New
Alliance
Releases Farm Bill Report – Press Conference
A report endorsed by
more than 350 organizations will be released at a press conference
on Monday, January 22. “Seeking Balance in U.S. Farm and Food
Policy” highlights farm and food policies designed to expand new
agricultural markets, reduce hunger and improve nutrition, promote
entrepreneurship and economic development, expand conservation
efforts, and create a more diverse and equitable food system.
The report was developed by the Farm and Food Policy
Project, a collaborative of
family farm, sustainable agriculture, rural, public health,
anti-hunger, environmental, faith-based, and other organizations
coordinated by the Northeast-Midwest Institute. The January 22
press conference will begin at 9:30
am at the National Press
Club. Contact: Allen
Hance with the
Northeast-Midwest Institute (202/464-4015).
Electric Grid –
Briefing
A Capitol Hill luncheon
on Monday, January 22, will focus on electric reliability, prices,
and the role of regional transmission operators in managing the
electric grid. The
event, sponsored by the ISO/RTO Council, will run from
noon until 1:30
pm in room B369 of the
Rayburn
House
Office
Building. Lunch will be provided.
Great Lakes Task Force – New Co-Chair
Sen. George Voinovich
(R-OH) has been elected as the new co-chair of the Senate Great
Lakes Task Force, joining Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI). Senator Voinovich has been a
Great
Lakes advocate throughout his
37 years of public office. He serves on the Senate Environment &
Public Works Committee, the Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs Committee, and Foreign Relations
Committee.
Task Force members
reelected the current co-chairs of the House caucus – Reps. John
Dingell (D-MI), Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), Mark Kirk (R-IL), and Louise
Slaughter (R-NY).
Contact: Joy Mulinex with the
Great Lakes
Task
Forces (202/224-1211).
Great Lakes 101 -- Introductory
Briefing
Congressional staff are
invited to participate in a briefing to learn more about the
international and state-level programs and agreements that govern
the Great
Lakes. The
International Joint Commission, Great Lakes Fisheries Commission,
and Great Lakes Commission will brief staff on their missions and
programs. The briefing
will be held on January 31st at 2:00
p.m. in 2218
Rayburn
House
Office
Building. Contact: Joy
Mulinex.
The Budget and the
Region --
Reports
The Northeast-Midwest
organizations on Tuesday, February 5, will produce information about
the president’s fiscal 2008 budget proposals for selected programs
of regional interest. Northeast-Midwest staff
will compile a table with program-specific budget numbers and
circulate it by noon on budget day to paying members of the
Northeast-Midwest Congressional and Senate Coalitions and officials
from states that financially support the Northeast-Midwest
Institute. Later that
afternoon, staff will circulate a document that also includes
program information and historical funding data on key
regional programs. Contacts: Matt Kane at the Northeast-Midwest
Institute, Katie
Waszkiewicz at the Congressional Coalition, and Ari Strauss at the
Senate Coalition.
Great
Lakes
Cleanup – RFP and RFQ
The Northeast-Midwest
Institute is soliciting qualifications and proposals for legal and
financial consulting services related to its activities that support
the cleanup of contaminated sediments in the Great
Lakes. It is looking
for expert assistance in analyzing the potential use of Tax
Increment Financing (TIF) as a mechanism to help fund cleanup of
contaminated sediments.
The two solicitations are RFP
Legal Sevices and RFQ
Financial Services.
Responses are due by January
31, 2007.
