Archive for Open Government
Pelosi Statement on February Jobs Report
Posted by: | CommentsWASHINGTON, Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on the February jobs report issued today by the Department of Labor showing that the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.7 percent.
“Today’s jobs report demonstrates that economic stabilization is taking hold: the unemployment rate held steady despite the disruptions caused by the winter storms, and manufacturing jobs grew for the second straight month. The report is cautious evidence that America’s businesses are gaining confidence and that the Recovery Act continues to restore strength in key sectors of our economy. To keep the recovery moving in the right direction on behalf of all Americans, we must continue to invest wisely and act with fiscal discipline.
“Yesterday, the House passed the HIRE Act to give small businesses a tax break for hiring new workers and create jobs building the infrastructure of the future. And in December, the House passed a sweeping Jobs for Main Street Act.
“We will take additional steps to move our economy forward. As the recovery begins, too many Americans are still unemployed. Too many workers in the hardest hit communities have fallen behind during this downturn and are not seeing reason for hope.
“All Members of the Congress must continue to act with the urgency felt by millions of families and small businesses struggling to make ends meet . While the unemployment rate held steady, we know steady isn’t good enough. We must keep fighting to reach our goal: putting Americans back to work.”
Source: Office of the Speaker of the House
U.S.-Canada joint statement on government procurement
Posted by: | CommentsThe United States and Canada have reached a tentative agreement on government procurement. The agreement is subject to completion of our respective domestic approval processes. This agreement has two major elements. First, it includes permanent and reciprocal commitments under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) with respect to provincial, territorial and state procurement. In addition, the agreement provides for additional, reciprocal guarantees of access on a temporary basis:
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Canada has agreed to provide U.S. suppliers with access to a range of construction contracts across Canada’s provinces and territories, as well in as a number of municipalities.
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The United States has agreed to provide Canadian suppliers with access to state and local public works projects in a range of programs funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
The trade and investment relationship between the United States and Canada is very important to both of our countries. At its core are thousands of jobs and business relationships that have developed over many decades. Secure and predictable access underpins our trading relationship and is grounded in trade rules and a shared commitment to work together to resolve differences when they arise. Cooperation helps support the global competitiveness of our exporters and is key to creating and sustaining employment in both of our countries.
This agreement also demonstrates the benefits of the WTO GPA, which provides a basis for us to expand our procurement commitments in a manner beneficial to both countries.
The steps we are taking today are an important expansion of our reciprocal access to our procurement markets. We agree that there may be additional opportunities for expanding access to our respective government procurement markets. We have agreed to begin discussions within the year to explore the possibility of additional reciprocal access to our procurement markets. We also agreed to establish an expedited consultation mechanism, which will allow for dialogue between the United States and Canada on any matter related to these issues.
SPJ urges Congress to allow open coverage of health care bill discussions
Posted by: | CommentsINDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists sent a letter Jan. 7 that strongly urges House and Senate leaders to open all discussions about the health care bill to the public through the use of C-SPAN and other media. SPJ sent the letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The letter is below.
C-SPAN initially sent a request to Congressional leaders on Dec. 30, 2009. That request was still in limbo as of Jan. 7, prompting SPJ and numerous media outlets and congressional Republicans to urge access. Click here for a listing of responses to and coverage of the issue.
Following is SPJ’s letter:
Dear Speaker Pelosi:
Representative Boehner:
Senator Reid:
Senator McConnell:
The Society of Professional Journalists strongly urges the House and Senate to reconcile differences between health care bills, including negotiations, conference committee meetings and discussions with the White House, openly. The public trust will be won only through transparency – the live reporting of discussions by C-SPAN and other media.
We realize such negotiations are sensitive and that Congress prefers to conduct negotiations in private to foster frank discussion, but the health-care legislation is too important to the American people to craft in secret. Every day in newspaper editorial pages across the country people from all partisan philosophies are expressing their intense interest in this issue and their hunger for information. They want to see the sausage being made. Legislation developed behind closed doors fuels paranoia, mistrust and contempt by citizens for Congress and the president.
We also see this as an opportunity for Congress to begin doing something that takes place every week in every city in America: openly formulate legislation. Throughout the country, town councils, school boards and other local governing bodies are required by state open meeting laws to hold committee meetings in public – essentially their caucuses and negotiations to formulate legislation. Draft ordinance language is debated for all to see so that citizens can understand how it was developed before it goes to full debate and a vote. Even some state legislatures hold caucus discussions and conference committee meetings openly.
We have heard promises by President Obama and congressional leaders of how the process in this historic revamping of the health care system will be transparent, but televised public forums and floor debates are not enough. The American people want to see the most important part of the process for themselves. Televise the negotiations live and you will embark on a new era of openness, accountability and public trust in America.
Sincerely,
Kevin Smith, President
Society of Professional Journalists
Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For more information about SPJ, please visit www.spj.org.
