Washington Watch: Legislative Update
For the Week of 8 February 2010
 

I.      Legislative News and Activity   
II.     This Week in Congress
III.    Update on FOP Top Legislative Priorities
IV.     Update on LEOSA
V.      DAY ON THE HILL 2010!


I.      LEGISLATIVE NEWS AND ACTIVITY
National President Chuck Canterbury and Executive Director Jim Pasco met with Kevin O’Connor, Assistant to the General President for Governmental Affairs for the International Association of Fire Fighters, and business representatives to discuss potential business opportunities for the FOP to consider.

Executive Director Pasco met with Bruce Cohen, Majority Chief Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, concerning the adverse consequences caused by amendments introduced by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) for S. 1132, the “Law Enforcement Officers' Safety Act Improvements Act.”

Senior Legislative Liaison Tim Richardson had several conversations with Judiciary Committee staff regarding S. 1132.


II.  THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS
While most Federal agencies in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area were closed Monday through Thursday because severe weather, both the House and the Senate were in session this week, though the House held no votes.  The National Legislative Office was also closed because of weather during this time. 

Both the House and Senate will be in recess next week in observance of President's Day.

Action in the Senate
The Senate considered several pending nominations to posts in the executive branch.

Action in Senate Committees
The Committee on the Judiciary placed two bills of interest to the FOP on its agenda for this week and due to the bad weather held them over for action next week: S. 1132 and S. 1789, the "Fair Sentencing Act."  The former bill is one of the top priorities of the FOP (See Item IV. for additional details) and the latter, which would lower sentences for crack cocaine offenders, is a bill that the FOP opposes.  We expect a substitute amendment to be offered to S. 1789, the FOP has reviewed some language but have not offered support to any compromise draft.


III.  UPDATE ON FOP TOP LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
For the complete list of cosponsors for all of our top legislative priorities, or to find out if your Representative and Senators are cosponsors of specific bills, check out http://thomas.loc.gov .
 
A.  Social Security Issues

(1)  Support H.R. 235/S. 484, the "Social Security Fairness Act"
We currently have three hundred and eight (308) cosponsors on H.R. 235--more than a House majority!  Please note that this total differs slightly from THOMAS, as we are not including in our count former Representatives John M. McHugh (R-NY) and Ellen O. Tauscher (D-CA), who resigned to take positions in the Administration, or Representative John P. Murtha, Jr. (D-PA), who died earlier this week.  Similarly, we do not include Delegates Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-Guam), Pedro R. Pierluisi (D-Puerto Rico) and Gregorio Sablan (D-MP), who have limited voting rights on the floor.
 
We currently have twenty-nine (29) cosponsors on S. 484.  Please note that this total differs slightly from THOMAS, as we are not including in our count Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), who died last year.

(2)  Opposing any legislation that would require the participation of public employees in Social Security
The FOP will continue to lobby against this scheme and oppose any legislation which would mandate participation in Social Security.


B.  Support H.R. 413/S. 1611, the "Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act"
We currently have one hundred and eighty-six (186) cosponsors on H.R. 413 and need only thirty (30) additional cosponsors to reach a House majority!  Please note that this total differs slightly from THOMAS, as we are not including in our count Representatives John M. McHugh (R-NY), who resigned his seat last year to take a position with the Administration, or John P. Murtha (D-PA), who died earlier this week.

We currently have eight (8) cosponsors on S. 1611.  Please note that this total differs slightly from THOMAS, as we are not including in our count Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), who died last year, or Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL), who resigned his seat last year.


C.  Support H.R. 1972, the "Law Enforcement Officer’s Procedural Bill of Rights Act"
We currently have three (3) cosponsors on H.R. 1972.

The Senate companion bill has not yet been introduced.


IV.     UPDATE ON LEGISLATION AMENDING LEOSA
Senator Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT), sponsor of S. 1132 and Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, has informed the FOP that he will try to move the bill at the Committee's next Executive Session on Thursday, 25 February.  Chairman Leahy and the Ranking Member, Senator Jefferson B. Sessions III (R-AL) will offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute which will make a few "tweaks" to the existing bill, including a provision clarifying the status of the Federal Reserve Police.

At this time, only Senator TThomas A. Coburn. MD (R-OK) has offered amendments to the bill.  Neither amendment is related in any way to the greater issue of public safety and both seemed designed specifically to shatter the broad bipartisan support the FOP has put together.  In conversations with Senator Coburn's staff, we have asked him to withdraw the amendments and support the "clean" substitute amendment.  We urge all FOP members from Oklahoma to contact Senator Coburn's office and urge him to withdraw his amendments.

We have three (3) cosponsors on S. 1132.

We currently have nine (8) cosponsors on H.R. 3752.  Please note that this total differs slightly from THOMAS, as we are not including in our count Representative John P. Murtha (D-PA), who died earlier this week.  The bill is similar in most respects to the Senate companion bill, S. 1132.  The House bill includes language that would also clarify the status of retired military personnel that served as law enforcement officers in their respective branch of service.  We will continue to work with Rep. Forbes' office to get this bill moved through the subcommittee. 


V.      Day on the Hill 2010: Cancelled
The FOP Day on the Hill 2010  was to begin on Monday, 8 February, but in the interest of the safety of our members and IN VIEW OF the paralytic effects of the blizzard effect travel to, from, and in the greater Washington, D.C. area, National President Chuck Canterbury cancelled the event.

National President Canterbury will work with the National Legislative Office to reschedule the event. However, the logistics of rescheduling this event make it unlikely that we will be able to do so.

 

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Questions or Comments?  E-mail us at grassroots@fop.net or call (202) 547 - 8189.

Grand Lodge Website | Legislative Office Homepage





 

Posted 2/24/10

BUDGET AMENDMENT

 Attached is a budget amendment that would allow localities to charge CURRENT employees any portion of the 5% they now pay. This is nothing more than a tax on current employees. In the 80's employees had not seen a raise for several years. Employers decided to pick up the employee portion of VRS in lieu of giving raises. they now want to take that back and make current employees pay the 5%. This will be heard on the House floor tomorrow and it will be our only chance to protect CURRENT employees from this tax increase. We need to do everything we can to kill this amendment

Art Lipscomb
 Legislative Director Virginia Professional Fire Fighters
18 North Eighth St.

Richmond, Va. 23219

Cell 434 941-4086
Fax 804 643-4064

 


Posted 2/23/10   We have one chance to kill this bill before it on the Senate floor.

SB 232 Retirement System; changes early and normal retirement ages for those employed after July 1, 2010.  

Summary as introduced:
Virginia Retirement System; early and normal retirement age.  Changes the early and normal retirement ages for a person who first commences employment on or after July 1, 2010, to coincide with the person's early and normal retirement ages as provided under the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 416 et seq.

Use this link to find your Senator: http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform   It is imperative you generate as many calls and emails as possible to protect your retirement!

Art Lipscomb

 


Posted 12/15/09
 
FOP MAKES STRONG PUSH ON BARGAINING BILL
FOP President Leads Effort to Include Our Bill on End of Year Agenda

 

Chuck Canterbury, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, spent all of last week in Washington, D.C. working in tandem with the staff in the National Legislative Office in an effort to get the language of S. 1611, “Public Employee-Employer Cooperation Act,” incorporated into several likely pieces of legislation that Congress will be considering before ending the session.

“We’re cautiously optimistic,” Canterbury said.  “Congress has several bills that it must complete before concluding its business for the year.  The fact is, we have a lot of bipartisan support for the bill and we’ve approached it in a very honest and open way.  We do have a chance of getting this done.”

The legislation, which was introduced by Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) and the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), would recognize the fundamental right of public safety employees to form and join unions and bargain collectively with their employers over wages, hours, and working conditions without undermining existing State collective bargaining laws.   The legislation does not require binding arbitration, protects existing right-to-work laws, and specifically prohibits strikes and lockouts.  The bill has attracted a lot of support in the House and Senate from both sides of the aisle.

“The FOP and our friends at the International Association of Fire Fighters have been working to pass this legislation for more than a decade,” Canterbury said.  “Just as we were very close last May, winning a key procedural vote, I do think we have the support we need.  It’s the timing.”
 


Posted 12/15/09
 

HIGHWAY SAFETY AND BIG TRUCKS:
Correcting Inaccuracies Circulated by Special Interest Lobbyists
Section 2 of H.R. 1799, the “Safe and Efficient Transportation Act”

 

The Fraternal Order of Police has examined one component of H.R. 1799, the “Safe and Efficient Transportation Act,” which would permit States to allow six-axled vehicles up to 97,000 pounds to operate on Interstate Systems routes within that State.  Current limits allow five-axled vehicles to travel these routes carrying up to 80,000 pounds.

For the FOP and all law enforcement officers, this is an issue of officer and highway safety and it is in that vein that the FOP examined the issue.  Large, heavy trucks operating at speed can pose a danger when incidents occur on our nation’s highways and there is scientific data available that suggests increasing the allowable weight of these vehicles will increase the hazard these vehicles pose.  In addition, the increased weight will cause further stress on out nation’s infrastructure, meaning that the Interstate highways and bridges will deteriorate at a greater pace.

Law enforcement officers, agencies and organizations which support the increased weight limits and the addition of another axle correctly argue that current restrictions on weight forces these large trucks off the Interstates and onto local and State roads, where they pose a much greater hazard to local traffic and local law enforcement officers.  Data supports the conclusion that trucks operating on Interstates have significantly less accidents than trucks operating on secondary roads.  Additionally, trucks which are forced onto secondary roads have a much greater impact on infrastructure, the repair and maintenance of which comes from local and State budgets.  Finally, scientific studies suggest that the additional breaking power of the sixth axle offsets the hazard presented by the additional weight.

Proponents of increasing the weight limit argue that this will reduce the number of truck miles traveled, but opponents of the heavier trucks counter that, over time, as more trucks are produced or retrofitted with the sixth axle, these vehicles will return to the highways in equal numbers.

The issue for the FOP is one of safety.  However, this issue is clouded by special interests which all claim to have highway safety as their paramount concern.  These special interests are spending significant amounts of money in this debate and their efforts have completely clouded reliable scientific data as to how any change in the weight limits would affect officer and highway safety.

While individual law enforcement leaders and local/State organizations may have taken different positions on this issue, responsible, national organizations like the National Troopers Coalition and the Fraternal Order of Police will not.  No segment of our nation’s law enforcement officers will be more affected by this provision than State and Highway patrolmen and without greater consensus on this issue on the part of these officers, the FOP will continue to monitor and research, but will take no position at this time.

For more information on this issue, contact the National Legislative Office.
 

 


Posted 8/17/09

Gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell

McDonnell Announces Anti-Gang Policy

Questions for Governor’s Candidates

McDonnell Public Safety highlights

Letters for Packet

Gubernatorial candidate McDonnell pitches his views to police

FOP COVER LETTER FINALE

Public Safety Policy RollOut

 


Posted 8/17/09

 

Flyer for Steve Shannon

 


Posted 8/17/09

Message from Attorney General Candidate


Posted 8/17/09

The Gates Case:  After Action Report
by Jim Pasco, Executive Director
                                   
On the morning of 23 July 2009, at the direction of National President Chuck Canterbury, I contacted the White House to advise them of the FOP’s concerns regarding the President’s remarks at the previous night’s press conference which were directed at Sergeant James Crowley and the Cambridge Police Department.  I also advised them that National President Canterbury would issue a formal statement later in the day.

I was subsequently contacted by a second member of the White House staff, who told me that all other police groups had committed to remain silent on the issue.  I told this staff member that we were unlikely to remain silent.    I suggested that he call National President Canterbury, who was in a travel status, and gave him National President Canterbury’s cell phone number.  I immediately called National President Canterbury and briefed him on both my conversations with White House staff. 

About ten minutes later, National President Canterbury, having by then spoken with the White House himself, coordinated with Arnie Larson, President of the Massachusetts State Lodge, and instructed the Washington, D.C. office to issue a strong statement in support of Sgt. Crowley and the Cambridge Police Department.  We did so at approximately 3 pm that afternoon.  By early that evening,  as a result of FOP leadership on the issue, all other national police groups--except the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO)–rethought their positions and also made statements in support of the men and women of the Cambridge Police Department.

We were inundated with media calls but only responded to print media to ensure a clear and moderate message.  National President Canterbury declined all invitations to appear on talk shows and television news programs.

On the following day, we were happy to comply with a White House request to help facilitate a call from President Obama to Sgt. Crowley, the content of which has been extensively reported. 

There is no doubt that the FOP’s prompt, thoughtful, and aggressive action ultimately mininmized potential adverse fallout from this matter, and brought focus to the simple fact that Sergeant James Crowley is a good police officer in a good department, and that he and his colleagues were merely doing their jobs that day–and doing them well.

 


 
Posted 2/15/09
 
Byrne-JAG and COPS Funding Retained in Final Stimulus Bill

 

Chuck Canterbury, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, expressed his satisfaction, and a certain measure of relief, with the news that funding for the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne-JAG) program and the Office for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) hiring program remained part of the economic stimulus package following the work of the conference committee.

“Our staff worked through last weekend and all this week, pushing hard to make sure that this vital law enforcement funding would be part of whatever stimulus package Congress came up with,” Canterbury said.  “State and local law enforcement efforts have been hurting with the severe cuts imposed last year.  Restoring this funding is absolutely necessary if we are to keep our streets and neighborhoods safe.”

Canterbury traveled to Washington, D.C. earlier this week and, on Monday, met with key Congressional leaders to lobby for their support to retain the Byrne-JAG and COPS funding provisions in the bill. 

The economic stimulus bill, H.R. 1, the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” passed the House in late January on a straight party-line vote.  Over the weekend, the Senate amended the bill significantly and passed it on a 61-37 vote.  This week, a House-Senate conference committee reconciled the two different versions into a single bill for consideration.  The FOP was afforded the opportunity to review documents which indicate that the final numbers for State and local law enforcement assistance will be very close to the House-passed mark, which provided $3 billion for the Byrne-JAG program and $1 billion for the COPS hiring program.

 “We may have a few more battles to fight along the way, but the outcome, for our funding at least, looks very positive,” Canterbury said.


 


posted 2/7/09

Senate Cuts Deal on Stimulus; Retains Full Funding for COPS
Byrne-JAG Grants also funded at twice FY08 Level


 

Chuck Canterbury, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, welcome this weekend’s news that a deal had been worked out to pass the economic stimulus package, which includes more than $1 billion for the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne-JAG) program and $1 billion for the hiring program administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

“We had quite a fight on our hands long into Friday night and throughout the weekend,” Canterbury explained.  “Senators were looking to reduce the overall cost of the House bill and many were looking to cut critical funding for State and local law enforcement.  Fortunately, most of the targeted funds survived and should be part of the final bill.”

The House bill, H.R. 1, the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” passed in late January on a straight party-line vote.  The Senate has spent the last two weeks debating its own bill and trying to craft an amendment that would get them the sixty votes needed to pass the bill.  Senators E. Benjamin Nelson (D-NE) and Susan M. Collins (R-ME) offered a language that should attract sixty votes.

“These are critical funds, and it is entirely appropriate for them to be included in this package,”  Canterbury explained.  “The COPS hiring program will be able to add 13,000 more officers to the streets over the next three years, and the Byrne-JAG program will support a diverse range of law enforcement, prosecutorial, and other criminal justice initiatives in communities across the country, including multijurisdictional drug and gang task forces, cold case units, identity theft investigations, school violence prevention programs, services for threatened jurors, witness protection programs, and victims’ rights and hate crime programs.”

The other programs funded in proposed amendment are as follows:

 

                $1.05 billion for the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Programs;
                $1 billion for the hiring program administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services;
                $440 million for competitive grants to support prevention and intervention programs, as well as certain prosecutorial activities
                $300 million for assistance to tribal law enforcement;
                $300 million for programs established by the Violence Against Women Act;
                $150 million for assistance to law enforcement in rural areas, to prevent and combat crime, especially drug-related crime
                $100 million to combat criminal activity stemming from the southwest border;
                $100 million for victims’ assistance programs; and
                $50 million for internet crimes against children initiatives.

        
The Senate expects to vote to end debate on the measure on Monday and to pass the final bill sometime early next week.  The differences between the House-passed bill (H.R. 1) and the expected Senate bill (S. 1) will be reconciled by a conference committee.

“Key members of both houses have already reached out to secure our support and help in making sure these funds remain in the final bill,” Canterbury said.  “We’ve come out on top after a tough fight, but there’s still some battles to be fought ahead.”



 


 

 
                               Past Legislative Updates

Weekly Legislative Update 1/05/09

Weekly Legislative Update 1/12/09

Weekly Legislative Update 1/19/09

Weekly Legislative Update 1/26/09

Weekly Legislative Update 2/2/09

Weekly Legislative Update 2/9/09

Weekly Legislative Update 2/16/09

Weekly Legislative Update 3/2/09

Weekly Legislative Update 5/11/09

Weekly Legislative Update 5/18/09

Weekly Legislative Update 6/1/09

Weekly Legislative Update 6/8/09

Weekly Legislative Update 6/15/09

Weekly Legislative Update 7/13/09

Weekly Legislative Update 7/27/09

Weekly Legislative Update 8/3/09

Weekly Legislative Update 8/10/09

Weekly Legislative Update 9/28/09

Weekly Legislative Update 10/05/09

Weekly Legislative Update 11/02/09

Weekly Legislative Update 11/16/09

Weekly Legislative Update 11/30/09

Weekly Legislative Update 12/07/09

Weekly Legislative Update 01/11/10

Weekly Legislative Update 01/18/10

Weekly Legislative Update 01/25/10

Weekly Legislative Update 02/01/10
 
 
 
 
                          Electronic Newsletter
National May 2009 FOP Newsletter
 
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March-April 2006 Report

 

 

 

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