Senator Maria Cantwell's Weekly Update for Washington State

Senator Maria Cantwell's Weekly Update for Washington State

Observing Iraqi Elections

Last week, I went to Iraq as an official election observer. I witnessed an important milestone with more than ten million Iraqi people showing up at 6,200 polling centers to vote in their nation's parliamentary elections. This milestone is important for Iraq , giving new life to its own young democracy. It is important milestone for the United States as we see the Iraqi people take responsibility for their government and we begin to bring our own troops home. Through their participation, the Iraqi people not only chose their individual representatives, they also stood as one and said, clearly: "We choose democracy. And we are willing to risk our lives and our safety to get it."

Thursday's election was a clear benchmark for Iraqi sovereignty. And now, we must demand more accountability and milestones to be met from the Bush administration. A month ago, I was one of 79 senators calling for 2006 to be "a year of significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty, with Iraqi forces taking the lead for the security of a free and sovereign Iraq , thereby creating the conditions for the phased redeployment of forces from Iraq ." During this trip, I looked closely at what progress we have genuinely made thus far. Now that votes have been cast, the new 275-seat Council of Representatives must answer a very particular call. There will be many challenging days ahead. They must choose a president and a prime minister. And they must answer critical, delicate questions about the shape of their new government, the impact of federalism and regionalism. They must bridge the tremendous chasms of deeply felt sectarian differences, and unite against an insidious insurgency will not go away easily. That's why, we, too, have a lot of work still to do in Iraq . We cannot disappear tomorrow; America has an important role.

I returned to the Senate with a sharpened focus on the issues that demand significant improvement. The administration and Congress must first do a better job of training Iraqi troops and preparing them to take over their young nation's defense. We must turn to and protect critical assets like the electricity grid and the oil pipelines. Finally, we must galvanize support in the neighborhood for this new Iraqi government. Progress on each of these issues requires accountability.

Defending the Arctic and Supporting Our Troops

On Monday, I went to the floor of the U.S. Senate to oppose the addition of an Artic drilling provision to the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill. Attaching such a provision to legislation necessary to fund our troops is fundamentally wrong. It's the wrong energy policy, it's the wrong budget policy, and it's the wrong defense policy. Not only that, it's an affront to the United States Senate and the rules that govern this institution. Changing the rules to give sweetheart deals to oil companies is the last thing the Senate should be doing on a defense spending bill. The Arctic drilling provision gives oil companies a free ride. It's back-door language that allows them to circumvent at least seven federal laws and countless regulations. These are safeguards that every other business in America has to comply with everywhere but in Alaska . Indeed, Alaska is a special place, but it shouldn't have special rules, especially when they amount to declaring open season on the Arctic . There's a reason this battle has been going on for 25 years, and that is because it's very contentious. And that kind of contention doesn't deserve to be on the DOD appropriations bill at a time when we must support our troops.

Protecting Our Civil Liberties While Fighting Terrorism

This summer, while addressing the Patriot Act, the Senate unanimously passed a good bill which achieved our goals of both protecting our civil liberties and fighting terrorism. Sadly, the House turned its back on that bill and proposed in its place legislation which does nothing to address these concerns. On Friday, I joined a bipartisan group of senators to extend debate on the Patriot Act. I believe that with further discussion the Senate and the House can in fact send to the president's desk a bill which will ensure that individuals' private records are not obtained without due process or due cause. The federal government has a responsibility to protect our nation from those who may bring terror into our homes. It also has a responsibility to respect our rights and honor our privacy. These principles are not mutually exclusive: we can and must achieve both.

Reopening Japan to U.S. Beef Imports

Last week, Washington 's cattle industry received great news. The Japanese Food Safety Commission concluded that American beef presents an "extremely low" risk of bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) - commonly referred to as Mad Cow disease. The Commission's decision is an important step toward fully reopening of the Japanese market to U.S. beef. Ranchers all across our state have been working hard to show our trading partners what we at home already know: Washington beef is safe and we're going to make sure it stays safe. I continue to push the FDA to implement crucial safeguards on the production of animal feed and strengthen the current ban on agents in animal feed believed to cause Mad Cow.

We need to keep pushing Japan to reopen its market to American beef. After the 2003 discovery of a BSE-infected cow in Washington State , Japan closed its borders to American beef, even though the calf was of Canadian origin. Since the closure, Washington state cattle producers have lost $190 million each year, and the U.S. meat industry has lost 10,000 jobs overall. Japan was the largest importer of U.S. beef prior to 2004. After last week's positive announcement, I wrote to the U.S. Trade Representative and called on negotiators to continue pressuring Japan to fully reopen its market to U.S. beef. Regaining complete access is extremely time sensitive and of paramount importance to cattle ranchers and the rural communities in which they farm.

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