Washington D.C. – Congressman Brad Miller (D-NC) today introduced legislation to allow Congress to ask for a special prosecutor for criminal Contempt of Congress charges against executive branch officials.

“The law explicitly requires the Justice Department to present Contempt of Congress charges to the grand jury, but the Bush Administration claims Congress can not compel a U.S. attorney to prosecute contempt cases where the White House claims executive privilege,” said Rep. Miller. “Other presidents have made bodacious claims about their powers, but always compromised in the end. No president, not even Nixon, has gone this far before.”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The bill passed by a vote of 402 to 17:

"Nearly 18 years ago, with the enactment of the ADA, this nation committed to removing barriers that had too long denied Americans with disabilities full and equal access to all aspects of American society - in our businesses, schools, communities, and government.

Since that time, the ADA has played a vital role in transforming society's attitudes toward individuals with disabilities and has advanced our nation's fundamental calling to respect each individual.

The ADA's promise remains unfulfilled because of court rulings that wrongly ignored the intent of Congress. Courts have narrowed the definition of 'disability' to preclude those individuals who undertake mitigating measures such as hearing aids or medications.

Today, Congress is restoring the law's intent and its broad protections. By strengthening the ADA, we bring our nation closer to the ideals of equality and opportunity that are both our heritage and our hope."

Obama Announces Plan to Fully Close the Enron Loophole, Crack Down on Excessive Energy Speculation

Senator Barack Obama today announced his plan to crack down on excessive energy speculation and fully close the "Enron Loophole" to ease the impact skyrocketing gas prices. The Enron Loophole was created by McCain campaign co-chair Phil Gramm at the behest of Enron-just one example of the special interest politics that put the interests of Big Oil and speculators ahead of the interests of working people. And the American people have seen the results: record corporate profits while Americans pay record prices at the pump.

John McCain will say today that his "administration will set a new standard for transparency and accountability." Yet throughout his run for president, his own campaign has been anything but transparent and highlights just how hypocritical this promise is. His campaign's refusal to release Cindy McCain's tax returns, along with the news yesterday that her assets included investments in Sudan even as McCain was criticizing firms for doing business there, raises serious questions about what other information the McCains are trying to hide.

Washington, DC - The McCain campaign's decision to withhold Cindy McCain's tax returns is drawing criticism from across the political spectrum.

This morning, editorials in both the Washington Post and Washington Times echoed calls for the McCain campaign to release Cindy McCain's tax returns. This follows a column in yesterday's New York Observer that blasts McCain for his hypocrisy on disclosure, noting that Mrs. McCain's corporate jet "has been flying him and his entourage of lobbyists around the country at bargain rates."