Washington Watch for July 6, 2009

• By GERARD SHIELDS
• Advocate Washington bureau
• Published: Jul 6, 2009 - Page: 5D

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U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany led a coalition of House Democrats and Republicans last week in calling for $4.7 billion in the Harbor Maintenance Tax Fund to be released.

Boustany and 28 Democrats and 25 Republicans want the money spent similarly to highway and airport funds to improve the nation’s waterways. The issue is critical to Louisiana because of its numerous ports, Boustany said.

“To not maintain these harbors and ports impacts regional and national commerce, reduces our economic competitiveness and increases the risk of vessel groundings, collisions and pollution incidents,” the letter stated.

The letter was sent to the chairman and ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Vitter wants hearings
U.S. Sen. David Vitter last week called for leaders of the Senate Banking Committee to hold a hearing on the alleged fraud of investors by Allen Stanford.

Stanford recently was indicted on charges of taking at least $7 billion from investors. An estimated 1,000 Louisiana investors lost a combined $1 billion, including about 500 from Baton Rouge.

The Louisiana Republican’s request came in the wake of the 150-year prison sentence given to Bernie Madoff for operating a similar $50 billion fraud.

“Congress must determine how the regulatory agencies failed thousands of investors and we can prevent or minimize this from happening again in the future,” Vitter said in a statement.

Vitter is a member of the committee.

Cassidy called for jury duty
U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy spent his holiday legislative recess serving in the judicial branch of the government on jury duty.

The Baton Rouge Republican didn’t get picked for a trial but enjoyed the experience, he said.

“People said ‘Why don’t you get out of it?’ ” Cassidy said. “This is just civic responsibility.”
Cassidy did get out of an earlier call when he was supposed to serve on the day he was sworn into Congress. The jury duty last week was even more interesting, Cassidy said, now that the Senate will be considering a new Supreme Court justice nominee, appellate Judge Sonia Sotomayor. “I understand why people are nervous when the president says he wants a judge with empathy,” Cassidy said. “They told us to be guided by the facts.”

Vitter criticizes Sotomayor
U.S. Sen. David Vitter used a U.S. Supreme Court decision last week to fling a dart at Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Barack Obama’s choice for the high court.