The Serrano Report

On Capitol Hill This Week

Statement on the Death of Ronald Reagan

Serrano Calls for Full Disclosure of Torture Memos

On Thursday, Congressman Serrano called upon administration officials to release memos written by Justice Department lawyers that provided legal justifications for the use of torture. Torture in prisons has been a salient issue in Congress since images and details emerged last month of abusive U.S. practices in the Abu Graib prison in Iraq.

"We fully understand the government's obligation to protect the country in these difficult times, but justifying the use of torture puts our men and women in uniform at risk. If we do not uphold basic standards of decency in prisoner interrogation, how can we expect others to do so when our own soldiers are captured?" Serrano said in a statement.

Appropriations Committee Calls for NOAA involvement in Vieques Cleanup

The House Committee on Appropriations met on Wednesday, June 9, 2004, to consider the Fiscal Year 2005 Interior appropriations bill. As a member of the full committee, Serrano was able to include a provision in the committee report that addresses the environmental cleanup and remediation of Vieques.

The report language directed the Interior Department to consult with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on matters related to the environmental restoration of the island. NOAA's expertise in conservation and remediation would offer great benefits to overall cleanup and remediation efforts, which are still in early stages. Although this legislation must still be considered on the House floor and in the Senate, Serrano will continue to work to ensure that the provision is retained in the final conference report on the bill.

The House Committee-approved language follows:

The Navy transferred land on Vieques, Puerto Rico to the Service for a National Wildlife Refuge and funding is provided for operation of that refuge. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has experience in the protection and restoration of trust resources and has also successfully conducted large-scale remediation projects, at other sites, including the Pribilof Islands, Alaska. The Service should consult with NOAA and, as appropriate, enter into memoranda of understanding to make use of NOAA's expertise and experience in fulfilling its responsibilities on Vieques NWR.

Serrano continues support for resources for New York's first responders

Also on Wednesday, the Committee on Appropriations considered the Fiscal Year 2005 Homeland Security appropriations bill. Congressman Serrano is a member of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over the bill. As in the past, Serrano continues to advocate allocations of local law enforcement and first responder grants that are predominantly based on actual terrorist threats, vulnerabilities and risk assessments. Under such a scheme, large cities such as New York and other densely-populated areas would receive a greater proportion of funding than they currently receive.

FCC protects educational TV airspace

This week, at the urging of Congressman Serrano and other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) extended its protection to the Instructional Television Fixed Service (ITFS), which reserves licenses and space in the airwaves for critical educational programming. Among their many benefits, ITFS technologies provide students in low-income schools with access to media rich instructional tools like distance education, special ESL courses, and even video fieldtrips. Click here for more information from the FCC website.

Serrano delivers Democratic Hispanic Radio Address

Congressman Serrano delivered the Democratic Hispanic Radio Address on Saturday, June 5, 2004. English and Spanish transcripts and Spanish audio of the address are available.

In the Bronx This Week

Serrano praises Bronx Community College's Center for Sustainable Energy

Although he was not able to attend because of his official duties in Washington, the BCCF honored Congressman Serrano at the event with its Distinguished Government Service Award. Click here for more information.