Maine: Obama

The promise:

My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.
The reality:
The Obama administration has turned down former Vice President Dick Cheney’s request for the declassification of two CIA reports on the effectiveness of the Agency’s detainee program, THE WEEKLY STANDARD has learned. A letter dated May 7, 2009, from the CIA’s Information and Privacy Coordinator, Delores M. Nelson, rejected Cheney’s request because the documents he has requested are involved in a Freedom of Information Act court battle.

Despite objections that it would stigmatize Maine’s low-income families and ultimately be ineffective at improving Mainers’ health, Maine physicians, dentists and others are backing legislation to prohibit the use of food stamps for purchasing soda and other soft drinks.

LD 752, sponsored by Rep. Peggy Pendleton, D-Scarborough, would require the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to request a waiver from the federal Department of Agriculture to add soda to the short list of consumables that may not be purchased with funds from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as the food stamp program. Current federal regulations prohibit the use of food stamps for purchasing nonfood items including alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, vitamins or medicines, pet food, soap, cosmetics, laundry products or paper goods, as well as ready-to-eat items that are prepared such as restaurant food.

I'll let this brief statement speak for itself:

The United States supports the UN Statement on "Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity," and is pleased to join the other 66 UN member states who have declared their support of this Statement that condemns human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity wherever they occur.

The United States is an outspoken defender of human rights and critic of human rights abuses around the world. As such, we join with the other supporters of this Statement and we will continue to remind countries of the importance of respecting the human rights of all people in all appropriate international fora.

Rep. Chellie Pingree will be laying out her priorities regarding the administration's budget for FY2010 today at a hearing before the House Committee on the Budget. Below the fold find her prepared testimony.

I want to thank Rep. Pingree for promoting two ideas that I consider paramount to Maine's and our nation's future - providing access to basic, affordable health care to every American, and developing alternative energy generation to fossil fuels.

Testimony of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree

Committee on the Budget
U.S. House of Representatives

March 18, 2009
As prepared for delivery

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Budget Committee, thank you very much for having me here today.