Opening a Window on Housing Spending

In 2010, I asked the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide salary and compensation information for executive directors at the largest local housing authorities. I was told “HUD does not regulate compensation for housing authority Executive Directors.” And I received no numbers. Meanwhile, local newspapers across the country have been exposing extremely generous salaries and compensation packages, take-home vehicles, no-bid contracts, and other practices that have nothing to do with fulfilling the housing authorities’ mission of providing safe, affordable housing... Read more

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Sunshine Breaks Through

At long last, sunshine is about to shed light on financial relationships between the pharmaceutical and medical device industries and doctors. Disclosure requirements that will begin this fall will bring accountability, and accountability will strengthen the credibility of medical research, the marketing of ideas and, ultimately, the practice of medicine. You might say it’s in the best interest of patients. This disclosure is required by legislation I first authored in 2007. My bipartisan bill was enacted in 2010, but it’s taken until now to finalize implementation. I’ve kept the pressure... Read more

Russia Unfairly Bans U.S. Beef, Pork

Just a few months ago, Russia became the 156th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Obama administration celebrated Russia’s entry as benefiting “U.S. businesses and workers by improving market access for U.S. exports of goods and services and bringing Russia into a system of established, enforceable, multilateral trade rules.” Now, Russia is planning to block U.S. imports of beef and pork on February 11. Russia wants to require that the meat be free of the feed additive ractopamine, an additive used by farmers across America in cattle and pork production... Read more

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A Proven Tool for Employers to Verify Work Eligibility

Most all members of Congress understand the need to make significant progress in updating our immigration system. There are portions of reform that will be non-controversial and there will be aspects of reform that will garner a great deal of debate. One provision that I’m pushing to get enacted is legislation that would permanently authorize and require employers to use the E-Verify program, which is an Internet-based system that assists employers in determining the eligibility of employees to work in the United States. My bill is called The Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act of 2013 and is cosponsored by Senators John Boozman, Bob Corker, Mike Johanns, Mike Lee, Jeff Sessions, David Vitter, Roger Wicker, Deb Fischer, Orrin Hatch and Mike Enzi. Since 2001, employers across... Read more