Media

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Mike Honda (CA-15) and Zoe Lofgren (CA-16) today announced that they have secured over $13 million for water, justice, transportation, housing, and health projects in Santa Clara County. These funds, secured in the Energy and Water, Transportation/Housing Urban Development, Commerce, Justice, Science, and Labor/Health and Human Services FY08 appropriations bills, are allocated to projects that improve the quality of life for all the county’s residents.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today issued the following statement in response to the passage of the bipartisan Section 8 Voucher Reform Act of 2007. The bill authorizes the Section 8 low-income housing voucher program through FY 2012, alters calculations of income, tenant rent, and public housing authority (PHA) funding, and establishes a new reliable funding allocation formula for the renewal of Section 8 vouchers.

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 110^th 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.