Thursday, June 24, 2004 ROLL CALL Page 3
Blumenauer Joins Elite DNC Ranks
By Chris Cillizza cide with Kerry’s visit to the state. It brought He said that “awareness is building” among
Morning
ROLL CALL STAFF in roughly $800,000, he said. his colleagues about the importance of rais-
Never heavily involved in presidential pol- “It’s clear that you don’t just go to Iowa and ing money to aid Kerry in the fall.
itics before this cycle, Oregon Rep. Earl Blu- New Hampshire in the middle of the winter “There is not a day that goes by that there
Business menauer (D) was recently recognized by the
Democratic National Committee for his
fundraising efforts, the only Member of Con-
gress to receive the distinction.
and endorse,” said Blumenauer. “We need re-
sources” as well.
Laura Capps, a spokeswoman for Kerry,
said that Blumenauer provided a “crucial en-
isn’t an opportunity to have a conversation
about the stakes and what we’re doing,” said
the Oregon Democrat.
The attempt to reward individuals who
OGO Stake. A liberal government Blumenauer was named a “Patriot” for dorsement” for the Senator in Iowa. raise significant funds is modeled after the
P watchdog group filed suit in U.S.
District Court on Wednesday to
thwart Justice Department efforts to “re-
steering $100,000 into the committee’s
“Kerry Victory 2004” account, a joint-
fundraising agreement designed to benefit
She added that since that day in January
Blumenauer has “shown the depth of his com-
mitment to electing Kerry.”
blueprint created by President Bush’s cam-
paign.
Seven Republican Members of Congress
classify” information provided to the Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and the Blumenauer was one of 171 “Patriots”; the are “Rangers” for the Bush campaign, mean-
Senate Judiciary Committee by an FBI DNC. DNC also announced 17 “Trustees” who ing they have raised at least $200,000 for the
whistleblower. The Oregon Democrat made the DNC list raked in $250,000 or more for the organiza- effort.
Sibel Edmonds, a former FBI linguist, by organizing a May 25 fundraiser to coin- tion. See BLUMENAUER, page 24
told Judiciary she was fired after raising
concerns about the activities of another
House
translator in her section. Attorney General GOLDEN DOMERS
John Ashcroft has requested that Judi-
ciary essentially remove Edmonds’ testi-
mony from public scrutiny, even though
she provided the information in two un-
classified briefings. The committee has
complied with the request.
Approps
Nixes Fence
“It is absurd to reclassify information
that has been in the public domain for so
long,” said Danielle Brian, executive di-
rector of the Project on Government
Oversight, which brought the suit. “This By Jennifer Yachnin
is an entirely inappropriate use of the ROLL CALL STAFF
classification system.” House appropriators voted Wednesday to
prohibit the use of public tax dollars for a se-
Gotta Have Faith. At a ceremony curity fence around the Capitol, blocking the
Wednesday in the Cannon House Office advancement of an idea that had already been
Building, Reps. Mark Green (R-Wis.) informally rejected by lawmakers in both
and Harold Ford Jr. (D-Tenn.) an- chambers in recent months.
nounced the creation of their new faith- The measure, passed by voice vote, is in-
based community solutions caucus. cluded as an amendment in the $2.7 billion
Formally known as the Community So- Chris Maddaloni/Roll Call fiscal 2005 legislative branch appropriations
lutions and Initiatives Coalition, the cau- It was like a Notre Dame alumni meeting in Rep. Peter King’s office Tuesday, as bill approved by the full Appropriations pan-
cus is dedicated to improving the working King (center), Rep. Mark Souder (top right) met with Oakland Raiders wide el.
relationship between government and receiver Tim Brown (right) shared tales of South Bend. Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer had
community faith-based organizations. raised the possibility of installing an extensive
“The vast majority of Americas, De- security fence — surrounding both the Capi-
mocrats and Republicans alike, agree that tol and House and Senate office buildings —
government could be doing a far better
job of working with faith-based and com-
munity organizations,” Green said in a
Committee Hears District during Appropriations hearings in both cham-
bers earlier this year.
Lawmakers had criticized the idea, which
statement. “These groups have been
fighting many of the social ills that plague
our communities, and they’ve been doing
Voting Rights Proposals has been discussed several times in the past
two decades, asserting that it would close off
Congress to the public.
it with virtually no help from the govern- By Jennifer Yachnin “The District is a unique political and social Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), who sponsored the
ment. It’s time that all changed.” ROLL CALL STAFF unit that cannot be commingled with the in- amendment, said a security fence would create
While D.C. voting rights advocates praised terests of Maryland or any state.” “essentially a private grounds for Congress.”
Party Planners. With just over 200 a recent spike in legislation focused on their Under the bill Rohrabacher introduced earli- “If we put a fence around this place, we are
days to go before Inauguration Day 2005, cause at a House Government Reform Com- er this year, the city would essentially become going to really hurt the image and under-
the Joint Congressional Committee on In- mittee hearing Wednesday, witnesses largely Maryland’s 9th district for the purpose of Con- standing of what a democracy is all about,”
augural Ceremonies has opened its doors panned two proposals that would closely tie gressional representation. The legislation would Farr added.
in the Russell House Office Building and the city’s Congressional representation to also make District residents eligible to vote for House lawmakers approved a handful of
launched its official Web site. Maryland. Maryland’s two Senate seats. Regula’s propos- other amendments to the spending bill —
The site, http://inaugural.senate.gov, House lawmakers reviewed four proposals, al would cede the majority of the District’s land which freezes funding at fiscal 2004 levels
provides a link for performers to apply to each of which would create at least partial back to Maryland, and the city’s residents would — ranging from a study of dental and vision
participate in the ceremony along with in- Congressional voting representation for the become citizens of that state. benefits for Members and staff to new lim-
formation on ticket distribution. District of Columbia. While proposals offered by Davis and D.C. its on compensation for House employees.
Comprised of Senate Majority Leader “Will moving forward with any of the Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) received Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), who chairs the
Bill Frist (R-Tenn), Sen. Chris Dodd measures before us today be easy? Not at all,” warmer receptions from the voting rights ad- Appropriations subcommittee on the legisla-
(D-Conn.), Speaker Dennis Hastert (R- Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) remarked at the start vocates, Norton acknowledged that “none of tive branch, argued that the spending bill
Ill.), House Majority Leader Tom De- of the hearing. “We need to forge consensus the bills has anything close to the necessary “shows fiscal restraint.” The House version of
Lay (R-Texas) and House Minority among Members with disparate views.” support in Congress” at this point. the bill, which does not include more than
Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and The proposals range from full Congression- Norton is the sponsor of the “No Taxation $825,000 in Senate operations funds, totals
chaired by Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), al representation for the District — which is Without RepresentationAct,” which would pro- nearly $4 million below the legislative branch
the committee plans and executes all in- currently represented by a nonvoting Delegate vide full representation to the District with two agencies’ original requests.
augural activities at the Capitol, includ- in the House and has no representation in the Senate seats and one House seat. While “They will receive less than they requested
ing the swearing-in ceremony of the Senate — to retrocession to Maryland. Wit- Williams and Cropp acknowledged a prefer- but enough to carry out their primary func-
president and vice president and the tra- nesses, including D.C. Mayor Anthony ence for Norton’s bill, both suggested that tions,” said Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), the sub-
ditional inaugural luncheon that follows. Williams (D) and D.C. City Council Chairman Davis’more limited legislation could serve as a committee’s ranking member.
— Ethan Wallison and John McArdle Linda Cropp (D), praised the proposals — not- weigh-station on the path to full representation. Among the more contentious topics
ing the bipartisan support the concept has re- Davis introduced legislation Tuesday that Wednesday afternoon, the Appropriations
ceived — but questioned proposals introduced would temporarily expand the House to 437 panel agreed to study the expansion of vision
Correction by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) and Rep.
Ralph Regula (R-Ohio) that would link the Dis-
seats, creating a fourth Congressional district
in Utah, which is a Republican stronghold,
and dental care benefits for Members and staff,
a measure House lawmakers blocked during
The party identification of Sen. Zell trict’s voters to Maryland. and one seat for the District, a Democratic bas- the fiscal 2004 appropriations process.
Miller (D-Ga.) was misstated in an item in “I would be very reluctant to support any tion. The House would contract to 435 seats Following a lengthy debate, lawmakers ap-
Wednesday’s “Heard on the Hill” (“Down initiative that has the potential to fragment the following the 2010 Census and reapportion- proved an amendment offered by Rep. John
With Handwringers”). District’s political identity,” Williams said. ment, but would preserve the D.C. district. See LEG BRANCH, page 24