Weekly Update

Weekly Update

Senator Maria Cantwell's Weekly Update for Washington State

Standing Up for Fair Deployment of the National Guard and Reserves

Last month I wrote to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to express my concern about recent news reports that the Pentagon plans to change its policy for deploying members of the Reserves to allow more frequent call ups and for longer periods of time. I asked him to clarify the Pentagon's position. I'm pleased to report that yesterday, on the news program "Meet the Press," Sec. Rumsfeld said that the policy will not be changed, and that our citizen soldiers will not be deployed for longer than 24 months, cumulatively. I hope his comments provide certainty for our National Guard and Reserve troops and comfort for their families. Member of the Guard and Reservists make many sacrifices on behalf of our country, and the least we can do is keep our word to them.

Strengthening Social Security

As many of you know, the future of Social Security is being debated in Washington . I believe strongly in our Social Security system, and want to make sure that the federal government keeps its promise to retirees across the nation. Unfortunately, I believe that the plan President Bush recently proposed could cost taxpayers two trillion dollars while letting part of the Social Security trust fund ride on the stock market. That's why last week I called on President Bush to ensure that Social Security's original mission of acting as a financial safety net for senior citizens is not compromised. I have also introduced a bill to increase the cost of living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security payments, since current benefits don't help seniors keep up with the astounding rate of inflation for healthcare costs. This issue is one of the most important we will address this year, and I'll keep you posted on my bill's progress and the course of the debate.

Unraveling New Threads in Enron's Web of Lies

Over the last several years, I have been disgusted and appalled by the continuing revelations about the role Enron's market manipulation played in creating the western power crisis. Last week I joined officials from Washington state's Snohomish PUD to release new evidence that further details the pervasiveness of Enron's schemes. The evidence, including newly-public audiotapes, reveals that Enron employees planned to take a power plant off line on January 17, 2001 - the same day half a million citizens suffered rolling blackouts. Power market prices that day averaged at least five-times normal levels. The tapes also include Enron employees discussing how they were asked to "cook the books," speculating that "everyone knew" what was going on, and that "nothing happened at Enron that Ken Lay didn't bless."
I'm outraged by this latest revelation. This is further evidence that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) should act immediately to provide relief to Washington ratepayers, who are being asked to pay Enron yet again. FERC has the clear statutory authority to do just that. I have called on the agency to explain why had failed to uncover these tapes in its own ongoing Enron investigation, and renewed my call for FERC to take action to void Enron's pending claims against utilities, including Snohomish, for payment on inflated power contracts that were terminated when the energy giant collapsed into bankruptcy.

Promoting Tsunami Preparedness

On Wednesday, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on legislation I have co-sponsored, the 'Tsunami Preparedness Act,' (S. 50) to improve the tsunami warning system for the Pacific coast. As we sadly learned in the recent disaster in the Indian Ocean , seconds matter in tsunami warnings. Since a Cascadia-generated tsunami would allow for only 10 to 20 minutes of warning, our coastal communities need an emergency response plan. This information is critical for coastal communities to plan for future tsunami events. Our bipartisan legislation will improve the system of tsunami monitoring buoys off the coast of Washington and across the globe, and also provide for tsunami risk assessments in the Puget Sound and Washington 's coastal communities. Seattle 's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL), which I visited last month, provides research support to all aspects of the tsunami program in the U.S. and is home to many of the world's leading tsunami researchers. The lab will have a leading role in developing technology for the new global tsunami warning system. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and the Adminsitstation to see this important bill passed soon.

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