Press Releases
Barbara Lee Saddened by the Passing of Tom Lantos
PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: February 11, 2008 Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661 (Washington, DC) - Saddened by the sudden passing of close friend and colleague, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) issued the following statement:“I am deeply saddened by the passing of my friend and colleague, Chairman Tom Lantos, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Annette, his family, friends, and to his constituents. “I have had the … Continue Reading
February 10, 2008
Barbara Lee Speaks at Hearing on Bush Compliance with Darfur Law
For Immediate Release: February 9, 2008 Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661 (Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) delivered the following statement Friday during a hearing in the House Financial Services Committee addressing the signing statement President Bush issued on Lee’s Darfur divestment law: [As prepared]Thank you very much Chairman Barney Frank.The Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act would have not been possible without your leadership, your intellect, your … Continue Reading
February 08, 2008
Barbara Lee Calls on Mukasey to Enforce Ban on Permanent Bases
PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: February 8, 2008 Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9), and almost 50 Members of Congress, today sent a letter to U.S. attorney General Michael Mukasey asking for details on the steps the office is taking to ensure that the Department of Defense and the white House are complying with the letter of the law regarding the ban on permanent military bases in Iraq. She released the following message: “At … Continue Reading
February 07, 2008
Progressives Vow To Oppose Immunity
For Immediate Release: February 7, 2008 Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661 (Lee)Chris Shields, (202) 225-5161 (Woolsey)Congresswomen Barbara Lee, Lynn Woolsey & ProgressivesTarget Bush Spying Program with Telecomm(Washington, DC) - Declaring that telecommunications companies involved in President’s Bush’s domestic spying program “undermined [the] fundamental civil protections and privacy rights of Americans,” twenty-nine House Members today wrote to President Bush to warn him that … Continue Reading
February 06, 2008
Barbara Lee Commemorates National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day By Calling for Increased Funding
Media AdvisoryFor Immediate Release: February 7, 2008Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661 (Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) released the following statement commemorating National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day:"Twenty-six years after the first cases of AIDS were reported, HIV is still running rampant in the United States, especially among African American and other communities of color. Today, across all demographic groups, African Americans are more likely to get … Continue Reading
February 03, 2008
Barbara Lee Says Bush Budget Shows True Cost of Disastrous Policies
PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: February 4, 2008 Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661 (Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) released the following statement regarding the 2009 budget President Bush released:“President Bush's budget shows the true cost of his disastrous policies and wrong-headed priorities. The ongoing occupation in Iraq and an outdated and bloated military budget coupled with his demand for more tax cuts for the super-wealthy are dragging down our … Continue Reading
February 01, 2008
Progressive Caucus Rallies Over 150 Members to Support Increased Food Stamp Benefits
PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: February 1, 2008 (Washington, DC) - Concerned about impoverished, low income and unemployed Americans, the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), led by co-chairs Congresswomen Barbara Lee (CA-9) and Lynn Woolsey (CA-6), have rallied over 150 Members of Congress to support increased food stamp benefits as an antipoverty measure in the Farm, Nutrition and Bioenergy Act (H.R.2419). CPC Members James McGovern (MA-3), Hilda Solis (CA-32), and Rosa … Continue Reading
February 01, 2008
Barbara Lee Hosts State of the District Address Monday, February 11
MEDIA ADVISORY For Immediate Release: February 2, 2008 Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661 (Oakland, CA) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (Oakland) is hosting her annual State of the District address on Monday, February 11 from 6-7pm PST in the auditorium of the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building.This event is open to the press and the public. Event: State of the District Address Date: Monday, February 11, 2008, 6-7pm PSTLocation: Auditorium, Ron Dellums … Continue Reading
January 31, 2008
Barbara Lee Calls For Aggressive Oversight on Bush Move Towards Permanent Military Presence in Iraq
PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: February 1, 2008 Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661(Washington, DC) - Today Congresswoman Barbara Lee, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, sent a letter to the Speaker requesting that appropriate Committee Chairs quickly schedule oversight hearings regarding the recent Bush Signing Statement to circumvent a key provision in the Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4986) against a permanent military presence in Iraq. The letter, … Continue Reading
January 31, 2008
Barbara Lee Commemorates Black History Month
PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: February 1, 2008 Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) issued the following statement to commemorate Black History Month: “As First Vice-Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, I want to commemorate Black History Month by advocating for a greater commitment to the domestic and global HIV/AIDS pandemic.“Under President Bush, funding for the Minority AIDS Initiative and our domestic HIV/AIDS programs … Continue Reading
January 29, 2008
Barbara Lee Blasts Bush for Pushing for A Permanent Military Presence in Iraq
PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: January 30, 2008 Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661 (Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) released the following statement regarding the Signing Statement President Bush issued to circumvent a key provision in the Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4986) against a permanent military presence in Iraq:“In his usual manner, President Bush signed the Defense bill into law, and then turned around and quietly issued a Signing Statement … Continue Reading
January 29, 2008
Barbara Lee Offers Caution on Economic Stimulus Package
PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: January 30, 2008 Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) released the following statement regarding the economic stimulus package:“I commend the Speaker and Democratic leadership for quickly acting to develop a bipartisan stimulus package to help prevent our economy from sliding into recession. But I have strong reservations about any strategy that does not take meaningful steps to help all Americans … Continue Reading
January 28, 2008
Barbara Lee Responds to President Bush's Final State of the Union Address
PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: January 28, 2008Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661 (Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) issued the following statement in response to President Bush's last State of the Union address tonight:“Against the backdrop of the looming Bush recession, this address was more of the same rhetoric from a president who has squandered unprecedented budget surpluses and international good will, waged a war of choice in Iraq, and has stood idly by … Continue Reading
January 23, 2008
Barbara Lee Introduces New Iraq & Iran Legislation
For Immediate Release: January 24, 2008 Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) released the following statement regarding the new legislative measures she has introduced on Iraq and Iran:“As co-founder of the Out of Iraq Caucus and co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, I stand firm that this Republican administration must stop the war rhetoric and adopt a real foreign policy that pursues real diplomatic avenues to resolve the challenges in … Continue Reading
January 22, 2008
Barbara Lee’s Bill to Cut Poverty By Half Passes Unanimously
Press Release For Immediate Release: January 21, 2008 Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661 (Oakland, CA) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) released the following statement upon House passage of her Congressional Resolution to cut poverty in half over a decade: “As co-founder of the Out of Poverty Caucus, I am happy that the House has unanimously passed my legislation, which sets a national goal of cutting poverty in half over the next ten years.“Yesterday our nation honored Dr. Martin … Continue Reading
January 17, 2008
Barbara Lee Remembers King’s Legacy Saying, ‘The War is a Drag on the Economy’
Press Release For Immediate Release: January 18, 2008 Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661(Oakland, CA) - Remembering Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy and the connection he made between the war in Vietnam and poverty, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) released the following statement: “As our nation commemorates Martin Luther King Jr. Day, let us remember the legacy of the man who spread a message of peace and justice and challenged America to fulfill the true promise of … Continue Reading
January 16, 2008
Progressive Leader Barbara Lee Says "Get the Economy Back on Track"
(Washington, DC) - Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-chairs Barbara Lee (CA-9) and Lynn Woolsey, Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services Barney Frank (D-MA), Co-director of the Campaign for America's Future Robert Borosage and Robert Kuttner, author of The Squandering of America and co-founder of the American Prospect today explored progressive solutions to get the economy back on track. "Progressives have an opportunity to provide viable and practical solutions … Continue Reading
January 14, 2008
Barbara Lee Says Bush-Saudi Arms Deal Will Spark Regional Arms Race
PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: January 15, 2008 Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661 (Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (Oakland) issued the following statement regarding the proposal Bush administration has proposed to Congress to sell precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia, despite significant Congressional opposition:“This arms package is a very dangerous move by this Republican administration. What they are proposing may potentially create a powder keg, ultimately … Continue Reading
January 13, 2008
Barbara Lee Delivers Millions In Federal Funds To District Programs
(Oakland, CA) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9), a member of the Appropriations committee, who sits on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Subcommittee, the State Foreign Operations Subcommittee and is Vice Chair of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, highlighted over $58 million in federal spending she has delivered to her Congressional District during a bus tour today. Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, Emeryville Mayor Ken Bukowski, Alameda County Supervisor Keith … Continue Reading
January 13, 2008
Barbara Lee Presiding Over House Session Tomorrow & Thursday
MEDIA ADVISORY For Immediate Release: January 14, 2008 Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661, (202) 225-8390 cell (Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) will be the presiding officer during the opening week of the 2nd session of 110th Congress. She will preside tomorrow, January 15 at 6:30pm EST and on Thursday, January 17 at 2pm EST.Media who want to run video or sound can pull the live feed from CSPAN or request video from Cleve Mesidor at … Continue Reading