In a prepared statement, Democratic House and Senate leaders requested a "GAO Study on Inclusion of Women in NIH-Supported Clinical Trials"

Here is the release, unedited:

"WASHINGTON, DC- Democratic House and Senate leaders today wrote to Government Accountability Office (GAO) Comptroller General Gene Dodaro requesting a study on the inclusion of women in NIH-supported clinical trials to look at whether the level of participation is sufficient for researchers to provide meaningful results on the applicability of research findings to women and whether the results are being made public.  The letter was sent by Rep. Henry A. Waxman, Sen. Tom Harkin, Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Rep. Nita Lowey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Lois Capps, and Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
In the letter the members wrote, "Participation of women in clinical trials is vital to improving our understanding of how women are affected by diseases and conditions that impact their health and lifespan, whether the illnesses are predominately experienced by women, such as breast cancer or osteoporosis, or affect the overall population, such as heart disease or stroke. ... it is critically important that we understand more about the meaningful inclusion of women in NIH-sponsored trials.  These trials help to shape our understanding of diseases, treatment regimens, and care delivery."

In 1993, Congress first directed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to research disease and conditions that primarily affect women; to require that NIH include women and minorities in clinical research trials; and to analyze data by sex.   Prior GAO work informed these NIH provisions, but GAO has not examined this important issue for more than a decade."

Text of the letter is available below and online here<http://democrats.energycommerce.house.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Dodaro-NIH-Revitalization-Act-2014-4-30.pdf>.

 Statement from the White House press secretary on Egyptian judge sentencing 683 to death.

"The United States is deeply troubled by the continued use of mass trials and sentencing in Egypt, and particularly by today’s death sentence against 683 defendants.  Today’s verdict, like the one last month, defies even the most basic standards of international justice.  The Egyptian government has the responsibility to ensure that every citizen is afforded due process, including the right to a fair trial in which evidence is clearly presented, and access to an attorney.  While judicial independence is a vital part of democracy, this verdict cannot be reconciled with Egypt’s obligations under international human rights law.  Egyptian leaders must take a stand against this illogical action and dangerous precedent, recognizing that the repression of peaceful dissent will fuel the instability and radicalization that Egypt says it wishes to prevent.

 

We urge the Egyptian government to end the use of mass trials, reverse this and previous mass sentences, and ensure that every citizen is afforded due process.  Since the January 25 Revolution, the Egyptian people have aspired to be represented by a government that rules justly, respects their dignity, and provides economic opportunities. 

 

The United States supports these aspirations and wants Egypt’s transition to succeed.  A fair and transparent criminal justice system free of intimidation and political retribution is an important part of any democracy, and the Egyptian people deserve no less."

HARTFORD - Connecticut Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo named five honorary co-chairmen for the 2014 Democratic State Convention, according to a release.

This year’s convention – where Democratic candidates for the state’s six Constitutional Offices will be nominated for party endorsement – will be held at 4:30 p.m. May 16 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.

 “It is my distinct honor to appoint five great Democrats to these positions,” DiNardo said in the release. “The Co-Chairs will serve as the local faces of the Convention and will help illuminate the ideals of the Democratic Party while building excitement as the event nears.”

 "This is the first time in the state Party’s history that such positions have been named.," the release said. 

 

DiNardo was unanimously selected as the Convention’s temporary chairwoman by the Democratic State Central Committee – the Party’s governing body – in February, the release said.

 

Those named are:  

CD 1: The Honorable M. Saud Anwar (South Windsor) – Mayor, South Windsor

 CD 2: The Honorable Chet Morgan (Vernon) – Former Member, Connecticut General Assembly; Retired Member, Connecticut Army National Guard

CD 3: The Honorable Scott Jackson (Hamden) – Mayor, Hamden

 CD 4: The Honorable Cristin McCarthy Vahey (Fairfield) – Selectman, Fairfield

 CD 5: The Honorable Victor Lopez, Jr. (Waterbury) – Alderman, Waterbury; President, Hispanic Coalition of Greater Waterbury, Inc.

 

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed. Click one of the buttons below to share it.

Rep. Waxman statement on settlement for cleanup of abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation

Shared unedited here:

WASHINGTON, DC— Today Ranking Member Waxman released the following statement in response to the settlement announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice to secure $1 billion to cleanup abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation:

“The pervasive uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation is an American tragedy.  Over the last five years, the federal government has started to address this shameful legacy.  The $1 billion now available for cleaning up abandoned uranium mines is a major step forward that will dramatically accelerate these efforts.  This is a huge win for public health and the environment.”

In October 2007, Rep. Waxman held an Oversight and Government Reform hearing to examine the adverse health and environmental impacts affecting the Navajo people of decades of uranium mining and milling around the reservation.  Following that hearing, at Rep. Waxman’s request, five federal agencies developed and implemented a five-year plan to begin addressing the uranium contamination.  The agencies, in cooperation with the Navajo Nation, are currently developing a new five-year plan to continue the environmental remediation and public health efforts.