The Becerra Bulletin, March 26, 2007
Press Release
In a continued effort to bring news and relevant information about our federal government back to his home district in Los Angeles, Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), Assistant to the Speaker of the House and the only congressional member from Southern California who sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, brings you "The Becerra Bulletin," an e-newsletter filled with facts and information meant to stimulate thought and discussion about American economic policy and a host of other issues.
BY THE NUMBERS
THE HOUSE FY2008 BUDGET: RESPONSIBLE CHOICES, THE PEOPLE'S PRIORITIES
After six years of reckless fiscal policy yielding record deficits, the 110th Congress has begun the work of turning around our fiscal ship with a responsible, realistic budget for 2008. The House's budget, which was marked up in the Budget Committee on March 21, puts us on track to achieving balance by 2012 by meeting pay-as-you-go rules, while funding the American people's policy priorities. This budget begins to address the myriad challenges facing our nation, from an overstretched military, to an under-funded educational system. "The House budget is the people's budget," Congressman Becerra, who is a member of the Budget Committee, said. "It makes responsible choices while also focusing on the right priorities." Here's a look at the priorities of the people's budget:
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SHORT TAKES WASHINGTON, D.C.
REP. BECERRA INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO BAN GENE PATENTING
Fifty-four years ago, James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the structure of Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA - the molecule that contains the genetic information, instructions and functions of nearly all living organisms. This discovery led to the 1990 founding of the Human Genome Project, a U.S.-initiated international undertaking to give us a greater grasp on many of life's most basic questions. While the project has made amazing, widely acknowledged progress, here's a little known fact: 20 percent of those genes have already been granted patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). On February 9, Congressman Becerra introduced H.R. 977, the Genomic Research and Accessibility Act, a bill that once enacted, would put an immediate end to the practice of patenting any and all portions of the human genome.
BECERRA.HOUSE.GOV NAMED ONE OF BEST WEB SITES ON CAPITOL HILL
Congressman Becerra's Web site, http://Becerra.House.Gov, was recently honored by the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) as one of the best Web sites on Capitol Hill. CMF, a nonprofit, non-partisan consulting and research organization evaluated 615 congressional Web sites, which were graded on how well they incorporate five basic building blocks identified as critical for effectiveness: audience, content, usability, interactivity, and innovation. Rep. Becerra's Web site was recognized as one of only 18 to receive an "A+" based on the criteria and received the highest score of all sites in the House of Representatives. A full copy of the report, the 2006 Gold Mouse Report: Recognizing the Best Web Sites on Capitol Hill, is available on CMF's Web site at www.cmfweb.org.
SHORT TAKES LOS ANGELES
SHINING SOME LIGHT ON ELYSIAN VALLEY
For decades the neighborhood of Elysian Valley has gone without a proper system of streetlights, putting pedestrians and motorists at greater risk of accidents and crime. On February 22, Rep. Becerra joined L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti for an activation ceremony for the Elysian Valley Street Lighting Improvement Project. The project, which received federal funds secured by Congressman Becerra, has installed a total of 135 new streetlights in the area, with more to come. "This is an important and long overdue improvement to the safety and livability of Elysian Valley and a good example of what can be done when community and government leaders bring ideas to the table to help determine what is best for our neighborhoods,"Congressman Becerra said.
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