New documents on political and social issues
January 2007
2007 STATE OF THE UNION MESSAGE
The White House, January 23, 2007
http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2007/
On January 23, President Bush delivered his State of the Union message in which he discussed some issues of his domestic agenda which includes health care reform, education and immigration.
2007 STATE OF THE UNION POLICY INITIATIVES
The White House, January 22, 2007
http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2007/initiatives/index.html
Health Care: President Bush announced his proposals to make basic, private health insurance available and affordable for more Americans. The President's plan includes reforming the tax code with a standard deduction for health insurance so all Americans get the same tax breaks for health insurance, and helping states make affordable private health insurance available to their citizens.
Education: President Bush discussed his priorities for strengthening and reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) this year.
Immigration: President Bush called on Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill that will secure our borders, enhance interior and worksite enforcement, create a temporary worker program, resolve – without animosity and without amnesty – the status of illegal immigrants already here, and promote assimilation into our society.
Judges: The President has a duty to nominate qualified men and women to fill vacancies on the Federal bench, and he called on the Senate to give those nominees a fair hearing and a prompt up-or-down vote.
THE “BRAIN GAIN” RACE BEGINS WITH FOREIGN STUDENTS
Migration Policy Institute, January 1st, 2007
http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?id=571
Foreign students make the United States one of the most profitable educational destinations. For example, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators, foreign students and their dependents contributed more than $13 billion to the US economy in 2004-2005. In addition, they enrich the cultural diversity and educational experience for US-born students and enhance the reputation of US universities as world-class learning and research institutions.
THE FOREIGN BORN IN THE ARMED SERVICES
Migration Policy Institute, January 15, 2007
http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?ID=572
This spotlight focuses on the statistics and recent policy changes regarding the foreign born in the US armed services (army, navy, US Marines, air force). The data from the Department of Defense are as of May 2006, and the data from USCIS are from December 2006, unless otherwise noted.
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE MINIMUM WAGE
Economic Policy Institute, January 2007
http://www.epi.org/issueguides/minwage/epi_minimum_wage_issue_guide.pdf
On January 10, 2007, the House of Representatives voted 311 to 116 to raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour over two years. The Senate Finance Committee also began hearings on minimum wage legislation this week focusing on tax incentives for businesses that will be affected by the new minimum wage.
JUSTICE FOR ALL: THE LEGACY OF THURGOOD MARSHALL
U.S. International Information Programs, January 2007
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/tmarshall/index.html
The name of Thurgood Marshall may not be as well-known outside the United States as that of his fellow civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. And yet, Marshall's achievement in demolishing the legal structure that sustained racial segregation in the American South advanced the civil rights cause as profoundly as the nonviolent protests led by King.
LEVERAGING DIVERSITY IN THE NEW CONGRESS
Center for American Progress, January 16, 2007
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/01/diversity.html
As the 110th Congress got underway its members rose in unison to applaud this historic first—Nancy Pelosi becoming the first woman Speaker of the House. Yet another historic milestone received much less attention. The new Congress boasts the largest number of African American, Latino, and Asian members in the history of the United States.
NEW CONGRESS TAKES FIRST STEPS TOWARD IMMIGRATION REFORM
Migration Policy Institute, January 15, 2007
http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?ID=574
Prospects for congressional action on immigration reform remain promising now that the Democrats have taken control of Congress. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MA) reported on January 7 that congressional leaders spoke with President George Bush about immigration in meetings the first week of January, and the president expressed optimism about his ability to work with Democrats on the issue.
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