[StBernard] eupdate 8 10 09

[Westley Annis]

e-update
8.10.09


IN THIS ISSUE 
BLOCKING ACORN'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE CENSUS 
FIGHTING TO PREVENT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
HOLDING IMPORTED AND DOMESTIC SEAFOOD TO THE SAME STANDARDS 
KEEPING OUR SCHOOLCHILDREN SAFE



I've been working on a number of important issues in the Senate this summer.
I worked to block the nomination of Robert Groves as director of the census,
over concerns I had with ACORN being involved in the census-taking process.
I also continued the fight against illegal immigration by introducing a bill
designed to strengthen our borders and help employers identify illegal
aliens.  And I introduced a measure that would hold imported seafood
products to the same standards as those we place on domestic seafood.

Below you can read about these and other issues that I'm working on, such as
working to keep our children safe at school. 

 

 David Vitter 

P.S. - Please feel free to forward the newsletter to your friends, neighbors
and business associates, and encourage them to sign up for their own copy by
visiting my Web site at http://vitter.senate.gov/.

 

This month I was honored to visit with employees at the ExxonMobil facility
in Baton Rouge.  During my visit, I was able to meet with some of the
employees to discuss energy, cap and trade and other issues impacting their
work at the facility.

BLOCKING ACORN'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE CENSUS

Last month, I placed a  hold on the nomination of Robert Groves to be
director of the census.  I  did this because I have a number of serious
concerns about the upcoming  census.  Specifically, I asked for written
assurances from President Obama  and his administration that sampling would
not be used in the Census taking  process and that ACORN  - the Association
of Community Organizations for  Reform Now - will have nothing to do with
the census.  

We've all heard stories  over the past year about ACORN's involvement in
fraudulent voter activities,  and I was looking for some assurance from the
White House that this group would  not be involved in the census.  I tried
to have a dialogue with the White  House on this matter to help me address
those two concerns, but they were  unwilling to make those commitments.  

By placing a hold on this  nominee, I forced his confirmation to the floor
of the Senate for a full vote  to get everyone on record as to where they
stand on these important  issues.  Unfortunately, Mr. Groves was confirmed
and these questions  remain unresolved, but I will keep pushing to keep
sampling and ACORN out of  the census-taking process. 

FIGHTING TO PREVENT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION


This month I introduced  the Secure America through Verification and
Enforcement Act in the U.S. Senate.  The bill, also known as the SAVE Act,
will encourage immigration reform by  securing America's borders, clarifying
and enforcing existing laws and  requiring an inexpensive and accurate way
for employers to verify the residency  status of potential employees.  

It's become very obvious  that our national borders are extremely
vulnerable.  Instead of looking at  ways to seek amnesty for illegal aliens,
we need to seriously become proactive  about how we can effectively combat
this problem, and the SAVE Act will help us  do that.

One important component of  the bill relates to the E-Verify program that
provides employers with an  effective and inexpensive means of verifying
employee eligibility.  The  SAVE Act would require the use of the E-Verify
program by all employers within  the next four years, beginning with
government agencies and federal contractors.  

The bill would also  require that the Social Security Administration notify
any employer in any  instance where an employee's provided Social Security
number does not match the  records of the administration.  The Obama
administration recently stated  their intent to rescind the program in an
executive order, but last month I was  successful in securing an amendment
to the Department of Homeland Security  funding bill that prohibits funds
from being used to rescind the federal Social  Security "no match" notices
program.  

HOLDING IMPORTED SEAFOOD TO THE SAME STANDARDS AS DOMESTIC SEAFOOD

This month, I attached an amendment to the U.S. Senate Agriculture
Appropriations bill that would help improve safety standards for imported
seafood products.  Gulf seafood is an integral component of our state's
unique cuisine.  And given its importance to our state, I believe that
seafood imported from other countries should be held to the same high
standards that we impose on domestic seafood products.  This amendment will
help ensure that the FDA applies the same standards to all seafood and not
just that produced in domestic waters.

My amendment requires that the Food and Drug Administration study the
inspection capacity of imported seafood and the supply chains that are the
most susceptible to health concerns or risk of contamination.  Foreign
seafood producers often use antibiotics or other chemicals in their fish
production that have been banned as unsafe in the United States.  Without
more study and increased resources dedicated to test imports, our domestic
fishermen are faced with unfair competition from products that should not be
allowed to enter our food supply. 

KEEPING OUR SCHOOLCHILDREN SAFE

Also this month, I introduced the Safety for our Schoolchildren Act, which
would require all public school employees, and those employed in any
connection to a public school, to go through an FBI background check prior
to being hired.

As we start another school year, the safety of our children should be the
number one priority of all Americans, and this bill will help school
officials effectively identify sexual predators or dangerous felons during
the application process by requiring that FBI background checks be conducted
on prospective employees.  The bill would also mandate that no applicant
with a felony or violent crime conviction can be hired by a public school or
a school district that receives federal funding.  And it would prohibit
those with DUI or DWI convictions from getting jobs as bus drivers.

We cannot allow potentially dangerous individuals to be employed in a
capacity that offers them daily contact with children.  My bill will provide
our schools with a firewall that will provide parents and children with an
enhanced level of security and peace of mind. 

For any other questions or concerns visit my Web site at:
www.vitter.senate.gov.