A Fresh Start.the 108th Congress beginning, Sen. Clinton announced that "I am looking forward to the New Year and the new session of Congress; I am very excited to have graduated from the freshman class and very proud of all that we accomplished in the last session." Hillary also said, "Economic security and homeland security remain at the top of my priority list, beginning with legislation to extend unemployment benefits and secure funding for our first responders." On the first day of the Congress, an extension of unemployment benefits was passed, but not before Sen. Clinton began a bout of partisan politics. When new Senate Majority Leader Sen. Bill Frist (R.-Tenn.) first submitted the legislation for a vote, Hillary stood to offer an amendment that would broaden the $5-billion bill to cover unemployed workers who already had exhausted their benefits. In the end, the measure passed without Hillary’s amendment, but her antagonistic efforts made it clear that she will be working overtime to oppose the Republicans and to increase her already impressive political visibility. Despite her opposition to the bill, she still sent out press releases taking credit for the final version of the legislation. This week, Sen. Clinton also officially accepted her appointment to head up the Democratic Senate Steering Committee, which helps shape responses to the GOP White House and coordinates strategy with Democrats nationally.
State-ing the Obvious. The New York Post reports that Sen. Clinton has dramatically expanded her fund-raising donations, blanketing governors and state Democratic machines around the country with campaign cash. The latest contributions open a new chapter in Hillary’s growing effort to make allies nationally, especially as polls show her to be the narrowly favored Democratic challenger to President Bush in 2004. Hillary is trying to strengthen her grip on New York politics, handing out hefty checks to 15 state assembly candidates from The Bronx to Ithaca. According to documents obtained by the Post, Mrs. Clinton’s "most aggressive and new fund-raising tactic was earmarking thousands of dollars to a slew of Democrats when they were running for governor in last month’s elections." Twelve Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls around the country pocketed $5,000 from HILLPAC, and she backed up that support with tens of thousands of dollars in additional contributions to a several state Democratic organizations. Political pundits believe that by appealing to governors, she is collecting IOUs from the officials who control the most powerful political armies in each state. The most recent HILLPAC report indicates that Hillary supported six gubernatorial winners and backed four losers.
Plum Power Failure. Last week Sen. Clinton demanded that the U.S. Department of Agriculture cease operations at its Plum Island Animal Disease Center until problems with the electrical system that led to a power failure are corrected. She said in a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman that the power loss constituted grounds to terminate its contract with LB&B Associates of Columbia, Md., which handles maintenance on the island and is embroiled in a four-month strike with support employees. Hillary noted that LB&B’s contract states that "the contractor shall ensure that power is supplied to PIADC 24 hours a day." She added that the power failure "compromised biocontainment," and also pointed out that the power failure resulted in a loss of air pressure that allowed some rubber gaskets that seal the doors of the containment facility to deflate. However, USDA spokeswoman Sandy Hays said there was no breach in the biocontainment systems and as an added precaution during the power failure, the doors to rooms where animals were being held for testing were sealed with duct tape.
Breathe Easy. The Environmental Protection Agency will be releasing a report showing that most lower-Manhattan residents are unlikely to suffer long-term illnesses from inhaling airborne pollution in the weeks after the World Trade Center destruction, directly contradicting Sen. Clinton. The EPA’s draft report said that only rescue workers and other people exposed to high concentrations of pollution immediately after the trade center attack are likely to develop chronic illnesses. Hillary, who has pushed for long-term health monitoring of rescue workers and downtown residents, responded that the report does not end the debate. "We need to be diligent in continuing to monitor the short- and long-term health effects," she said. "We clearly have an obligation to provide health tracking services to the valiant men and women who worked at the trade center site."
