Last night, we looked at Representative Walz's push to keep combat status for the U.S. military in Kosovo. Should the Department of Defense follow through on its plan, Minnesota Guard members would lose $225 per month and other combat benefits.
This morning's Strib reports that U.S. may cut pay of troops in Kosovo. Sgt. Douglas Weigel of Albert Lea, who was deployed to Kosovo in 2004, uses incidents from that earlier deployment to explain why combat status is warranted.
Minnesota's elected leaders, including Tim Walz, are concerned:
Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., who spent 24 years in the National Guard, pledged to organize congressional support for maintaining combat pay for soldiers in Kosovo.
"Remember, these are soldiers that have already been in Afghanistan or Iraq. They're going again," he said. "Now they're telling them that a grenade attack, a rocket attack, a few land mines or ethnic unrest doesn't warrant a little extra pay."
The article gets picked up by the AP; various versions are online at the Pioneer Press and the Fargo Forum.
The Owatonna People's Press reports that as many as 40 soldiers from Owatonna may be part of the deployment in Guardsmen among those slated to be sent to Kosovo this autumn. The paper notes Representative Walz's efforts to maintain combat status for the mission. 1,500 Minnesota National Guard soldiers are currently serving in Kosovo.
Election 2008: Keep Your Day Job
The Hill notes that two candidates have filed with the FEC as Republican challengers to freshman Tim Walz. A wag among our friends suggested that the GOP will need two contenders to keep up with Walz.
Walz cosponsors PROGESS Act
Our email has been acting up a bit; we just received this March 6 press release:
Rep. Tim Walz announced today that he is cosponsoring the Program for Real Energy Security or PROGRESS Act, which would initiate a major national effort - in the spirit of the famed "Manhattan Project" - to make our nation energy independent and advance our economic, national and environmental security.
"The PROGRESS Act is the next logical step in reforming the way we generate and use energy resources. During the 100 hour agenda, we began to address the need for clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency by passing H.R. 6. We can give our children a safer nation, stronger economy, and healthier environment if we commit ourselves to the goals outlined in the PROGRESS Act," said Rep. Walz.
"Throughout history, America has always risen to the challenge and found a way to address its more pressing problems," added Rep. Walz. "Our dependence on foreign sources of oil is a threat to our national security. In addition, it is clear that the continued use of energy sources that emit greenhouse gases is damaging our environment. The so-called Manhattan Center created by this bill will fast track American research into renewable fuels and renew our commitment to building vehicles that use technologies to dramatically improve fuel efficiency."
"We cannot put this challenge off until tomorrow. The time to act is now - for our national security, for our children, for our economy, and for our environment," added Rep. Walz.
The PROGRESS Act would launch a national effort to make substantial gains in technology, conservation, vehicle efficiency, and the use of alternative fuels. The proposals in this legislation are designed to complement the House Democrats' Rural Working Group's Biofuels Plan. Rep. Walz is a member of the Rural Working Group. [click here to read the RWG's Biofuels Plan]
The PROGRESS Act has five major components:
· Establish a National Energy Security Commission that would bring together government, industry and academic leaders to develop national goals that respect regional energy solutions and develop recommendations that Congress would have to act upon under expedited rules. Right now there is no entity that brings such experts together in common cause.
· Establish a New Manhattan Center for High Efficiency Vehicles that would result in the widespread availability of technologies to double the current average vehicle efficiency, diversify types of fuels, and continue to develop the future of fuel cells and hydrogen. The Center would ensure that Americans drive more efficient cars and have a choice of fuels and energy sources.
· Establish a National Biofuels Infrastructure Development Program that would promote development of wholesale and retail biofuels pumps, tanks, and other related distribution equipment. Vehicles that run on ethanol and biodiesel are being produced. But we must develop biofuel infrastructure to make them practical and widespread.
· Promote Transit Use & Develop a Rail Infrastructure Program that would create a stimulus package to promote public transit and infrastructure investment that upgrades the "pipeline" for biofuels - the freight rail system - in order to get an affordable and reliable supply of biofuels to market.
· Ensure Federal Government Leadership in the Use of the Alternatives to Oil by increasing the use of alternative fuels in federal and state fleets, developing biofuel plants in every region of the country, and speeding development of standards that are needed to promote alternative fuels use. The federal government is one of the leading owners of vehicle fleets and consumers of petroleum products. The government must lead by example.
The PROGRESS Act focuses on transportation and its contribution to our dependence on foreign oil and damage to the environment. More than 65 percent of the oil our nation consumes goes toward transportation.
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