Maria’s Weekly Update

Senator Maria Cantwell’s Weekly Update for Washington State


Monday, November 21, 2005



Making Gas Price-Gouging a Federal Crime



Fifty-seven Senators voted in favor of my bill to make gas price-gouging a federal crime when it came to the Senate floor last week. It garnered the support of every single Democratic Senator as well as 13 Republicans, but Republican leadership gimmicks required 60 votes, and stopped this vital consumer protection from passing the Senate. Nevertheless, a majority of the Senate is now on the record in support of making price gouging illegal. I am confident we will be able to enact this critical legislation in the next few months. To do anything less would deprive so many hard-working Americans of the relief and common sense safeguards they deserve. It’s no surprise that last week, my proposal also received the formal endorsement of nine attorneys general. The Democratic Governors Association, recognizing that a quilt-work of state-level protections just isn’t enough to guard our national economy from unfair market manipulation, has praised the plan as well. It couldn’t be more obvious: a clear majority in the U.S. Senate supports this legislation. Nor could it be more urgent: Americans will spend over $200 billion more on energy this year than they did last year. That amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars coming directly out of family budgets and struggling businesses across the country. Last week was a tremendous step forward. Now, we must keep moving and fight to make this legislation law.





Fighting for Fair Treatment of Former Hanford Workers



According to an audit released in June, many former Hanford workers may be wrongly denied worker’s compensation due to the government’s failure to record radiation exposure data accurately and completely. In response, I asked the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to review immediately the benefits available to former Hanford workers. Last week, NIOSH responded to my request by announcing that in light of the audit’s findings, the agency’s Advisory Board would review the situation at their January meeting in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This is the right decision. Right now, we don’t know the full extent of workers’ exposure to toxins. We need to review the situation to make sure all former Hanford employees get the help they need. Some of these workers have waited years for help. Without this review, we might wrongly deny worker’s compensation to thousands of deserving individuals who have already waited too long.



The audit, published in June, reviewed the Hanford site profile—a case history of activities at the Hanford nuclear facility—and found that there might not be enough information to adequately determine the radiation exposure levels of former Hanford employees, leaving many without compensation for work-related injuries or illnesses. Specifically, the audit found several instances in which an insufficiency in data on worker radiation exposure between 1944 and 1968 may have led officials to underestimate the actual level of exposure.





Demanding the Truth from Oil Companies



When the chief executive officers of the five major oil companies (ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, BP, and Shell) testified before a joint hearing of the Senate Energy and Commerce Committees, I asked Committee Chairmen Stevens and Domenici to have the witnesses sworn in under oath, just like Senator Scoop Jackson did when he called in oil executives to testify during the 1974 Arab oil embargo. Unfortunately, my request was denied. Just a few days later, however, the Washington Post reported on an internal White House document that contradicted some of their testimony. The American people demand the truth and deserve answers. To this day, we have gotten neither. That’s why I’m demanding oil company executives return to Congress, this time under oath, and give us the answers we need to get to the bottom of sky-high gas prices. With jobs, pensions, and businesses at stake, the American people deserve nothing less.





Celebrating Washington’s Unique Geological History



Last week, the Senate approved my bill to create an Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail through portions of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. This will give Washington’s rural communities a valuable educational tool and a solid economic boost. The whole region can take pride in this project. The National Park Service in partnership with the local groups will oversee the trail, which will tell the story of how a series of monumental floods created the unique geology of Central and Eastern Washington. My bill is now on its way to the House, where Congressman Doc Hastings (R-WA) is the sponsor of similar legislation.





Honoring Family Caregivers



Family caregivers provide an invaluable service to both their families and our community. During November, we commemorate National Family Caregivers Month to draw attention to the many challenges faced by those who provide significant care to elderly, chronically ill, or disabled loved ones. We must make sure these dedicated individuals have the resources, support, and recognition they deserve. I have long advocated for a strong public policy that supports our nation’s 50 million family caregivers and agree that we must raise awareness about the many community programs they can turn to for assistance. In Washington, the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) has resources available to the more than half a million family caregivers who call our state home. To receive a free resource kit, call the DSHS Aging and Disability Services Administration, toll-free, at 1-800-422-3263.





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