Press Releases
Bill Would Increase Maximum Pell Grant Scholarship by $500
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today voted in favor of H.R. 2669, the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007, which provides for the single largest expansion in funds for higher education since the GI bill. The bill cuts interest rates in half on subsidized student loans over the next five years and increases the maximum Pell Grant scholarship by $500 over the next five years, and does it in a fiscally responsible matter.
Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Chertoff requesting “all correspondence, e-mails, memoranda, notes, field guidance or other documentation relating to the issuance” of the “Update to July Visa Availability” on July 2, 2007. The letter contains thirteen separate questions and requests for information relevant to the issuance of the updated Visa Bulletin.
Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today issued the following statement in response to the State Department’s update of the July Visa Bulletin and the subsequent rejection of applications for adjustment of status by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today issued the following statement in response to United States Senate’s failure to reach a compromise on comprehensive immigration reform.
The Senate voted for the status quo, and its inability to move forward on comprehensive immigration reform effectively ends comprehensive immigration reform efforts in the 110th Congress.
The House now needs to take stock of the situation to determine whether anything can be done to improve the current unsatisfactory system.
Calls for Removal of Permanent Normal Trade Relations
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today introduced a resolution, H.RES. 506, calling for Vietnam’s re-designation as a Country of Particular Concern and for the removal of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) if Vietnam does not immediately and significantly improve its human rights record. Since Vietnam was removed as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and was extended permanent normal trade relations in 2006, it has continued a brutal crackdown on peaceful human rights activists.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today issued the following statement in response to United States Senate failure to reach a compromise on comprehensive immigration reform.
Bill Would Expand Number of Stem Cell Lines Eligible for Federal Funds
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today voted in favor of S. 5, the bipartisan Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. This bill expands the number of embryonic stem cell lines eligible to be used for federally-funded research and only authorizes funding for stem cell lines generated from embryos that would otherwise be discarded by fertility clinics.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announcement on fees.
"While a few positive changes have been made to the proposed fees, in some cases they are still quite high for less than excellent service. In addition to concern about some of these fees, Congress needs to examine carefully the uses to which they will be put."
H.R. 2272 is made up of the following five bills:
Ç H.R. 1068, Amending High-Performance Computing Act, passed by voice vote on March 12, 2007
Ç H.R. 362, 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act, passed by a bipartisan vote of 389 to 22 on April 24, 2007
Bill Criminalizes Spyware Offenses
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) applauds her House colleagues for passing H.R. 1525, the Internet Spyware (I-SPY) Prevention Act of 2007 today. The bill addresses the most egregious activities that are conducted via spyware and makes those activities criminal offenses punishable by both imprisonment and fines.
