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The article reports that the American Forest & Paper Association has emphasized that a tax break for producing the liquid biomass fuel in the U.S. will no way affect competitor nations.

Central American countries are preparing a defense of their labor policies in a document to be circulated to members of the U.S. Congress shortly after the August 2003 recess, to counteract critics who are calling on the U.S. to make trade benefits in the pending Central America Free Trade Agreement contingent on improving labor laws. Central American countries in separate 'white papers' will recount their record on labor, including international labor standards they have ratified and laws on books. In negotiations to date, Central American countries have strongly resisted using fines to back up enforcement, but have yet to introduce a comprehensive proposal for the agreement's labor chapter.

Connecticut state Representative Shaun McNally filed candidacy papers with the FEC Tuesday, becoming the first Democrat to seek to challenge GOP Representative Rob Simmons next year, the Norwich Bulletin reported. McNally said a formal announcement might come later this summer. McNally's decision to enter the race comes after another former state legislator, Joseph Courtney announced that Rep. Rob Simmons would not make a second run for the party's nomination. Several other Democrats are said to be considering bids, but none other than McNally have filed with the FEC.

Reports that Florida-based Senator Bob Graham has filed papers to begin raising money for the election campaign. Need for the lawmaker to take physician's clearance before starting the campaign.

This article reports that Harriet Miers today withdrew her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, asserting that the confirmation process was threatening the independence of the executive branch because senators were insisting on access to confidential White House deliberations. But the White House never was able to solidify GOP support for the nominee, who was dogged by questions about her credentials and ideology. Miers informed President George W. Bush of her decision Wednesday night and offered him her official letter of resignation this morning. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said that Bush had not asked Miers to withdraw. White House officials were not specific about when a new nominee would be announced. Bush said that he would make his choice "in a timely manner."

This article reports that U.S. House Judiciary Committee Democrats would urge the White House to provide the panel with documents relating to Harriett Miers' record as an adviser to President George W. Bush, though Republicans are warning the memos could be covered by attorney-client privilege. Senator Charles Schumer said that Miers "clearly has the potential" to be a consensus nominee. Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter said that Miers does not appear to have taken a position on high-profile issues such as the death penalty, application of the Commerce Clause and the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

The article reports that two weeks after denying he knew anything about it, the campaign manager for Democratic congressional candidate Samara Barend has admitted seeking public records on Barend's Republican opponent, Randy Kuhl. But Barend said neither she nor her campaign manager, Jonah Siegellak, released court-sealed divorce documents about Kuhl that a court employee inadvertently included with the other records. The divorce documents include allegations by Kuhl's ex-wife that he once threatened her at gunpoint.

The article reports that the U.S. Senate Democrats introduced a bill Wednesday to reimburse States that print paper ballots and offer them to voters in the November elections. However the bill is unlikely to be passed by both the chambers before the November election. The House Administration Committee Chairman Vernon Ehlers noted that the suggestions to revert to rely on paper can fail to deliver accurate results and is also susceptible to manipulation.

Nevada today became the first U.S. state to meet voluntary state and federal requirements for its electronic voting system that creates a permanent paper trail. In time for its primary, Sequoia Voting Systems' VeriVote printers will be attached to existing direct recording electronic touch-screen voting machines. With Nevada's new system, voters will be able to verify a vote before it is cast. Once verified, the vote will be recorded on paper.

The article reports that the U.S. National Archives & Records Administration has released online the Pentagon papers related to the Vietnam War.

The article reports that the U.S. Senate Finance Committee has released an options paper on paying for a more than $1 trillion healthcare overhaul that examines several ways to tap into revenue from taxing employer-sponsored health benefits.

The article reports that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA) administrator Stephen Johnson has hinted that he may refuse to hand over subpoenaed documents about the agency's recent ozone rule to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman. The papers relate to discussions between EPA and the White House. Waxman has blamed the White House for getting involved to ensure the rule is less stringent than the EPA scientific advisory panel's recommendation.

The article reports that U.S. Office of Management and Budget Director Jim Nussle has announced that President George W. Bush's FY09 budget would be moved online. He said this move to go paperless for the first time would mean the budget will be available electronically. He called it an effort to save taxpayer dollars and reduce unnecessary paper copies . The so-called E-Budget will be fully searchable and available for downloading.

The article reports that U.S. President George W. Bush's surgeon general nominee James Holsinger has defended a paper he wrote about 15 years ago calling homosexuality unhealthy and unnatural. Downplaying the homosexuality issue, Holsinger has said that he wants to shift his focus on obesity and smoking. Senator Barbara Mikulski has accused Holsinger of downplaying women's health needs and not doing enough to counter a culture of sexual harassment at veterans hospitals.

The article focuses on the U.S. House Speaker Denny Hastert, who waded into the controversy over the release of the U.S. Republican congressional candidate John Kuhl's sealed divorce papers, accusing Kuhl's Democratic opponent, Samara Barend, of "dirty tricks." Barend's campaign manager, Jonah Siegellak, after initially denying any knowledge of the divorce records, admitted late last week that he had been aware of their mistaken release, but said he never told Barend about it. Kuhl and his ex-wife have called the release of the documents, which first surfaced on a left-leaning political Web site earlier this month, an invasion of their privacy, but Kuhl has refused to address the contents of the documents.

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer said Thursday she would introduce a bill requiring electronic voting machines to produce paper records by November 2004 to ensure accurate elections. The legislation, which Boxer and Representative Rush Holt plan to introduce early next year, also would require electronic voting companies to meet tougher security standards, including background checks for software engineers. Voting rights advocates and computer scientists have argued that paperless voting machines, such as touchscreen terminals, expose elections to hackers, software bugs and mechanical failures.

Reports on the plans of Florida Democratic Senator Bob Graham to file papers towards raising money for presidential election but to delay a formal decision on his candidature. Rationale behind delay in Graham's decision; Significance of the delay for Graham in terms of fundraising.

Focuses on a policy paper released in February 2001 by the nonprofit organization Education Leaders Council. Call for the United States federal government to allow states more flexibility in reaching education goals; Recommendation that states be given the option of becoming charter states and enter into contracts with the U.S. Department of Education.

The article informs that U.S. Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick J. Leahy today asked William Roderick, Deputy Inspector General of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to investigate the agency's withholding of documents related to the health effects of global warming as well as allegations of White House interference. Leahy asked whether EPA has complied with its obligation to provide information to the Congress.

The article reports that Eliot Spitzer, New York Governor, has told senior advisers that he had been involved in a prostitution ring. Spitzer, a Democrat elected in 2006, was huddled with advisers and was scheduled to make an announcement. Aides to the governor declined to comment on the report.

The article reports that the newspaper "The Kansas City Star" has asked U.S. Republican Senator Jim Talent to withdraw or rectify his television commercials. The newspaper has alleged that in the commercial, it is shown criticizing Claire McCaskill, Talent's rival in the race for the Senate seat from Kansas in the November 2006 midterm Congressional elections.

The article reports that the U.S. Homeland Security officials informed the Senate Finance Committee that the nation require new border security arrangements. The officials informed that the border guards are facing problems in identifying counterfeit driver licenses and birth certificates. Customs and Border Protection's assistant commissioner, Jayson Ahern informed lawmakers that implementing stringent requirements for people coming into the country should not be delayed.

This article reports that former U.S. Representative Bob Carr of Michigan is not seeking to succeed Representative Ted Strickland of Ohio. Carr who is running was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the U.S. Congress in Michigan in 1996. Carr, who is now a Democrat, said that he did not want to talk about his political history except that he had won a federal election in Michigan. However, Columbiana County Democratic Chairman Dennis Johnson, who first spoke to Carr last month, disputes Carr's claims.

Dealing a blow to the Illinois Senate candidacy of Republican Jack Ryan, a California judge ruled Thursday that several sealed divorce records likely to embarrass the candidate and his ex-wife should be opened to the public. Superior Court Judge Robert Schnider acknowledged that the resulting publicity from the disclosure would be harmful to the couple's son, a key argument Ryan had raised in seeking to keep the documents from public view. But Schnider said he had weighed the public interest of disclosure against the private interests of the Ryans, who were divorced in California, and their child.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman today announced that all food stamps would be delivered through the electronic benefit transfer system by September 2004. Conservative critics have often criticized fraud in the food stamp program. But U.S. Department of Agriculture officials and anti-hunger activists have said that the electronic benefit system has contributed greatly to reducing fraud in the program, which is estimated to pay out $20 billion in benefits in 2003.

The U.S. Defense Department is negotiating with House Armed Services Chairman Duncan Hunter to resolve differences in his version of the FY04 Defense authorization bill, a hotly contested piece of legislation that would reduce the amount of foreign-made parts and components incorporated into U.S. military weapons systems. A recent Defense Department position paper on the House bill indicates the Pentagon would accept a watered-down version of a number of the "Buy American" provisions, although the department would oppose one key measure to require that U.S. military systems be comprised of at least 65 percent domestic content. The undated position paper is reportedly the work of Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, who recently joined the chorus of administration officials opposed to Hunter's legislation. One possible compromise included in the position paper would amend Hunter's provision to identify military components that are critical or essential to a weapons system.

The article reports that the U.S. Presidential adviser, Karl Rove, in a meeting with business leaders has said that the President would continue its attempt to eliminate double taxation on dividends and demand a final tax cut package costing between $550 billion and $726 billion, as of April 17, 2003. Participants of the meeting said Rove was adamant that a House-Senate conference can produce a tax cut of $550 billion or more. Other administration officials have told their business community allies that the dividends proposal and the rest of the President's tax plan could fit into a $550 billion package. Meanwhile, the Tax Relief Coalition which had suspended its advertising campaign in support of the president's plan at the start of the war in Iraq has resumed radio ads targeting senators in states such as Nebraska, Maine, Ohio, Louisiana and Indiana. As part of the business community's campaign, the American Forest and Paper Association is running print ads in Maine thanking GOP Senator Susan Collins for supporting the president's tax proposal and pointedly omitting any mention of fellow GOP Senator Olympia Snowe, who helped force the Senate to accept a budget resolution that protects only $350 billion in tax cuts.

Reports the impact of anthrax infections on the Congress in the United States. Absence of paper and fax to issue press releases; Importance of cell phones, laptops and other wireless communication devices; Unification of the House of Congress.

The article informs that the Homeland Security Department today called on the cargo industry to help develop a national strategy to ensure the protection of the United States' supply chain. More than 20,000 containers enter the United States daily, Homeland Secretary said, and jurisdictions in the distribution process overlap. To begin the effort, he presented a working paper to cargo industry stakeholders during the first of a two-day meeting hosted by the Homeland Security Institute. That paper recommends that U.S. customs officials create a multilateral information-sharing system with its foreign trading partners and establish international standards for security, data and system architectures.

By voice vote, the U.S. House today passed legislation to allow banks to clear checks electronically and eventually end the laborious and expensive process of transporting paper checks between financial institutions. The bill would permit banks to approve digital images of checks, although banks, customers and businesses that still want paper checks could request a substitute check to confirm the electronic transfer. Delays in transporting paper checks immediately after the September 11 terrorist attacks, when airplanes were grounded, prodded the legislation along.