Maria's Monday Memo

Maria's Monday Memo

Senator Maria Cantwell's Weekly Update for Washington State

Necessary equipment for our troops

Last week, the Senate approved a measure that will help keep our troops safe in Iraq and Afghanistan . The Senate unanimously approved an amendment I co-sponsored to provide an additional $445 million to equip Army and Marine vehicles with armor capable of withstanding roadside bombs. This funding is in addition to $766 million I helped secure for armored vehicles in the emergency war appropriations bill passed in May.

Roadside bombs have injured and claimed the lives of many of our brave soldiers, and not enough of our vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan have this protection. This spring, I met with a Sergeant Adam Furno from Vancouver . He recently returned from Iraq , where he personally applied makeshift armor to his Humvee.

Our soldiers should not be put in a position where they must apply anything but the highest-grade armor to their vehicles. While friends and family await their return, we owe it to our troops to make sure they have the equipment and protection they need. We send the world's best trained soldiers into combat; they deserve nothing less than the best equipment.
Bankrupt, corrupt, and disgraced Enron still wants your money

Enron cheated millions of Americans out of pension security. It also cheated the Western energy market, forcing at least one Washington state utility to sign manipulated contracts at artificially high prices, and sending electric bills through the roof.

Since Enron was exposed and disgraced in 2001, the former energy giant has filed for bankruptcy. But that hasn't stopped Enron from trying to rip off ratepayers. Enron recently hired a long-time lobbyist to fight a provision I wrote that was included in the Senate energy bill with bipartisan support. This provision would have made it harder for Enron to collect the $122 million it claims it is owed by Snohomish Public Utility District. Snohomish County ratepayers should not pay a dime more on contracts that were manipulated by Enron, for energy they never even received.

I sent a letter last week with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, who represents a state also targeted by Enron's devious tactics, to House and Senate energy bill negotiators, urging them to ignore Enron's misleading lobbying, and make sure our consumers are protected. The negotiations are continuing on Monday and Tuesday, and I am optimistic that my amendment to save Washington ratepayers from Enron's greed will be included in the final bill.

Enron made a fool of federal energy regulators when it scammed Western power markets earlier this decade; let's hope Congress took note, and doesn't let Enron game the system again. I'll keep you updated as the energy bill moves further in the legislative process.
New Coast Guard cutter sailing for our safety

On Saturday, I attended the commissioning of a new Coast Guard cutter, the Swordfish, at the Port Angeles Coast Guard Station. Joined by the Coast Guard officials, including the Commandant Admiral Collins and the 87-foot cutter's new commanding officer, Lieutenant Sarah Salazar, I had the honor of being named "sponsor" of the ship.

Having recently been named the top Democrat of the Senate's Coast Guard subcommittee, my tour of the Swordfish was especially enlightening. In a post-9/11 world where priorities are shifted and budgets are tightened, we need to be sure the Coast Guard has the resources they need to secure our nation's waterways while maintaining their other vital responsibilities like search and rescue, fishery enforcement, and oil spill response. I wish Lieutenant Salazar and the Swordfish's new crew all the best as they serve us proudly in Washington 's coastal waters.
Visiting Washington , D.C. ?

Are you planning to visit Washington , D.C. ? If so, I would welcome the opportunity to meet you. On Thursday, July 28, at 8:30 a.m., I will host one of my regular coffees for constituents in my Washington , D.C. , office. If you will be in the nation's capital and would like to attend, please call my office at (202) 224-3441, or fill out a reservation form online by visiting my web site at http://cantwell.senate.gov/services/coffee.html .

http://cantwell.senate.gov/updates/weekly_update.html