E-Newsletter

E-Newsletter
July 22, 2005

Dear Friends:

For thirty-two years, the Endangered Species Act gave the federal government the tools and a mandate to protect animals and plants threatened with extinction. This week, I joined the Minnesotabased company Aveda along with dozens of other environmental organizations to protect the Endangered Species Act from political attacks. I am committed to defending our environment because it's our duty to protect and preserve America's future. Click here to read my full statement on the
Endangered Species Act.

This week, the U.S. House passed Republican legislation to reauthorize the U.S.A. Patriot Act (H.R. 3199). I opposed this legislation because it removes Congressional oversight and makes permanent many controversial provisions, which provide the executive branch with unprecedented powers of search, seizure and surveillance--often without due process guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. These provisions had been set to expire at the end of this year. Click here to read my statement.

This week, the House International Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Human Rights unanimously approved the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act (HR 3127). An amendment that I authored was included in the legislation, which calls on Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to continue to designate Sudan a state sponsor of terrorism and classify the Janjaweed militia a terrorist organization. Sudan is a rogue state perpetrating genocide against the people of Sudan. Despite this, Secretary Rice visited Sudan and met with its leaders. The U.S. Government has no business collaborating with a state sponsor of terrorism. Click here to read my full statement.

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Betty McCollum
Serving Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District

http://www.mccollum.house.gov/vertical/Sites/%7B6CD95013-7C42-4AD8-A464-EB8D8679E9C9%7D/uploads/%7BA42BF719-B82D-4682-A5CD-A46E7D57D6EC%7D.PDF