Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):
News May 18
Monday, May 18, 2015
Senator Sanders
Tuition-Free College Sen. Sanders will introduce legislation on Tuesday to make college tuition-free in the United States, the New Hampshire Union Leader and the Valley News in West Lebanon, New Hampshire, reported. The bill also would substantially lower student debt and bring down interest rates on college loans, MSNBC, WCAX-TV and WVNY-TV reported.
World
Obama’s New War Powers Push Stalls in Congress A move to write new war powers to authorize the Obama administration's 9-month-old battle against Islamic State militants has stalled in Congress. It might even be dead. And while lawmakers say they don't want to give up their check on a commander-in-chief's authority to use military might, they have little interest in having what would be the first war vote in Congress in 13 years, AP reported.
National
Patriot Act Stalemate A stalemate in the Senate would leave the FBI and National Security Agency without powers they have used to track terrorists for years, say supporters of the Patriot Act. Without action by the end of the month, key provisions of the Patriot Act will expire, The Hill reported.
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VA’s Hiring Effort is ‘Seriously Fractured’ Agency understaffing was a key flaw exposed during last year’s scandal over the cover-up of long patient wait times at the Department of Veterans Affairs. It has too few health-care employees to timely serve the wounded warriors and others among its clientele. Congress and President Obama reacted by approving $5 billion to hire medical professionals. A House Veterans Affairs’ health subcommittee hearing Friday revealed differences, perhaps it’s really competition, among the groups of health care staffer organizations, each of which say VA needs more of its kind, The Washington Post reported.
Labor Gives Clinton Pass on Trade Labor unions are fighting hard to defeat legislation that would authorize sped-up consideration of a trade agreement being negotiated with 11 Pacific Rim nations. However, they are giving Mrs. Clinton the kind of breathing room they aren’t affording congressional Democrats or even the president., according to The New York Times.
http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/051815
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