Todays news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): Sanders in Cuba: Sen. Bernie Sanders departed Thursday on a congressional delegation trip to Havana, Cuba, and the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base to discuss human rights, trade, and health care issues, WFFF-TV, WVNY-TV in Burlington, Vt., and WNYT-TV in Albany, N.Y., reported. “The prison at Guantánamo Bay has significantly damaged the United States’ moral standing, undermined our foreign policy, and encouraged terrorism rather than effectively combated it,” Sanders said ahead of the trip. “We should aggressively defend ourselves against terrorism, but we must do so in a way that is consistent with our nation’s core values.” Food Labels: The food industry and farm groups are pushing Congress to pass legislation that would require the Food and Drug Administration to create a federal standard for voluntary labels on food products, thereby invalidating state laws requiring labeling of genetically modified ingredients. Last May, the Senate rejected an initiative by Sen. Sanders that would have allowed states to require labeling of genetically modified foods, The Associated Press reported. Tax Breaks for Big Oil: Large oil companies are taking advantage of tax breaks that allow them to write off expenses for cleaning up damaging oil spills. Rep. Keith Ellison told MSNBC on Thursday that Sen. Sanders and he proposed legislation that would cancel these tax breaks and others for the nation’s largest polluters. Senate to Take Up Sanders’ Veterans Bill: Sen. Sanders has introduced a comprehensive veterans bill backed by more than 20 veterans service organizations, National Public Radio and Stars & Stripes reported. Aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he hopes to move next week on the Sanders bill which would expand veterans’ health care, repeal a military-retiree COLA change and cut overseas contingency operations funds, Congressional Quarterly reported. Continue reading here: sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/020714
Posted on: Fri, 07 Feb 2014 14:13:32 +0000
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