U.S. Rep.

Jason Altmire, D-4th, voted for legislation that claims to be the most sweeping ethics overhaul in more than three decades.By a vote of 411 to 8, the House of Representatives approved the Honest Leadership, Open Government Act that primarily aims to curb the huge influence that lobbyists have on legislators."This legislation is a dramatic step forward in fulfilling our responsibility to the American people by returning to the basic principle that the government is accountable to its citizens,"Altmire said, "not the special."The act, in part, would:• Enhance financial and campaign disclosure rules;• Increase criminal and civil penalties for violating the Lobby Disclosure Act to $200,000 and five years in prison;• Ban the K-Street Project, thus prohibiting private entities from hiring and firing based on politics;• Deny taxpayer-funded pension benefits to members of Congress convicted of corruption;• Establish an online, searchable public database of member travel and personal financial disclosure forms; and,• Require members of Congress to disclose job negotiations for post-congressional employment and to recuse themselves for purposes of a conflict of interest.———U.S. Rep.

Phil English, R-3rd, vice-chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus, testified Tuesday on behalf of domestic steel producers, including AK Steel, calling for continued relief for the steel industry.English's testimony came during the ITCsunset review proceedings on the countervailing duty and antidumping orders for certain hot-rolled steel flat products."The underlying factors which make the global steel market the most distorted in the world are not new, and the domestic steel industry is frequently reminded just how dangerous this is to a rules based trading system, particularly if only one side plays by the rules," said English, a senior member on the House Ways and Means Committee."Our trade remedy laws are an important tool of last resort, and today I am asking the ITC to recognize the certain material injury domestic steel producers would face if current AD and CVD orders were lifted."The ITC is doing a five-year review of antidumping and CVD orders on hot-rolled steel flat products from a number of nations.The relief has been in place since 1999.Under U.S. law, these orders would be retained for another five years if it is determined the revocation of relief would be likely to result in a continuation or recurrence of dumping or a countervailable subsidy, and a continuation or recurrence of material injury to domestic producers.If the ITC, after completing this investigation, makes a finding that injury would be likely to continue or recur, the relief will be retained.———The U.S. Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday passed legislation to address China's currency manipulation blamed for the Chinese imports that are driving U.S. manufacturers out of business.Sen

Bob Casey, D-Pa., voted for and cosponsored the legislation that included his amendment to strengthen the ability of the U.S. to pursue World Trade Organization violations against China."The state of Pennsylvania has lost over 190,000 manufacturing jobs since 2001, and I have seen first-hand the devastation this does to local communities," Casey said. "China is using its cheap currency to subsidize its exports and decimate our domestic manufacturing."Right away, when a Chinese good comes to market, it has a 40 percent advantage because of currency manipulation, and that is before you factor in the direct subsidies, suppressed wages and total lack of labor and environmental standards."Casey's amendment that passed as part of the Currency Reform and Market Access Act would give the Treasury Department greater ability to allege multiple violations of WTO and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade rules.———The U.S. House of Representatives voted this week to approve the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act that includes provisions authored by Rep.

Jason Altmire, D-4th, to eliminate the late enrollment penalty for low income seniors.In March, Altmire introduced the Relief and Elimination of the Medicare Enrollment Deadline Penalty Act and testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on the need to eliminate barriers that prevent low income seniors from signing up for prescription drug coverage.The CHAMP Act passed the House, 225 to 204."Over four million Medicare beneficiaries, including thousands of Western Pennsylvania seniors, need prescription drug coverage, but face a late enrollment penalty to get coverage through Medicare,"Altmire said."I am very pleased Congress is acting on my bill to give seniors the relief they need by waiving this unfair penalty for lower income Medicare beneficiaries."The 108th Congress created a late enrollment penalty for Medicare beneficiaries who failed to select a prescription drug plan by the end of the initial enrollment period on May 15, 2006.———U.S. Rep.

Phil English, R-3rd, announced this week he has endorsed former New York Mayor

Rudy Giuliani for the Republican nomination for president in 2008."Rudy Giuliani possesses the strong, proven leadership that our next president will need in order to build a coalition to lead our country forward," English said."Mayor Giuliani has already held one of the toughest elected executive positions in America as New York City's Mayor, where he proved he is a real fiscal conservative."———

Kyle Foust, Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives' 3rd District seat, announced his campaign Web site at www.foustforcongress.com.Visitors to the site will find information about Foust's background, qualifications, and record of public service. Additionally, the site contains details of Foust's positions on key issues.