism’ is a term used to describe plaintiffs who seek out foreign courts in countries where there is no regard for freedom of speech in hopes of gaining a favorable verdict.
According to witness Kurt Wimmer, an attorney who focuses on media law and intellectual property, the looming threat of a lawsuit from a foreign entity that does not honor the right to free speech has many journalists and publishers leery of addressing controversial topics or exposing damaging truths.
“This chilling effect not only jeopardizes individual members of the media, but also impedes the crucial free flow of information and ideas to the American public on matters of public concern,” he said.
To counteract these threats, Congress must create more protections against libel tourism, according to witness Bruce Brown, a defense attorney who focuses on libel and invasion of privacy defense, copyright and the law of news gathering.
“Congress must enact legislation to prevent libel tourists from taking advantage of lax foreign defamation laws to suppress the First Amendment rights of US. citizens and chill their future speech,” said Brown.
“This is international forum shopping of the worst kind,” said Leahy. “We can all agree that our courts should not become a tool to uphold foreign libel judgments that would undermine our First Amendment or due process rights.”
Two libel tourism bills are pending before the committee and they both address what role U.S. courts should play in protecting the First Amendment rights of the Constitution, according to Leahy.
U.S. Military Using Too Many “Hired Guns” In Iraq And Afghanistan, Says Illinois Democrat
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) says Tuesday that the U.S. military is too reliant on contractors to help fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. (:34)
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Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae Owned By The Taxpayers, Says Bachmann
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) calls for government to level with the American people. Now that the taxpayers own Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae they should know the accounting as well, she says. (0:25)
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United States Facing Financial Reckoning, Says Rep. Bachus
Rep.Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) calls for fairness in accounting on behalf of the United States, and urges for the real deficit numbers to be released to the public. (0:27)
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House Republicans Want Freddie And Fannie To Be On The Books
By Laurel Brishel Prichard – University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
A group of Republicans serving on the House Financial Services Committee have unveiled a bill that would force the Obama administration to add the total debt of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, a total of $1.6 trillion, to the current national debt figure.
“All roads have led to Freddie and Fannie in the current financial meltdown situation that we have been continuing to deal with. We have to level with the American people as to what’s going on,” said Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) during a press conference on Tuesday.
To date, the administration has taken into account the $110.6 trillion in taxpayer dollars that has already been paid to the corporations, as well as $225 billion in mortgage bonds bought by the Treasury Department, but Republicans aren’t satisfied.
“The Obama administration has been obscuring the cost of the government-sponsored enterprises by not including them in the budget…this is certainly what got Enron in trouble, it got WorldCom in trouble, and it got AIG in trouble,” said Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.).
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae hold well over forty percent of past due mortgages in circulation currently. According to Bachus, the Treasury Department’s Christmas Eve decision to give the GSE’s a “blank check” will allow them to rely on taxpayer support until 2012.
The proposed bill would begin to take effect ninety days after being signed into law.
New Bill Would Limit Role Of Private Military Contractors
By Laurel Brishel Prichard University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced legislation Tuesday that would limit the work the U.S. does with independent military contractors.
“Our footprint in places like Iraq and Afghanistan is really masked by the heavy dependence of contractors,” said Schakowsky during a morning press conference.
The Stop Outsourcing Security, or “SOS,” bill would stop private security companies from being employed by the government for sensitive issues, such as training the Afghanistan police, which is one of the contracts that Xe services, formerly known as Blackwater, is currently lobbying for. The SOS bill would also require contracts over $5 million to undergo Congressional review.
“When push comes to shove private contractors answer to corporate CEOs, not a uniformed commander,” said Sanders.
In addition, both Schakowsky and Sanders believe that the use of private contractors not only hurts the morale within the armed forces, but could drive Americans away from traditional roles in armed services in pursuit of higher pay.
Defense Official: Operations In Marjah And Helmand Has Been Successful
By Monique Cala University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service
Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy said she was ‘optimistic for the future’ of military offenses in the Afghan towns Marjah and Helmand.
“So far the evidence suggest this fundamental shift and approach has been extremely successful,” said Flournoy during a hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee. “The percentage of Afghan civilian casualties caused by coalition actions has dropped substantially.”
The operation is a combination of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan forces working together to remove the Taliban and restore security to Marjah and central Helmand.
Flournoy highlighted how the perception of Americans on the ground in Afghanistan has improved recently due to the fundamental approach. Yet, the joint staff did warn that things could get worse before they get better.
“We may well see increases in violence, increase in attacks on our forces,” said Flournoy. “Our adversaries are cunning, they are adaptable, they are tenacious and we will need to continually reaffirm out commitment and refine our response.”
Lieutenant General John Paxton said, “In spite of recent success, we know this is going to be a hard fight. There are going to be pockets of intense resistance. There will be perhaps one step forward two steps back for awhile.”
The ratio of Afghan Armed forces to U.S. troops in Marjah is now 1 to 2. Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.) called it ‘considerable progress’ from 1 to 5 last September.
“Operation Moshtarak is first operation in Afghanistan where coalition planning has been fully interrogated with our Afghan partners from the very start,” added Paxton.
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House Will Strip Antitrust Protection For Health Insurance Companies, Says Pelosi
By Chingyu Wang – Talk Radio News Service
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Tuesday that she and other Democrats in the House will try to pass the Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act tomorrow. The bill would remove antitrust protections for the major health insurance companies.
“This bill is about restoring competition, fairness, and choice to the health insurance industry. After 65 years, it is now time for the unfair advantage insurance companies have held over American families and small businesses to end,” said Pelosi. “We have set a better legislation. It’s about affordability for the middle class, it’s about accessibility of many more people to health care, and affordability is central to that.”
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said he is optimistic about the bill’s chances of passing when it is brought to the House floor tomorrow.
“I’m confident it’ll pass, and I surely hope that it passes with a significant bipartisan vote,” said Hoyer.
Former insurance executive Wendell Potter viewed the legislation as a major step toward ending what he described as the profit domination of seven major companies in the health insurance field.
“In my view it’s a beginning comprehensive reform that will benefit average Americans, working individuals and families more than the big insurance companies,” said Potter.