Spectator NZ

Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

06.02.23

Japanese-American Internment Memorial on Bainbridge To Get a New Visitor Center

Four WA sites and organizations in Bainbridge, Seattle, and Puyallup receive National Park Service grants to educate and commemorate unjust WWII policies

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), and U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (D, W-06) announced that four Japanese American Confinement Sites grants have been awarded to organizations in the State of Washington, including one that will fund completion of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Visitor Center.

The Japanese American Confinement Sites grants are awarded by the National Park Service to preserve and interpret incarceration sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. A total of 14 grants totaling $3,408,083 were awarded nationwide. 

“Japanese Americans throughout the State of Washington were unjustly detained and confined during World War II. These sites and organizations honor the strength and sacrifice of internment survivors and helps Americans heal and reflect on this terrible chapter in our country’s history. I am thankful for the vital work organizations in Washington are doing to document and educate current and future generations about these troubling times to help ensure they never happen again,” Sen. Cantwell said.

“The internment of Japanese Americans during WWII is one of the most painful chapters in Washington state’s history and in the history of our country—when tens of thousands of people were forcibly removed from their homes and kept against their wills in internment camps, for no reason but their ancestry. It’s so important that we teach future generations about this wrenching part of our history,” Sen. Murray said. “This funding will help ensure that the realities of internment, and the stories of the Japanese Americans who lived through it, will continue to be told and remembered in Washington state and around the country—so that nothing like this is ever again repeated.”

“I’m proud to see the National Park Service taking important steps to preserve and illuminate the stories of Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated during World War II, including those who called Bainbridge Island home,” said Rep. Kilmer. “A new visitor center will help future generations better understand the heartbreaking stories chronicled at the Bainbridge Island memorial, describing how families were forcibly removed from their homes, and will help remind us that we must always be vigilant in fighting prejudice and discrimination.”

A total of $1,621,523 was awarded to four programs based in the State of Washington: 

Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Visitor Center – $613,150

The Bainbridge Island Japanese American Memorial Association (BIJAMA) has worked with stakeholders for over a decade to complete the Exclusion Memorial on Bainbridge Island. The Story Wall was dedicated in 2011 and the Departure Deck was dedicated in 2021 to provide an overview of the forced removal of Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island and subsequent incarceration. This project will complete the third and final element for the memorial—a visitor center. The visitor center will house interpretive and archival materials in a space that allows for reflection in light of contemporary events. This phase includes finalizing design and engineering documents, obtaining permits, completing site work, and installing utilities for the visitor center.

“Puyallup Assembly Center” Remembrance Gallery – $400,000

The Puyallup Valley Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League will help create the “Puyallup Assembly Center” Remembrance Gallery on the grounds of the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, Washington. The exhibit will be the first permanent exhibit at the Washington State Fair informing visitors of the 7,600 Japanese and Japanese American individuals who were incarcerated at the assembly center in 1942. The exhibit will feature video recordings, acknowledgment of the 7,600 incarcerees, newspaper articles, oral histories from survivors, and a re-creation of living quarters to convey the depth of injustices and consider how the events of 80 years ago remain relevant today.

Densho – Resettlement and Return: Effects of the Incarceration – $291,468

Densho, a non-profit organization based in Seattle, will collect 50,000 digital items and reach out to survivors and descendants seeking contextual information that will help interpret this material. New materials generated by this project will then be systematically added to Densho’s online encyclopedia and incorporated into other Densho projects like the interactive map-based “Sites of Shame” website, “Names Registry,” public programs, and other resources that users can access. The public will be able to access the new collections without charge through the Densho Digital Repository.

Densho Encyclopedia: Bringing a Critical Resource into the Next Decade – $316,905

Densho’s Encyclopedia has been an important publicly accessible online resource for accurate information pertaining to the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. To ensure the Encyclopedia continues to be a user-friendly resource that hosts relevant scholarly content, Densho will undertake a much-needed update. Updates will include revisiting articles, images, and references to determine if revisions are needed considering new scholarship and making necessary changes; establishing an editorial structure; linking Densho’s interactive map to relevant articles; redesigning backend architecture; modernizing the Encyclopedia’s look and improving usability; and establishing and launching an internship program.

Sen. Cantwell has been a longtime supporter of preserving and telling the stories of the Japanese American confinement sites. In 2006 and 2007, Senator Cantwell and U.S. Representative Jay Inslee (D-WA-1) spearheaded the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Memorial Bill, which passed in 2008, and gave the NPS site status to the Japanese American Memorial at the Eagledale Ferry Dock on Bainbridge Island. The Memorial on Bainbridge is a satellite unit of the Minidoka Internment National Historic Monument in Jerome County, ID, which marks the place where many of those forcibly removed from Bainbridge Island were eventually sent.

Sen. Murray has supported the preservation of Japanese American confinement sites and education of the public regarding this shameful chapter of the country’s history. Sen Murray was a cosponsor of the Norman Y. Mineta Japanese American Confinement Education Act, which reauthorized the Japanese American Confinement Sites grant program and was signed into law earlier this year. Sen. Murray was also a cosponsor of the Minidoka National Historic Site Act, which culminated in the establishment of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial to commemorate the Japanese Americans of Bainbridge Island who were the first families to be sent to internment camps. After pushing for the authorization of a study at the Department of Interior, Senators Murray and Cantwell secured $25,000 in funding in 2003 for a study of the Eagledale Ferry Dock site on Bainbridge Island, which served as a point of departure for members of the Japanese American community on their way to internment camps during World War II.

As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Kilmer has consistently supported the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial. Last year, Rep. Kilmer helped secure $198,000 in the National Park Service budget for the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Memorial and committee report language designed to improve the visitor experience at National Parks Service sites connected to Japanese internment.

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Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Joe Manchin

June 02, 2023

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, led 47 bipartisan Senators in urging Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm to refrain from finalizing a DOE efficiency standard that would worsen the current shortage of distribution transformers, which are critical grid products. The proposed rule comes at a time when the availability of essential grid components remains a significant challenge for the electric power industry, and while the industry is struggling due to a substantial increase in demand, supply chain issues and a skilled workforce shortage.

“We urge the Department to refrain from promulgating a final rule that will exacerbate transformer shortages at this strategically inopportune time. Such a standard could come at meaningful cost to grid reliability and national security, continuing the clean energy transition, and bolstering domestic supply chains and the workforce. Instead, we urge the Department to finalize a rule that does not exacerbate the shortage in distribution transformers and convene stakeholders across the supply chain to develop consensus-based approach to setting new standards,” the Senators said in part.

The proposed rule, Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Distribution Transformers would require a shift from the industry standard grain oriented electrical steel (GOES) cores to amorphous steel cores, which would worsen the current supply chain shortage as manufacturers would need to adjust their production lines. Average lead times to procure distribution transformers have already increased significantly, increasing from eight to 12 weeks to up to three years between 2020 and 2022, which has impacted grid modernization and reliability efforts. 

“Currently, the United States only has one domestic producer of amorphous steel. Moving to amorphous steel cores, as proposed by DOE, would require this sole domestic supplier to rapidly scale operations from its current market share of less than five percent to accommodate the entire distribution transformer market,” the Senators continued. “We are committed to working with you to identify short and long-term solutions to the supply chain shortage of these critical grid components with a goal of building a robust domestic market and a more efficient and reliable grid for decades to come.”

The full letter is available below or here.

We write to you regarding the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE or the Department) Proposed Rulemaking: Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Distribution Transformers (Proposed Rule). The availability of critical grid components remains a significant challenge for the electric power industry that could impact national security, grid reliability and resilience, as well as the ability to continue the important work of electrification and grid modernization.

The Proposed Rule increases efficiency standards on distribution transformers, critical grid products, which currently are no less than 97.7% energy efficient, at a time when the industry is struggling due to a significant increase in demand, supply chain issues, and skilled workforce shortage. These factors have made it hard for manufacturers to meet current demand for distribution transformers, creating challenging lead time conditions and concerns regarding grid reliability and resiliency. Further, the proposed rule has introduced uncertainty that prevents utilities from signing long-term contracts and manufacturers from making investment decisions.

The Proposed Rule would require all distribution transformers to shift from the industry standard grain oriented electrical steel (GOES) cores to amorphous steel cores. GOES currently accounts for more than 95 percent of the domestic distribution transformer market and, therefore, manufacturers’ production lines are tooled for designs that use GOES. A final rule that adopts DOE’s current proposal could meaningfully worsen the current supply chain shortage by requiring manufacturers to change production lines to less readily available amorphous steel. 

Currently, the United States only has one domestic producer of amorphous steel. Moving to amorphous steel cores, as proposed by DOE, would require this sole domestic supplier to rapidly scale operations from its current market share of less than five percent to accommodate the entire distribution transformer market. Such a recalibration of the supply chain will further delay manufacturing production timelines – currently estimated to be a minimum of 18 months to two years.

Between 2020 and 2022, average lead times to procure distribution transformers went from eight to 12 weeks to up to three years. This multi-fold increase is directly impacting the electric power industry’s grid modernization and reliability efforts, as well as its ability to respond and recover from natural disasters, posing challenges for communities that need to rebuild as well as new development. 

We appreciate the actions that this and previous administrations have already taken in recognition of the challenges associated with distribution transformer supply chains, including the 2022 designation of GOES on the U.S. government’s list of “critical goods and materials” and the invocation in the same year of the Defense Production Act to accelerate the production of “critical power grid infrastructure like transformers.”

However, by phasing out the primary market for U.S.-produced GOES, the Proposed Rule could jeopardize this progress, putting everyday American families at risk. Further, we are concerned that requiring the use of amorphous steel for new distribution transformers could put the administration’s electrification goals at risk by exacerbating an existing grid vulnerability.

At the same time, we recognize the numerous and often underappreciated benefits of energy efficiency and support the overall goal of reducing wasteful electrical losses in our distribution grid.  We believe the most prudent course of action is to let both GOES and amorphous steel cores coexist in the market, as they do today without government mandates, for new installations as we ramp up domestic production and reorient supply chains. 

We urge the Department to refrain from promulgating a final rule that will exacerbate transformer shortages at this strategically inopportune time. Such a standard could come at meaningful cost to grid reliability and national security, continuing the clean energy transition, and bolstering domestic supply chains and the workforce. Instead, we urge the Department to finalize a rule that does not exacerbate the shortage in distribution transformers and convene stakeholders across the supply chain to develop consensus based approach to setting new standards.

We request a briefing with your office on the path forward on DOE’s proposal, as well as how to best leverage existing DOE authority to bolster domestic supply chains and help alleviate the current and persisting supply chain challenges facing distribution transformers. We are committed to working with you to identify short and long-term solutions to the supply chain shortage of these critical grid components with a goal of building a robust domestic market and a more efficient and reliable grid for decades to come.

Thank you for your consideration.

Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Bob Menendez

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On National Gun Violence Awareness Day, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and several of his colleagues announced a package of gun violence prevention bills that would significantly decrease the pervasive threat of gun violence across the United States, including the reintroduction of the 3D Printed Gun Safety Act that would eliminate the 3D printing and distribution of ghost guns.

“On Gun Violence Awareness Day, we remember those who have been lost to gun violence, offer comfort to their families and friends, and sound a call to action to eliminate the epidemic of gun violence plaguing our nation.” said Sen. Menendez. “Last summer Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first new federal gun safety law in almost 30 years. The new law created federal penalties for straw purchasing and firearms trafficking, enhanced background checks for purchasers under 21, and closed the boyfriend loophole by barring individuals convicted of domestic violence from purchasing a gun. Our efforts last Congress were an important first step, but it is critical that the Department of Justice fully implement and enforce the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. In New Jersey we understand that background checks save lives – that’s why every gun sale – whether it is in a store, online, or at a gun show – should require a background check. Our work is not done, that is why I will continue to fight with my colleagues to ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and ghost guns. We must also hold irresponsible gun dealers accountable, work with U.S. banks to report suspicious financial activity that can help prevent mass shootings, and incentivize states to adopt gun-licensing standards.”

The 3D Printed Gun Safety Act, co-led with Sen. Markey and Representative Jared Moskowitz (Fla.-23) in the House, would prohibit the online distribution of blueprints and instructions that would allow for the 3D printing of firearms, which is contributing to the proliferation of “ghost guns.” 3D printing allows individuals to make unserialized firearms out of plastic, which can evade detection by metal detectors at security checkpoints. This increases security risks in public spaces and secured areas, and creates challenges for law enforcement. The legislation would make it illegal to distribute online digital files that could automatically program a 3D printer to produce or complete the manufacturing of a firearm.

In addition, Sen. Menendez and his colleagues introduced the following gun violence prevention bills:

• The Keeping Gun Dealers Honest Act would strengthen accountability measures for irresponsible gun dealers violating the law, and provide the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with additional resources for enforcement.

• The Gun Violence Prevention Through Financial Intelligence Act would require the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) within the Department of Treasury to provide guidance to U.S. banks to help them identify and report suspicious financial activity that could indicate that an individual is planning to commit a mass shooting. Federal law already requires banks to report suspicious activity relating to money laundering, fraud, or terrorist financing. Reports show that mass shooters have relied on credit cards—including the Aurora, Orlando, and Las Vegas shooters—to stockpile weapons.

The gun violence prevention bills are endorsed by March For Our Lives, Giffords, and States United to Prevent Gun Violence.

“If we’re going to end the gun violence epidemic, we need to address it at its source—where they’re bought and sold,” said Zeenat Yahya, Director of Policy at March For Our Lives. “Dealers can give away guns like they’re candy with limited regulation and even less oversight, and it’s fueling gun violence across the country. Reckless dealers sit back and count their profits while guns sold in an irresponsible fashion terrorize our communities. Enough is enough. We’re proud to support this measure that would keep firearms out of dangerous hands and ensure gun dealers are held to the highest standard of responsibility.”

Sen. Menendez joined his colleagues in introducing the Wear Orange Resolution that supports the designation of June 2 as “National Gun Violence Awareness Day” and June as “National Gun Violence Awareness Month.”

In May, Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) cosponsored the Responsible Firearms Marketing Act, directing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to study the dangers posed by unfair and deceptive marketing and advertising practices conducted by the gun industry. This year, Sen. Menendez joined several of his colleagues in forming the first Senate Gun Violence Prevention Caucus to coordinate common-sense solutions to battle the epidemic of gun violence in America. Earlier this month, Sen. Menendez joined with Newark officials, community violence intervention leaders and gun safety advocates to call on the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to implement rules to help close the background check loophole.

In February, the Senator led his colleagues in the reintroduction of the Keep Americans Safe Act, which would ban the importation, sale, manufacturing, transfer, or possession of high-capacity magazines. He also reintroduced the Gun Records Restoration and Preservation Act, which would require the ATF and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to collect, preserve, and disclose gun records and gun tracing data. Sen. Menendez also joined several of his colleagues this year in reintroducing legislation to ban assault weapons, close the Charleston Loophole, and require gun owners secure their firearms in a secure gun storage.

In 2022, Sen. Menendez reintroduced the Federal Firearm Licensing Act that would require individuals to obtain a firearm license from the Department of Justice (DOJ) before purchasing or receiving a firearm. He also urged the Biden Administration to do more to address the ghost gun loophole based on legislation he has authored, which would prohibit the online distribution of blueprints and instructions that allow for the 3D printing of firearms. Also in 2021, Sen. Menendez, alongside 16 Senate Democrats and 99 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, urged the U.S. Department of Education in a letter to raise awareness about securely storing guns safely and away from kids following the tragic shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan.

In 2020, the Senator introduced the Untraceable Firearms Act to ban “ghost” guns, and in the same year introduced the Stop Online Fraudulent Sales of Firearms Act that would to prevent gun sellers from circumventing technology companies’ terms of service by making it illegal to fraudulently sell firearms and ammunition online.

Find a copy of the bill text HERE.

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Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Bob Menendez

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) issued the following statement in celebration of Pride Month:

“Pride Month is a time to honor and celebrate the direct line that exists between the early pioneers for LGBTQ+ rights and the broader community today. What began in the mid-20th century with demonstrations to raise awareness, to combat stigma, and to afford basic civil protections, has over time evolved into a worldwide movement for dignity, equality, and the right to love who you love and be who you are. Make no mistake, the concept of Pride is a political force for positive change — it always has been and it always will be.

“This year, I am reminded of the immense courage that it took for LGBTQ+ Americans to speak up — to let others know who they were inside — in order to combat prejudice and injustices that were often codified into law. And yet, despite the rapid pace of progress in recent years, from Obergefell v Hodges to last year’s vote to codify the Respect for Marriage Act, it is clear that there is still work to be done. If we are to fully destigmatize, and in some cases, decriminalize, the LGBTQ+ community, both at home and abroad, then we must use this Pride Month to stand together against hatred and bigotry in all its forms. We must foster allyship, calling out those who want to turn back the clock and somehow paint sexual orientation and gender identity as something to be ashamed of and left unspoken.

“Today and every day, in recognition of the work that came before, and with a clear vision for the work that lies ahead, I’m wishing a happy Pride Month to all.”

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