December 2004

Welcome to the December edition of my Washington Report. I hope this newsletter keeps you informed about some of the important matters facing our State, our Nation, and the U.S. Senate.

In this edition, I'll be addressing the following topics:

• Middle East Update
• Intelligence Reform Approved by Congress
• Protecting the Rights of Crime Victims
• Congress Approves CALFED Water Legislation
• Legislative Update
• Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the California Desert Protection Act

If you have any comments or questions on these or any other issues, please don't hesitate to let me know. I also welcome your feedback on this newsletter and suggestions about ways in which I can better communicate with my constituents.

Please send any comments you have through my website.

Best wishes,

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein

Middle East Update
I just returned from an eye-opening trip to the Middle East during which I visited Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, and Jordan. We face sizable military, political, and economic challenges in Iraq which will require a strong U.S. commitment for the foreseeable future. And for the first time in years, I think a real and historic window of opportunity exists to achieve a comprehensive peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.

In Iraq we found a very troubling, very sobering situation. Despite the stark military challenge, we must stay the course. To do anything else would be to leave Iraq as a festering source of terrorism and instability for the entire region. The first, second, and third priority in Iraq must be security. We must increase the number of forces serving there and dramatically improve the training and protection of the Iraqi police force. We must also ensure that the January elections go forward as planned.

Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes available to us in Iraq. Our troops will likely be on the ground for years to come. They deserve our support and thanks for the valor and dedication they've shown in our effort to bring peace and democracy to Iraq.

Meanwhile, there is a renewed opportunity for reaching a comprehensive Palestinian-Israeli peace following the death of Yasser Arafat. Abu Mazen, also known as Mahmoud Abbas, is an impressive man who has renounced violence and, I believe, wants to do the right thing. Ariel Sharon recognizes that the time is right to deal with the Palestinians in an honest, direct manner. What we need now is the courage to see this done. The absence of a solution will only create the possibility of catastrophic instability in the Middle East. But if a solution is found, the benefits are obvious: a tamping down of suicide bombings and other terrorist activity, a return to travel and economic activity in the region, and a new hope for a new generation of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace.

Intelligence Reform Approved by Congress
On December 8, Congress gave its final approval to landmark legislation fundamentally reforming the structure of America’s intelligence services. This law will make consequential changes to the structure and organization of the 15 agencies which make up our intelligence capabilities. It is the culmination of years of hard work, and represents an historic step in the effort to protect America from the asymmetric threats facing our nation in the 21st Century.

This law addresses what I believe to be the single greatest flaw in the structure of the Intelligence Community – the lack of a single, full-time leader, with the strategic, budget, and personnel authority to organize and direct the 15 agencies and departments which make up the Intelligence Community.

I have felt for several years that this is a necessary step. That’s why I introduced legislation in 2002 and 2003 to create a Director of National Intelligence. I was delighted to see that it was a main part of the 9/11 Commission’s report and represents the centerpiece of the legislation we have just passed.

For more information, please go to: Statement of Senator Feinstein on the Passage of Legislation to Reform the Intelligence Community 12/8/04)

Protecting the Rights of Crime Victims
For over eight years, Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and I have worked to pass a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the rights of crime victims. An amendment, if approved, would ensure that the interests of crime victims are a key aspect of the criminal justice process in both Federal and State courts. Unfortunately, we have been unable to secure the necessary 67 votes to send an amendment to the states for consideration. This year, however, we were able to pass legislation to give victims of crime a core set of procedural rights under federal law and ensure that they have standing to assert their rights before a court of law.

Specifically, the legislation gives victims of federal crimes the right to:

• Be reasonably protected from the accused offender;
• Reasonable and timely notice of any public proceeding involving the crime or of any release or escape of the accused;
• Not be excluded from any such public proceeding;
• Be heard at any public proceeding involving release, plea, sentencing, reprieve, and pardon;
• Confer with the government attorney in the case;
• Full and timely restitution as provided in law;
• Timely and accurate information about public proceeding involving the crime or of any release or escape of the accused; and
• Be treated with fairness and with respect for the victim's dignity and privacy.

I will carefully watch how this legislation is implemented to see whether in fact it does have adequate practical application. Opponents of a constitutional amendment have argued that a statute would be enough. If this is true, we will find out. If it is not, we will be back to ensure that the rights of crime victims are truly enforced.

To learn more about this legislation, please go to: Congress Approves Kyl/Feinstein Crime Victims' Rights Bill (10/10/04)

Congress Approves CALFED Water Legislation
The State of California faces a water crisis worse than the 2000-2001 electricity crisis if we do not ensure an adequate water supply for our growing population. The last time California increased its water infrastructure was the 1960s when the State's population was 16 million. It's now 36 million and is expected to climb as high as 50 million by 2020.

I'm pleased to say that Congress took an important step forward in addressing our water challenges by passing CALFED legislation, a bill that authorizes $395 million for a balanced program to increase California's water supply, reliability and quality and help restore sensitive water ecosystems.

Balance is the key to this legislation. Each aspect of our water supply infrastructure – storage, conveyance improvements, and environmental restoration - goes ahead simultaneously and with the participation of the State and Federal government. This is the way to ensure a comprehensive approach to meeting California's water needs.

For more information about the passage of CALFED, please go to: Congress Approves Legislation to Enhance California's Water Supply and Restore Water Ecosystem (10/6/04)

Legislative Update
Below is an update on several other legislative issues:

Federal Appropriations
Congress has approved appropriations legislation to keep the government in operation for the coming year. I voted for this omnibus appropriations bill because it eliminates funding for a new generation of nuclear weapons and provides significant funding for important California priorities. Nevertheless, I have serious concerns with a number of the provisions in the bill and also with the way the bill was put together. The bill contains an egregious provision that would have provided the House and Senate Chairmen of the Appropriations Committees with access to all Americans’ tax returns. The bill also includes a provision which could seriously undermine a woman’s right to choose. Ultimately, we were able to strip the provision on tax returns and reached an agreement to provide an up or down vote on the provision relating to reproductive health services, but the fact that these provisions even made it into the bill reveals serious flaws in our appropriations process.

For more information, please go to: Congress Approves $388 Billion Omnibus Appropriations Bill (11/23/04)

Statement of Senator Feinstein on No Funding for New Nuclear Weapons in Omnibus Bill (11/20/04)

Senators Call for Language Denying Reproductive Health Access Be Dropped from Omnibus (11/19/04)

Preserving California Missions
Senator Barbara Boxer and I successfully championed legislation authorizing $10 million in Federal matching grants to help restore and preserve California’s 21 historic missions. Many of the California Missions – which were built over 225 years ago – are experiencing structural deterioration and water damage, leaving murals and artifacts at risk of serious harm. This legislation brings us a step closer to preserving a rich part of California’s and our Nation’s history, restoring the most visited historic attractions in the State which draw more than 5 million visitors per year. The legislation was signed into law on November 30.

For more information, please go to: Senate Approves Bill to Preserve California Missions (10/11/04)

Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the California Desert Protection Act
This fall we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the California Desert Protection Act, legislation that preserved 7.7 million acres of stunning landscape for generations to come. The Act is the largest parks and wilderness preservation bill ever in the lower 48 states, creating Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks along with the Mojave National Preserve.

The California Desert is home to remarkable archaeology, beauty and wildlife: some of the last remaining dinosaur tracks, Indian petroglyphs, abundant spring wildflowers,
extinct volcanoes, wild burros, and threatened species including the bighorn sheep and the desert tortoise, an animal known to live for as many as 100 years. I am enormously proud to have been a part of the effort to preserve this.

To learn more about the California Desert Protection Act, please go to: Desert Protective Blanket Turns 10 (11-12-04)

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