Lautenberg, F CSIA

<p><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">sadly, passed away, oldest member, last wwII vet? heroically came in to vote for gun background checks</font></b>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> =</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><div class="print-content"><div id="node-884536" class="node node-story view-mode-print clearfix" about="/environment/why-basic-protections-harmful-chemicals-are-so-hard-get" typeof="sioc:Item foaf:Document" style="position: relative;"><div class="byline environment"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="field field-name-field-sources field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden">Truthout</span> / By <a href="http://www.alternet.org/authors/peter-montague" style="">Peter Montague</a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[1]</span></font></div><div class="story_comments">
</div><div class="headline"><h1 property="dc:title" datatype="" class="node-title"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Why Basic Protections from Harmful Chemicals Are So Hard to Get</font></h1></div><div class="the_body body_environment clearfix"><div class="story-date"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="field field-name-field-date field-type-date field-label-hidden" style=""><span class="field-items" style=""><span class="field-item even" style=""><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-08-19T10:51:00-07:00" style="">August 19, <b style="">2013</b></span></span></span></span><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b> |  </font></div><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The environmental movement has been campaigning since 2005 to modernize U.S. chemicals policy, an uphill battle. The greens have done everything by the book -- written a model law, built a national grass-roots coalition, and dispatched lobbyists to capitol hill.  Now, however, the chemical industry has executed a classic "divide and conquer" maneuver, cleaving the greens into disarray. If the present momentum continues, Congress could end up passing a chemical reform bill that's far worse than what we've got now.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">What we've got now is the <b>Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA, pronounced Tosca) enacted in 1976 </b>and not revised since. As the<i>New York Times</i> <a href="http://goo.gl/i6qf4n" style=""><span class="s1">described it</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[2]</span> May 24, 2013, "[TSCA] purports to regulate potentially harmful chemicals in industrial and consumer goods, like plastic bottles and children's pajamas. But the law is better known for its failures than for its successes. Of roughly 85,000 chemicals registered for use in the United States, [since 1976] only 200 have been tested by the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] and fewer than a dozen -- including polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxin and hexavalent chromium -- have been restricted.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"After a federal appeals court denied the E.P.A. the authority to issue new limits on asbestos in 1991 [22 years ago], the agency all but abandoned its efforts to enforce the law, even as evidence of health problems from exposure to a range of chemicals in consumer products has piled up," the <i>Times</i> wrote.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>TSCA works like this:</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> New industrial chemicals are presumed to be safe. Ninety days before selling a new chemical, a manufacturer must notify EPA. At that time, the manufacturer must divulge any toxicity data it has for the chemical. If there's no toxicity data, there's nothing to divulge -- a powerful incentive to avoid safety testing. EPA then has 60 days to approve the new chemical or to demand more toxicity data. But EPA's demand for more data must be supported by substantial evidence that new information is warranted by an "unreasonable risk" to public health or the environment. Obviously, this is a catch-22: without evidence of harm (or safety), EPA has no power to demand studies that might show harm (or safety). So every year, on average, 700 new chemicals enter commercial channels untested for effects on human health or the environment. That's TSCA in a nutshell. </span>(For more on U.S. chemicals policy, see<a href="http://goo.gl/09RpJD" style=""><span class="s1">here</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[3]</span>,  <a href="http://goo.gl/eLdes6" style=""><span class="s1">here</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[4]</span>, and <a href="http://goo.gl/T91kWm" style=""><span class="s1">here</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[5]</span>.)</font></p><p class="p1"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A Campaign to Reform U.S. Chemicals Policy</font></b></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A national campaign to reform TSCA bubbled up from the grassroots where people from Maine to California had been waging trench warfare against the petrochemical industry since 1978 when toxic waste was first discovered oozing onto a school playground at Love Canal in Niagara Falls, N.Y., where kids were getting sick.  Nationwide, when people started looking, they found toxic waste everywhere.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Communities like Woburn, Mass. and Toms River, N.J., discovered clusters of disease among their children, and suddenly ordinary people found themselves locked in battle with armies of lawyers representing major corporations -- in Woburn's case, Beatrice Foods and W.R. Grace, and in Toms River's, Ciba-Geigy -- to end the toxic trespass. The Woburn fight was documented in <a href="http://goo.gl/sYUoDi" style=""><span class="s1">a book</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[6]</span> and movie, both titled <i>A Civil Action</i>. Dan Fagin documented the Toms River fight in <a href="http://goo.gl/xSl2bg" style=""><span class="s1">a book</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[7]</span> by that name. At the height of "the toxics movement" an estimated 7,000 local groups were engaged in hand-to-hand combat with one chemical polluter or another in all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Along the way, there were state-level victories. For example in 1986, a ballot initiative ("<a href="http://goo.gl/KznRzs" style=""><span class="s1">Prop 65</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[8]</span>") forced California state government to list all chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. The list gets updated once a year and now contains about 800 chemicals. California businesses must notify their customers about the presence of any of these chemicals in products they sell.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But ultimately town-by-town, fight-by-fight opposition to toxic chemicals wasn't changing national policy. In May, 2004, a disparate group of toxics and environmental justice activists met in Louisville, Ky. to hammer out a "<a href="http://goo.gl/NO9rrS" style=""><span class="s1">Louisville Charter for Safer Chemicals</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[9]</span>" -- the Magna Carta of TSCA reform.  <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> In 2005 Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) began carrying the banner for modern chemicals policy, and a serious national TSCA reform campaign began to take shape. In 2008 Lautenberg introduced his first TSCA-reform proposal, the <a href="http://goo.gl/3wiYvN" style=""><span class="s1">Kid-Safe Chemicals Act</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[10]</span>.</span></font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Features of Kid-Safe included:</b></font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1. Require Basic Data on Industrial Chemicals</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Chemical companies must demonstrate the safety of their products, backed up with credible evidence. Chemicals that lack minimum data could not be legally manufactured in or imported into the United States. [Section 505]  In other words, no data, no market.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2. Place the Burden on Industry to Demonstrate Safety</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It's not up to government to prove harm; it's up to industry to show that their products pose a reasonable certainty of no harm. EPA must systematically review whether industry has met this burden of proof for all industrial chemicals within 15 years of adoption. [Section 503]</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3. Restrict the Use of Dangerous Chemicals Found in Newborn Babies</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Hazardous chemicals detected in human umbilical cord blood would be immediately targeted for restrictions on their use. [Section 504]</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4. Use New Scientific Evidence to Protect Health</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">EPA must consider and is authorized to require additional testing as new science and new testing methods emerge, including for health effects at low doses or during fetal or infant development and for nanomaterials. [Section 503]</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Together, these features of the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act add up to a "precautionary approach," turning TSCA on its head. The Kid-Safe reform assumes that industrial chemicals may be harmful until chemical companies produce data showing their products pose a reasonable certainty of no harm.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Plus, the mere presence of industrial chemicals in cord blood triggers special action to eliminate those exposures, which are presumed to be undesirable in a newborn. </font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In a world where cancers, attention deficits, autism, asthma, and diabetes are increasing in children year after year, precaution for chemical exposures is clearly a rational approach. </font></p><p class="p1"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Grassroots and Grasstops</font></strong></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">To pass legislation in Washington, grass-roots campaigners from the hinterland need the insider known-how of the<b> "grass<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">tops</span>" lobbying organizations in D.C. </b>-- in this instance<b>, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), EWG (the Environmental Working Group), and EDF (Environmental Defense Fund)</b>. For their part, the grasstops lobbyists in D.C. need grass-roots groups all across the country to pressure key legislators at crucial times in the legislative sausage-making process.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Sometimes the grasstops in D.C. forget that they can't win without support of a broad grass-roots base. There's no better example of this than the inside-the-beltway <a href="http://goo.gl/kkddtV" style=""><span class="s1">campaign in 2009 to pass "cap-and-trade" legislation</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[11]</span> to curb emissions of carbon dioxide. The grasstops groups, led by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), imagined that they could play David to the fossil fuel industry's Goliath (oil, coal, natural gas, and electric utilities) without engaging grass-roots campaigners nationwide. Predictably, Goliath slew David handily.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Just as cap and trade was going down to embarrassing defeat, the grasstops took a different tack for TSCA reform -- they helped launch a large national grass-roots coalition now known as <a href="http://www.saferchemicals.org/" style=""><span class="s1">Safer Chemicals Healthy Families</span></a> </span><span class="print-footnote" style="">[12]</span> (SCHF), today comprising some 450 groups with perhaps 11 million total members. From the beginning, the coalition was partly staffed by grasstops: the coalition's web site lists its two "issue exerts" as Sarah Jensen, a physician with NRDC, and Richard Denison, a scientist employed by EDF. Indeed, the press release <a href="http://goo.gl/kOJxNX" style=""><span class="s1">announcing the formation of the coalition</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[13]</span> August 4, 2009 listed Richard Denison of EDF as the first of two spokespeople for the coalition.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Thus, it all seemed to be working the way it was supposed to. Except that Congress was not cooperating</b>. The petrochemical industry has a phenomenally deep pocket, and it was not about to roll over for a few green lobbyists, even if they had the backing of 11 million supporters in places like Boise and Little Rock. According to Common Cause, between 2005 and 2012 the chemical industry spent<a href="http://goo.gl/kNdKqf" style=""><span class="s1">$375 million lobbying</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[14]</span> to prevent meaningful TSCA reform. That's more than $700,000 for each of the 535 members of Congress.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>As time passed, Senator Lautenberg continually watered down</b> his Kid-Safe proposal, each new version weaker than the last. In April of this year Lautenberg and Kristin Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) once again re-introduced a "Safe Chemicals Act." By now, the <b>precautionary approach was long gone, as was the goal of protecting vulnerable populations like babies. </b></font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Senator Lautenberg evidently knew that even this compromised bill wasn't going anywhere because one month later -- May 22, <b>12 days before he died -- he introduced an even more industry-friendly version, "The Chemical Safety Improvement Act" or CSIA. This time his co-sponsor was Sen. David Vitter, conservative Republican from Louisiana and loyal servant of the petrochemical industry.</b></font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>To say that Lautenberg-Vitter is industry-friendly understates the case. The chemical industry is salivating over the CSIA.</b></font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Here's a short list of <a href="http://goo.gl/LqYKth" style=""><span class="s1">industry groups that have endorsed</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[15]</span> the Lautenberg-Vitter bill: Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Association of Global Automakers, Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, California Building Industry Association<b>, California Chamber of Commerce</b>, California Manufacturers & Technology Association, Consumer Electronics Association, Information Technology Industry Council, Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association, National Electrical Manufacturers Association, and the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The heaviest hitters supporting CSIA include the <a href="http://goo.gl/mOXGz8" style=""><span class="s1">U.S. Chamber of Commerce</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[16]</span>, the <a href="http://goo.gl/WgCLzV" style=""><span class="s1">Vinyl Institute</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[17]</span>, and, heaviest of all, the <a href="http://goo.gl/2mX8Ym" style=""><span class="s1">American Chemistry Council</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[18]</span>, trade association of the chemical manufacturers.</font></p><p class="p1"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">CSIA: "Somewhere between a rout and a retreat"</font></b></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The position of the Safer Chemicals Healthy Families coalition is <a href="http://goo.gl/QWMVNX" style=""><span class="s1">crystal clear</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[19]</span>: "We do not support the legislation in its current form."  Ken Cook, president of EWG in D.C. doesn't mince words: "If you look at the bill Lautenberg was pushing last year, I don't know if this is a retreat or a rout, but it's somewhere in that range," he says of the CSIA.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Objections to the Lautenberg-Vitter CSIA bill include these:</b></font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1. EPA must decide that "no unreasonable risk of harm to human health or the environment will result from exposure to a chemical." To determine what's "unreasonable," EPA must do a cost-benefit analysis -- weighing the dollar value of the chemical against the dollar value of the cancers, birth defects, attention deficits, and other diseases it may cause over the years. In such studies, the commercial value of the chemical can be estimated, but the dollar value of the harms is not easily quantified. In the past, after losing too many such duels with industry, EPA has refused to engage, allowing chemicals onto the market unchallenged.  CSIA seems unlikely to change that pattern. </font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2. Once EPA determines that a chemical presents "no unreasonable risk of harm" (for example, by refusing to challenge it in a cost-benefit duel) federal and state courts would not be allowed to accept new evidence in toxic tort lawsuits. Whatever evidence was available to EPA at the time of its decision would be the only information that a judge or jury could hear. New scientific studies would be<a href="http://goo.gl/sbRZSE" style=""><span class="s1">excluded from courtrooms</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[20]</span>.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3. Lautenberg-Vitter contains sweeping language that <a href="http://goo.gl/sbRZSE" style=""><span class="s1">preempts states</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[20]</span> from enforcing existing laws, or adopting new ones, designed to supplement federal law. So California's "Prop 65" labeling requirements would be illegal under Lautenberg-Vitter. Washington state's current restrictions on flame retardants would be nullified. Maine's goal of eliminating toxic mercury from products would be set aside.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The California <a href="http://goo.gl/s1EziN" style=""><span class="s1">attorney general's office</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[21]</span> says Lautenberg-Vitter, as currently drafted, "cripples the police powers that California relies upon to protect public health... and, in addition, severely compromises California's authority to supplement and complement federal efforts to regulate the safety of chemicals."</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Greens have universally condemned the Lautenberg-Vitter bill, with one exception: EDF <a href="http://goo.gl/RgEfKO" style=""><span class="s1">supports the bill</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[22]</span> and Richard Denison has been lobbying for it on capitol hill.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This is not really a surprise. EDF has long been known as "a <a href="http://goo.gl/hcmxG1" style=""><span class="s1">home for business-friendly</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[23]</span> environmentalism."  People who engage with EDF generally do so knowing that it's often on the opposite side of issues that matter to grass-roots pollution-fighters.   </font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In this instance, EDF's position on CSIA creates a real conundrum for the Safer Chemicals Healthy Family Coalition, where EDF's Denison is both a scientific adviser and a coalition spokesperson yet is employed by an organization lobbying against the coalition's position..</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Now, during intense jockeying in the senate, no one can be quite sure who they're talking to when Richard Denison comes knocking. Is he representing EDF, which supports CSIA, or the Safer Chemicals coalition, which opposes it?</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The EDF web site is no help in sorting out this question. To a naive viewer, the site could even give the impression that the Safer Chemicals Healthy Families coalition supports EDF's pro-CSIA position, which it emphatically does not. The "Chemicals Policy" <a href="htttp://goo.gl/gEZOsu" style=""><span class="s1">page on EDF's site</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[24]</span>, urging passage of Lautenberg-Vitter, says, "EDF is a founding member of the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families campaign, a broad coalition of state and national environmental groups, associations of health professionals, advocates for health-affected individuals and environmental justice organizations. The group has launched a broad effort to achieve comprehensive reform of TSCA. The campaign is advocating for a set of legislative proposals in Congress summarized in its platform [<a href="http://goo.gl/o70pQj" style=""><span class="s1">PDF</span></a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[25]</span>]."</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Nowhere does the EDF web site clarify that the Safer Chemicals Healthy Families coalition opposes Lautenberg-Vitter, which EDF supports.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The value of EDF's stance to the chemical industry cannot be overstated. With EDF on its side, the Chemical Industry Council's chief lobbyist, Calvin M. Dooley, can tell senators that "reasonable" environmentalists support Lautenberg-Vitter. Only green extremists oppose it.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">For its part, EDF management may be feeling a bit desperate to back a winner. With an annual budget of $105 million, and egg on its face from the cap-and-trade fiasco of 2009-2010, EDF perhaps needs to claim a victory after years invested in TSCA reform. Faced with the disastrous Lautenberg-Vitter bill, perhaps siding with the chemical industry against its 450 grass-roots allies in the Safer Chemicals coalition will prove to be a wise financial decision for EDF going forward.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">For the Safer Chemicals coalition, on the other hand, Lautenberg-Vitter portends hard times ahead not only for chemicals policy but for the politics of reform more generally. Not only must future coalitions dissect what went wrong this time, but they must try anew to figure out how to discern in advance who are their real friends, and who's likely to sell them out at the last minute.</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">One thing's for sure: divide and conquer is still industry's most powerful tactic. "We're delighted there's a path forward," says Calvin Dooley of the Chemical Industry Council, "and we're eager to capitalize on it."</font></p><p class="p1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></p></div><div class="big_story_tools_bottom_container"><div class="talk_box"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="small" /></font></div></div><div class="story_tools_bottom"><div class="text-size"><div class="story_tools_email"><div class="story_tools_print"><div class="story_tools_share"><div class="story_tools_social_buttons"><div class="tags"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">See more stories tagged with:</font><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/tags/chemicals-0" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style="">chemicals</a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[26]</span>,</font></div><div class="field-item odd"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/tags/safety-0" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style="">safety</a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[27]</span>,</font></div><div class="field-item even"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/tags/health-0" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style="">health</a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[28]</span>,</font></div><div class="field-item odd"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/tags/regulations" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style="">regulations</a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[29]</span>,</font></div><div class="field-item even"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/tags/tsca-0" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style="">tsca</a> <span class="print-footnote" style="">[30]</span></font></div></div></div></div><div class="comment_button"><div class="print-footer" style="text-align: center;"><hr class="print-hr" style="text-align: left; border: 0px; height: 1px; width: 948.8px; background-color: rgb(158, 158, 158);" /><div class="print-source_url" style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong>Source URL:</strong> <a href="http://www.alternet.org/environment/why-basic-protections-harmful-chemicals-are-so-hard-get" style="">http://www.alternet.org/environment/why-basic-protections-harmful-chemicals-are-so-hard-get</a></font></div><div class="print-links" style=""><p /><div style="text-align: left;"><strong style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">Links:</strong></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[1] http://www.alternet.org/authors/peter-montague</font></div><div style="text-align: left;">[2] http://goo.gl/i6qf4n</div><div style="text-align: left;">[3] http://goo.gl/09RpJD</div><div style="text-align: left;">[4] http://goo.gl/eLdes6</div><div style="text-align: left;">[5] http://goo.gl/T91kWm</div><div style="text-align: left;">[6] http://goo.gl/sYUoDi</div><div style="text-align: left;">[7] http://goo.gl/xSl2bg</div><div style="text-align: left;">[8] http://goo.gl/KznRzs</div><div style="text-align: left;">[9] http://goo.gl/NO9rrS</div><div style="text-align: left;">[10] http://goo.gl/3wiYvN</div><div style="text-align: left;">[11] http://goo.gl/kkddtV</div><div style="text-align: left;">[12] http://www.saferchemicals.org/</div><div style="text-align: left;">[13] http://goo.gl/kOJxNX</div><div style="text-align: left;">[14] http://goo.gl/kNdKqf</div><div style="text-align: left;">[15] http://goo.gl/LqYKth</div><div style="text-align: left;">[16] http://goo.gl/mOXGz8</div><div style="text-align: left;">[17] http://goo.gl/WgCLzV</div><div style="text-align: left;">[18] http://goo.gl/2mX8Ym</div><div style="text-align: left;">[19] http://goo.gl/QWMVNX</div><div style="text-align: left;">[20] http://goo.gl/sbRZSE</div><div style="text-align: left;">[21] http://goo.gl/s1EziN</div><div style="text-align: left;">[22] http://goo.gl/RgEfKO</div><div style="text-align: left;">[23] http://goo.gl/hcmxG1</div><div style="text-align: left;">[24] htttp://goo.gl/gEZOsu</div><div style="text-align: left;">[25] http://goo.gl/o70pQj</div><div style="text-align: left;">[26] http://www.alternet.org/tags/chemicals-0</div><div style="text-align: left;">[27] http://www.alternet.org/tags/safety-0</div><div style="text-align: left;">[28] http://www.alternet.org/tags/health-0</div><div style="text-align: left;">[29] http://www.alternet.org/tags/regulations</div><div style="text-align: left;">[30] http://www.alternet.org/tags/tsca-0</div><div style="text-align: left;">[31] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B</div></div><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">New Jersey senator Frank Lautenberg <a href="http://www.northjersey.com/news/national/US_Sen_Frank_Lautenberg_dies_at_xx.html">passed away from viral pneumonia</a> at the age of 89 this morning. In addition to being the Senate's oldest member, Lautenberg was also the chamber's last surviving World War II veteran — and since we don't see a lot of 90-year-olds running for Senate, presumably its last ever. After enlisting in the army as an 18-year-old in 1942 and serving in France and Belgium as a technician, Lautenberg attended Columbia University on the G.I. Bill. </font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Frank Raleigh Lautenberg</b> is the Senior <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S.Senate" title="U. S. Senate" class="mw-redirect">Senator</a> from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey" class="extiw" title="w:New Jersey">New Jersey</a>. He is a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=United_States_Democratic_Party" title="United States Democratic Party">Democrat</a>, and served from 1983 to 2001 and again since 2003.</font>

<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> Really GREEN, retiring?</span></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div>

<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contents</font></h2>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Record_and_controversies"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Record and controversies</span></a>

</font><ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Michael_Mukasey_nomination"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">1.1</span> <span class="toctext">Michael Mukasey nomination</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Environmental_record"><span class="tocnumber">1.2</span> <span class="toctext">Environmental record</span></a>

</font><ul>

<li class="toclevel-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Chemical_security_legislation"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">1.2.1</span> <span class="toctext">Chemical security legislation</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Toxic_Right-to-Know_Protection_Act"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">1.2.2</span> <span class="toctext">Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act</span></font></a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Lautenberg_on_Tobacco_Issues"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">1.3</span> <span class="toctext">Lautenberg on Tobacco Issues</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Chickenhawk_Speech"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">1.4</span> <span class="toctext"><b>Chickenhawk Speech</b></span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#HUD_Secretary"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">1.5</span> <span class="toctext">HUD Secretary</span></font></a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</font><ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Background"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">2.1</span> <span class="toctext">Background</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Second_Senate_Career"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">2.2</span> <span class="toctext">Second Senate Career</span></font></a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Money_in_politics"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Money in politics</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Committees_and_Affiliations"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Committees and Affiliations</span></a>

</font><ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Committees"><span class="tocnumber">4.1</span> <span class="toctext">Committees</span></a>

</font><ul>

<li class="toclevel-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R.Lautenberg#Committee_assignments_in_the_109th_Congress.282005-2006.29"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">4.1.1</span> <span class="toctext">Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)</span></font></a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Contact"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">Contact</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Articles_and_Resources"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">Articles and Resources</span></a>

</font><ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Sources"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">6.1</span> <span class="toctext">Sources</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#External_resources"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">6.2</span> <span class="toctext">External resources</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Articles"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">6.3</span> <span class="toctext">Articles</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#Local_blogs_and_discussion_sites"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">6.4</span> <span class="toctext">Local blogs and discussion sites</span></font></a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#More_Background_Data"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">7</span> <span class="toctext">More Background Data</span></font></a></li>

</ul>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">huffpo </font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Just this Monday, a study was published suggesting that <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/21/us-diabetes-idUSBRE84K0X720120521" target="hplink">nearly a quarter</a> of U.S. teens now have diabetes or pre-diabetes. That's up from 9 percent a decade ago. While there might be other possible contributions to the rise, recent research hints at the potential role of exposures to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/bpa-chemical-hormone-obesity-diabetes_n_1276996.html" target="hplink">bisphenol-A</a> and <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_124034.html" target="_hplink">phthalates</a>.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Autism, cancer, obesity and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/14/childhood-asthma-air-pollution-epa-regulations_n_1342024.html" target="_hplink">asthma</a> are also on the list of conditions thought to be both increasingly common among children and associated with kids touching, eating or breathing toxic chemicals.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The new act, introduced by <b>Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.) in April 2011, would regulate both new chemicals coming on to the market as well as the existing inventory of chemicals.</b> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would be tasked with first addressing chemicals already suspected to be toxic and those that are particularly pervasive, regardless of what's known about them to date.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"The stroller brigade is carrying an important message to Congress that we're not going to stand by and let our kids continue to be exposed to chemicals that make them sick," Lautenberg, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health, said in a statement. "Concerned moms are the best weapons we have in this fight. With their help, I will keep advancing the Safe Chemicals Act to reform our broken toxic chemical laws and provide a healthier future for our families."</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Representatives of industry, however, don't think that Lautenberg's proposal is the best means to modernize the country's regulation of chemicals. "We will continue to work with both Democrats and Republicans in Congress to create a feasible science-based solution that will give consumers confidence that chemicals are being used safely and foster innovation and job creation in the U.S.," the <a href="http://www.americanchemistry.com/" target="_hplink">American Chemistry Council</a>, a lobbying group, said in a statement in response to Tuesday's event.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Receiving perhaps the most attention lately are flame retardants. Over the last couple of weeks, the <a href="http://media.apps.chicagotribune.com/flames/index.html" target="hplink"><em>Chicago Tribune</em> has exposed</a> the deceptive campaigns of Big Tobacco and chemical manufacturers that led to the proliferation of this known carcinogen in couches, chairs, nursing pillows and strollers, among other products. In a recent study, <b>toxic flame retardants</b> were found in <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es2007462" target="hplink">80 percent of tested products for babies and children</a>. The most common: chlorinated Tris, which was actually banned from children's pajamas in the 1970s due to toxicity concerns.</font>

<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Record and controversies</font></span></h2>

<div style="text-align: left; margin: 0.5em 0.75em; border-collapse: collapse; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll rgb(220, 232, 248); border: 1px solid rgb(92, 121, 181); padding: 0.25em;"><span><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">General information about important bills and votes for can be found in Congresspedia's <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:U.S._legislation" title="Category:U.S. legislation">articles on legislation</a>. You can add information you find on how Frank R. Lautenberg voted by clicking the "[edit]" link to the right and typing it in. Remember to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Help:References" title="Help:References">cite your sources</a>!</font></span></div>

<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Michael Mukasey nomination</font></span></h3>

<p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Sen. Frank R, Lautenberg voted AGAINST the confirmation Bush appointee <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Michael_Mukasey" title="Michael Mukasey">Michael Mukasey</a> as Attorney General of the U.S.</span> on Nov. 8, 2007. Six Democrats and Sen. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Joe_Lieberman" title="Joe Lieberman" class="mw-redirect">Joe Lieberman</a> (I-Conn.) joined most Republicans in the 53-40 vote confirming Mukasey. No Republicans voted against him. <a href="http://www.opencongress.org/roll_call/show/2149" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.opencongress.org/roll_call/show/2149" rel="nofollow">[1]</a> Mukasey's nomination was surrounded by controversy after he called <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Waterboarding&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Waterboarding (page does not exist)">waterboarding</a> "repugnant" but refused to say whether it was illegal under anti-torture laws.</font></p>

<dl>

<dd style="text-align: left;"><i><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Main article: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Michael_Mukasey" title="Michael Mukasey">Michael Mukasey</a></font></i></dd>

</dl>

<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Environmental record</font></span></h3>

<p style="text-align: left;"><i><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">For more information on environmental legislation, see the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Portal:Energy_and_Environment_Policy_%28U.S.%29" title="Portal:Energy and Environment Policy (U.S.)">Energy and Environment Policy Portal</a></font></i>

<h4 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Chemical security legislation</font></span></h4>

<p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On March 30, 2006, Lautenberg introduced the Chemical Security and Safety Act (S.2486). The bill would have required the following <sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a></sup>:</font></p>

<ul>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That IST (inherent safer technology) be used whenever possible (President Bush had been strongly opposed to the idea).</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That state authority be protected in instances where the state had adopted stronger protections than federal law.</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That site security at chemical plants be improved to the maximum extent possible.</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That workers be guaranteed a role in ensuring the security and safety of facilities.</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That strong protections for whistleblowers be implemented.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R.Lautenberg#cite_note-1" title="">[2]</a></sup> <sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R.Lautenberg#cite_note-2" title="">[3]</a></sup></font></li>

</ul>

<dl>

<dd style="text-align: left;"><i><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Main article: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Chemical_security_legislation%28U.S.%29#Sen.Lautenberg_introduces_bill_to_strengthen_security_requirements_for_chemical_plants.2C_protect_state_laws" title="Chemical security legislation (U.S.)">Chemical security legislation (U.S.)#Sen. Lautenberg introduces bill to strengthen security requirements for chemical plants, protect state laws</a></font></i></dd>

</dl>

<h4 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act</font></span></h4>

<p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Toxic_Right-to-Know_Protection_Act" title="Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act">Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act</a> was introduced on February 14, 2007 by Sen. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_Lautenberg" title="Frank Lautenberg" class="mw-redirect">Frank Lautenberg</a> (D-N.J.). The Act would undo reporting requirement roll-backs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implemented in a January 2007 rule change,</span> which allows up to ten times more pollution before requiring detailed reporting. The Act returns the thresholds requiring polluting facilities to provide more complete information about their toxic releases to the earlier lower levels.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#cite_note-3" title="">[4]</a></sup></font></p>

<dl>

<dd style="text-align: left;"><i><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Main article: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Toxic_Right-to-Know_Protection_Act" title="Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act">Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act</a></font></i></dd>

</dl>

<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Lautenberg on Tobacco Issues</font></span></h3>

</div>

<p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Lautenberg held a hearing on second-hand smoke on May 11, 1994 and also authored a bill on a smoke free environment, circa 1994. <sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#cite_note-4" title="">[5]</a></sup></font>

<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Chickenhawk Speech</font></span></h3>

<p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On April 28,<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> 2004, in response to the recent rhetoric regarding presidential candidate Senator </span><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Forbes_Kerry%27s_military_service" title="John Forbes Kerry's military service" class="mw-redirect"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">John Forbes Kerry's</span> military service</a> during the Vietnam War, Lautenberg made a lengthy speech in the U.S. Senate entitled <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/29/politics/trail/29TRAIL-CHICKENHAWK.html" class="external text" title="http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/29/politics/trail/29TRAIL-CHICKENHAWK.html" rel="nofollow">"An Illustrated Guide to Chickenhawks."</a></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As reported by Carl Hulse in the April 29, 2004, edition of the <i>New York Times</i>, Lautenberg, "In a take-no-prisoners display, ... lashed out at Republicans critical of Mr. Kerry, calling them <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Chickenhawk" title="Chickenhawk">chickenhawks</a>."</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">An "enlargeable" copy of the chickenhawk poster he used, as well as an audio transcript of his speech is available on <a href="http://www.lautenberg.senate.gov/chickenhawk.html" class="external text" title="http://www.lautenberg.senate.gov/chickenhawk.html" rel="nofollow">Lautenberg's web site</a>.</font>

<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">HUD Secretary</font></span></h3>

<ul>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On May 9, 2006, Lautenberg called on President <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=George_W._Bush" title="George W. Bush" class="mw-redirect">George W. Bush</a> to demand the resignation of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Alphonso_Jackson" title="Alphonso Jackson">Alphonso Jackson</a>, the Secretary of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Department_of_Housing_and_Urban_Development" title="Department of Housing and Urban Development" class="mw-redirect">Housing and Urban Development</a>, because a speech Jackson made in which he implied that he cancelled a contract because the recipient expressed a negative opinion about Bush. <a href="http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/Documents/20060509163225-47415.pdf" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/Documents/20060509163225-47415.pdf" rel="nofollow">[2]</a> See <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Alphonso_Jackson" title="Alphonso Jackson">Alphonso Jackson</a> for more.</font></li>

</ul>

<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Background</font></span></h3>

<p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Lautenberg was born on January 23, 1924 in Paterson, New Jersey and served overseas in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in World War II after graduating high school. Then, financed by the GI Bill, he graduated from Columbia University with a degree in economics in 1949. He co-founded the successful Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) and was its president. He was commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey from 1978 to 1982.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 1982 he received the Democratic nomination for a US Senate seat from New Jersey. The seat had been occupied by Democrat <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Williams" class="extiw" title="w:Harrison Williams">Harrison Williams</a>, who resigned on March 11, 1982 after being implicated in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abscam" class="extiw" title="w:Abscam">Abscam</a> scandal.Lautenberg won the election and took office several days before the traditional swearing-in of senators.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He announced his retirement in 2000, and his fellow Democrat and businessman, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jon_Corzine" title="Jon Corzine" class="mw-redirect">Jon Corzine</a>, was elected to replace him.</font>

<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Second Senate Career</font></span></h3>

<p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Lautenberg unexpectedly returned to politics in 2002, when the other New Jersey senator, Democrat <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Robert_Torricelli&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Robert Torricelli (page does not exist)">Robert Torricelli</a>, withdrew his candidacy for reelection because of corruption charges. The New Jersey Republican Party challenged the replacement of Torricelli's name on the ballot with Lautenberg's, arguing that it came too late according to state election laws. The ballot name change was upheld by the New Jersey State Supreme Court, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the case.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Lautenberg is considered to be one of the Senate's most liberal members. He is pro-choice, supports gun control, has introduced many bills increasing penalties for carjacking and car theft, and has criticized the Bush administration on national security issues. He is probably best known for being involved with, and authoring some of, the legislation that banned smoking from most commercial airline flights. He has been very involved in various anti-smoking legislation, as well as airline safety legislation. He also is known for authoring the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ryan_White_Act&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Ryan White Act (page does not exist)">Ryan White Act</a> which provides services to AIDS patients. His name is also associated with the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Lautenberg_Amendment&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Lautenberg Amendment (page does not exist)">Lautenberg Amendment</a>, which prohibits any persons convicted of misdemeanor or felonious domestic violence from possessing firearms or ammunition.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2005, he became a leading voice within the Senate in calling for an investigation into the Bush administration payment of news columnists. <a href="http://lautenberg.senate.gov/%7Elautenberg/press/2003/01/2005210903.html" class="external autonumber" title="http://lautenberg.senate.gov/_{lautenberg/press/2003/01/2005210903.html}" rel="nofollow">[3]</a></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In January 2006 SurveyUSA listed him as having the lowest approval rating of any US Senator.<a href="http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2006/100USSenatorApproval060126Approval.htm" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2006/100USSenatorApproval060126Approval.htm" rel="nofollow">[4]</a> Despite this, in February 2006, Lautenberg announced that he intends to run for reelection in 2008, saying that deciding not to run for reelection in 2000 "was among the worst decisions of his life". <a href="http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-2/114041382942860.xml&coll=1" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-2/114041382942860.xml&coll=1" rel="nofollow">[5]</a></font>

<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Money in politics</font></span></h2>

<p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This section contains links to – and feeds from – money in politics databases. <crpcontribdata>cid=N00000659&cycle=2006</crpcontribdata></font></p>

<table class="prettytable"><tbody><tr><th colspan="3"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Links to more campaign contribution information for Frank R. Lautenberg

from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org" rel="nofollow">OpenSecrets.org</a> site.</font></th></tr><tr><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Fundraising profile:</font></td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00000659" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00000659" rel="nofollow"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">2006 election cycle</font></a></td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allsummary.asp?cid=N00000659" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allsummary.asp?cid=N00000659" rel="nofollow"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Career totals</font></a></td></tr><tr><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Top contributors by organization/corporation:</font></td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00000659" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00000659" rel="nofollow"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">2006 election cycle</font></a></td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?cid=N00000659" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?cid=N00000659" rel="nofollow"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Career totals</font></a></td></tr><tr><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Top contributors by industry:</font></td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/indus.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00000659" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/indus.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00000659" rel="nofollow"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">2006 election cycle</font></a></td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allindus.asp?cid=N00000659" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allindus.asp?cid=N00000659" rel="nofollow"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Career totals</font></a></td></tr></tbody></table>

<ul>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/search_result.asp?mem=Lautenberg%2C+Frank+R" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/search_result.asp?mem=Lautenberg%2C+Frank+R" rel="nofollow">Revolving door profile for Frank R. Lautenberg</a> from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a href="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" class="external text" title="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" rel="nofollow">OpenSecrets.org</a> website.</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/travel.asp?CID=N00000659" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/travel.asp?CID=N00000659" rel="nofollow">2006 privately funded travel profile for Frank R. Lautenberg</a> from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a href="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" class="external text" title="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" rel="nofollow">OpenSecrets.org</a> website.</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/candlook.php?CID=N00000659" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/candlook.php?CID=N00000659" rel="nofollow">Personal finance profile for Frank R. Lautenberg</a> from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a href="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" class="external text" title="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" rel="nofollow">OpenSecrets.org</a> website.</font></li>

</ul>

<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Committees and Affiliations</font></span></h2>

<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Committees</font></span></h3>

<ul>

<li><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Senate_Committee_on_Commerce,Science,and_Transportation" title="Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation</a></div><ul>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security - Chairman</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety</font></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Senate_Committee_on_Environment_and_Public_Works" title="Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works</a></div><ul>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Superfund and Environmental Health</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Transportation Safety, Infrastructure Security and Water Quality</font></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Senate_Committee_on_Appropriations" title="Senate Committee on Appropriations" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">Senate Committee on Appropriations</a></div><ul>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Energy and Water</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Homeland Security</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development</font></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

<h4 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)</font></span></h4>

<ul>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Aviation</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Fisheries and the Coast Guard</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Global Climate Change - Ranking Minority Member</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on National Ocean Policy Study</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Trade Tourism and Economic Development</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine</font></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Clean Air Climate Change and Nuclear Safety</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Superfund and Waste Management</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Fisheries Wildlife and Water</font></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Senate_Committee_on_Homeland_Security_%26_Governmental_Affairs" title="Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs</a></div><ul>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management Government Information and International Security</font></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contact</font></span></h2>

<p /><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">DC Office:</b></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Hart Senate Office Building, Suite 324</font></div><div style="text-align: left;">Washington, DC 20510</div><div style="text-align: left;">Phone: <span class="skype_pnh_print_container">202-224-3224</span><span dir="ltr" class="skype_pnh_container"><span class="skype_pnh_mark"> begin_of_the_skype_highlighting</span> <span dir="ltr" title="Call this phone number in United States of America with Skype: +12022243224" class="skype_pnh_highlighting_inactive_common"><span skypeaction="skype_dropdown" class="skype_pnh_left_span">  </span><span skypeaction="skype_dropdown" title="Skype actions" class="skype_pnh_dropart_span"><span skypeaction="skype_dropdown" class="skype_pnh_dropart_flag_span" style=" background-position: -4499px 1px ! important;">      </span>   </span><span class="skype_pnh_textarea_span"><span class="skype_pnh_text_span">  202-224-3224</span></span><span class="skype_pnh_right_span">     </span></span> <span class="skype_pnh_mark">end_of_the_skype_highlighting</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">TTYD Number: <span class="skype_pnh_print_container">202-224-2087</span><span dir="ltr" class="skype_pnh_container"><span class="skype_pnh_mark"> begin_of_the_skype_highlighting</span> <span dir="ltr" title="Call this phone number in United States of America with Skype: +12022242087" class="skype_pnh_highlighting_inactive_common"><span skypeaction="skype_dropdown" class="skype_pnh_left_span">  </span><span skypeaction="skype_dropdown" title="Skype actions" class="skype_pnh_dropart_span"><span skypeaction="skype_dropdown" class="skype_pnh_dropart_flag_span" style=" background-position: -4499px 1px ! important;">      </span>   </span><span class="skype_pnh_textarea_span"><span class="skype_pnh_text_span">  202-224-2087</span></span><span class="skype_pnh_right_span">     </span></span> <span class="skype_pnh_mark">end_of_the_skype_highlighting</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Fax: 202-228-4054</div>

<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://lautenberg.senate.gov/webform.html" class="external text" title="http://lautenberg.senate.gov/webform.html" rel="nofollow">Web Email</a></div>

<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://lautenberg.senate.gov" class="external text" title="http://lautenberg.senate.gov" rel="nofollow">Website</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div>

<p /><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">District Office - Camden:</b></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">One Port Center</font></div><div style="text-align: left;">Suite 505, Fifth Floor</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 Riverside Drive</div><div style="text-align: left;">Camden, NJ 08101</div><div style="text-align: left;">Phone: <span class="skype_pnh_print_container">856-338-8922</span><span dir="ltr" class="skype_pnh_container"><span class="skype_pnh_mark"> begin_of_the_skype_highlighting</span> <span dir="ltr" title="Call this phone number in United States of America with Skype: +18563388922" class="skype_pnh_highlighting_inactive_common"><span skypeaction="skype_dropdown" class="skype_pnh_left_span">  </span><span skypeaction="skype_dropdown" title="Skype actions" class="skype_pnh_dropart_span"><span skypeaction="skype_dropdown" class="skype_pnh_dropart_flag_span" style=" background-position: -4499px 1px ! important;">      </span>   </span><span class="skype_pnh_textarea_span"><span class="skype_pnh_text_span">  856-338-8922</span></span><span class="skype_pnh_right_span">     </span></span> <span class="skype_pnh_mark">end_of_the_skype_highlighting</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Fax: 856-338-8936</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div>

<p /><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">District Office - Newark:</b></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">One Gateway Center, Twenty-Third Floor</font></div><div style="text-align: left;">Newark, NJ 07102</div><div style="text-align: left;">Phone: <span class="skype_pnh_print_container">973-639-8700</span><span dir="ltr" class="skype_pnh_container"><span class="skype_pnh_mark"> begin_of_the_skype_highlighting</span> <span dir="ltr" title="Call this phone number in United States of America with Skype: +19736398700" class="skype_pnh_highlighting_inactive_common"><span skypeaction="skype_dropdown" class="skype_pnh_left_span">  </span><span skypeaction="skype_dropdown" title="Skype actions" class="skype_pnh_dropart_span"><span skypeaction="skype_dropdown" class="skype_pnh_dropart_flag_span" style=" background-position: -4499px 1px ! important;">      </span>   </span><span class="skype_pnh_textarea_span"><span class="skype_pnh_text_span">  973-639-8700</span></span><span class="skype_pnh_right_span">     </span></span> <span class="skype_pnh_mark">end_of_the_skype_highlighting</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">TollFree: <span class="skype_pnh_print_container">1-888-398-1642</span><span dir="ltr" class="skype_pnh_container"><span class="skype_pnh_mark"> begin_of_the_skype_highlighting</span> <span dir="ltr" title="Call this phone number in United States of America with Skype: +18883981642" class="skype_pnh_highlighting_inactive_common"><span skypeaction="skype_dropdown" class="skype_pnh_left_span">  </span><span skypeaction="skype_dropdown" title="Skype actions" class="skype_pnh_dropart_span"><span skypeaction="skype_dropdown" class="skype_pnh_dropart_flag_span" style=" background-position: -4499px 1px ! important;">      </span>   </span><span class="skype_pnh_textarea_span"><span class="skype_pnh_text_span">  1-888-398-1642</span></span><span class="skype_pnh_right_span">     </span></span> <span class="skype_pnh_mark">end_of_the_skype_highlighting</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Fax: 973-639-8723</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div>

<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Articles and Resources</font></span></h2>

<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Sources</font></span></h3>

<li id="cite_note-0" style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#cite_ref-0" title="">↑</a> Sen. Frank Lautenberg, <a href="http://lautenberg.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=253919" class="external text" title="http://lautenberg.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=253919" rel="nofollow">"Senators Lautenberg, Obama and Menendez Introduce Sweeping Bill to Tighten Security at Chemical Plants,"</a> <i>U.S. Senate,</i> March 30, 2006.</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-1" style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#cite_ref-1" title="">↑</a> Sen. Frank Lautenberg, <a href="http://lautenberg.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=253919" class="external text" title="http://lautenberg.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=253919" rel="nofollow">"Senators Lautenberg, Obama and Menendez Introduce Sweeping Bill to Tighten Security at Chemical Plants,"</a> <i>U.S. Senate,</i> March 30, 2006.</font></li>

<li id="cite_note-2" style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#cite_ref-2" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/assets/binaries/bush-inaction" class="external text" title="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/assets/binaries/bush-inaction" rel="nofollow">Green Peace: Chronology of Bush Flip-Flops and Inaction on Chemical Security</a></font></li>

<li id="cite_note-3" style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#cite_ref-3" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-s595/show" class="external text" title="http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-s595/show" rel="nofollow">OpenCongress page on the Senate bill, S.595</a></font></li>

<li id="cite_note-4" style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_R._Lautenberg#cite_ref-4" title="">↑</a> From the TobaccoDocuments.org <a href="http://tobaccodocuments.org/profiles/people/lautenberg_frank_r.html" class="external text" title="http://tobaccodocuments.org/profiles/people/lautenberg_frank_r.html" rel="nofollow">profile of Frank Lautenberg</a>. Originally from the <i>Wall Street Journal</i>, May 13, 1994.</font></li>

</ol>

<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">External resources</font></span></h3>

<ul>

<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://lautenberg.senate.gov/" class="external text" title="http://lautenberg.senate.gov/" rel="nofollow"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Official website</font></a></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.hillpac.com/candidates/senate/bio_senate_lautenberg.php" class="external text" title="http://www.hillpac.com/candidates/senate/bio_senate_lautenberg.php" rel="nofollow"><i>Hillpac</i> biography</a>.</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/biography/lautenberg.html" class="external text" title="http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/biography/lautenberg.html" rel="nofollow">Frank Lautenberg</a>, <i>Jewish Virtual Library</i>.</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://whereistand.com/FrankLautenberg/wizard" class="external text" title="http://whereistand.com/FrankLautenberg/wizard" rel="nofollow"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">See how you compare to Frank Lautenberg</font></a></li>

</ul>

<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Articles</font></span></h3>

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<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.inboxrobot.com/newsletter.php3?brief_id=5222" class="external text" title="http://www.inboxrobot.com/newsletter.php3?brief_id=5222" rel="nofollow">Inbox Daily Robot: Frank Lautenberg</a>.</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Mike Hofman, <a href="http://www.inc.com/magazine/20010401/22321.html" class="external text" title="http://www.inc.com/magazine/20010401/22321.html" rel="nofollow">"Frank Lautenberg: My Biggest Mistake,"</a> <i>Inc.</i> Magazine, April 2001: "Frank Lautenberg, cofounder of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Automatic_Data_Processing_Inc.&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Automatic Data Processing Inc. (page does not exist)">Automatic Data Processing Inc.</a> and former U.S. senator from New Jersey, discusses an unwise acquisition."</font></li>

<li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Chris Suellentrop, <a href="http://slate.msn.com/?id=2072237" class="external text" title="http://slate.msn.com/?id=2072237" rel="nofollow">"Frank Lautenberg. Scrappy, mean, and insecure: He truly represents New Jersey,"</a> <i>Slate</i>, October 11, 2002.</font></li>

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<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Local blogs and discussion sites</font></span></h3>

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<li style="text-align: left;"><i><a href="http://www.bluejersey.net/frontPage.do" class="external text" title="http://www.bluejersey.net/frontPage.do" rel="nofollow"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Blue Jersey</font></a></i></li>

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<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">More Background Data</font></span></h2>

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<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=S0602103" class="external text" title="http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=S0602103" rel="nofollow"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Background information on Frank R. Lautenberg from Project Vote Smart</font></a></li>

</ul>

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<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=S0602103" class="external text" title="http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=S0602103" rel="nofollow"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Interest group scorecard ratings for Frank R. Lautenberg from Project Vote Smart</font></a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/l000123" class="external text" title="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/l000123" rel="nofollow"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Voting record for Frank R. Lautenberg from the Washington Post database</font></a></li>

</ul>

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<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=NJSR&site=congressmerge" class="external text" title="http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=NJSR&site=congressmerge" rel="nofollow"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Information on Frank R. Lautenberg from Congress Merge</font></a></li>

</ul>

<p style="text-align: left;"><i><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> also has an article on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_R.Lautenberg" class="external text" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_R.Lautenberg" rel="nofollow">Frank R. Lautenberg</a>. This article may use content from the Wikipedia article under the terms of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GFDL" class="external text" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GFDL" rel="nofollow">GFDL</a>.</font></i>

<b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This article may include <a href="http://tobaccodocuments.org/profiles/people/lautenberg_frank_r.html" class="external text" title="http://tobaccodocuments.org/profiles/people/lautenberg_frank_r.html" rel="nofollow">information from Tobacco Documents Online</a>.</font></b>

<b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">huffpo</font></b>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://monsantoblog.com/2012/08/14/taking-a-stand-proposition-37-the-california-labeling-proposal/" target="hplink">Monsanto</a> and other agro-chemical companies have invested <a href="http://votersedge.org/california/ballot-measures/2012/november/prop-37/funding" target="hplink">more than $20 million</a> -- on top of the food industry's nearly equivalent contribution -- for ads <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/21/gmo-proposition-37-study-funding-research_n_1904535.html" target="_hplink">opposing Proposition 37</a>, a California measure that would require labeling of genetically modified foods, or GMOs. Proponents of the bill have raised less than $8 million.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Meanwhile, chemical interests have spent some $375 million since 2005 to help elect and try to influence federal leaders, specifically in regards to a pending overhaul of the <a href="http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/tsca.html" target="hplink">Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976</a> (TSCA), according to a <a href="http://www.commoncause.org/atf/cf/%7BFB3C17E2-CDD1-4DF6-92BE-BD4429893665%7D/COMMONCAUSE_TOXICSPENDING-10%2023%20FINAL.PDF" target="hplink">report</a> released this week by <a href="http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=8281551" target="_hplink">Common Cause</a>, a nonprofit, nonpartisan citizen's lobbying organization.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"It's been 36 years since they passed TSCA, and people are showing how it really fails to protect people," said James Browning, Common Cause's regional director for state operations and a principal author of the report. "Public health advocates are starting to win the fight, they have so much evidence on their side. Industry is realizing it needs to start spending more to stop it."</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In July, the Safe Chemicals Act <a href="http://lautenberg.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=337325" target="hplink">passed out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee</a>. First introduced by <b><span style=" background-color: #FFC20E;">Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)</span> </b>in 2005, the act would replace the TSCA and essentially <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/24/safe-chemicals-act-flame-retardants_n_1699384.html" target="hplink">reverse the burden of proof</a> on chemical safety. In other words, chemicals would be required to be tested and proven safe before they are placed on store shelves -- something that it not the case today. The bill is now awaiting a vote from the full Senate.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The ACC, whose <a href="http://www.americanchemistry.com/Membership/MemberCompanies#M" target="_hplink">member companies'</a> spending was included in the Common Cause report, has said it is committed to working on a bipartisan bill, but has also expressed concerns with the Safe Chemicals Act.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"As one of America's most significant manufacturing industries, we have a significant interest in seeing good policies enacted that will encourage economic growth and job creation including a balanced approach to regulation, a strong domestic energy policy and sound tax and trade policies, and we believe it is important to support leaders in Congress who share those priorities," Kolton said.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Overall, Common Cause found that chemical industry contributions in the current election cycle have gone predominantly to Republicans: 78 percent compared to 22 percent for Democrats. President Barack Obama received $217,283, for example, compared to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's $704,337.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The report, titled "Toxic Spending," also highlights how the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision opened up a new "avenue of influence" for the chemical industry in the form of so-called <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/24/outside-groups-senate-races_n_2011468.html" target="_hplink">Super PACs</a>. Chemical interests have given $23 million to these groups in the current elections, according to the study.</font></p>

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