Chevron in Court, Health Care in Congress and California’s Budget in Crisis
Chevron continues to fight a lawsuit alleging environmental damage done in Ecuador.
Republicans go on the offensive against President Obama’s proposed health care plan.
Governor Schwarzenegger and members of the California legislature attempt to pass a plan to address the state’s budget crisis.
Listen to LibertyWeek, the entertaining and insightful CEI podcast.
1. ENVIRONMENT
Chevron continues to fight a lawsuit alleging environmental damage done in Ecuador.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Journalism Fellow Silvia Santacruz on the details of the case:
“Ecuadorian lawyer Pablo Fajardo represents 48 plaintiffs in the $27 billion suit against Chevron. With [New York-based attorney Steven] Donziger’s assistance, the case is now in a Lago Agrio court, which is expected to resolve in October. Chevron rightly complains that it cannot get a fair trial in Ecuador, whose court system has been rated as corrupt by the United Nations, the International Bar Association and the U.S. State Department. And reportedly, Chevron has attempted to discredit Ecuador among American legislators lobbying to revoke Ecuador’s Andean Trade Preference Act, and also appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to share liability with Petroecuador in the alleged oil spills pollution. Both petitions were dismissed.”
2. HEALTH
Republicans go on the offensive against President Obama’s proposed health care plan.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow Gregory Conko on how the current U.S. system compares to other countries:
“In ‘model’ countries like Canada and Britain, the quality of low-cost primary care is about the same as in the U.S., and even rated higher in areas such as the waiting time to see a doctor. But these same countries have far inferior quality of treatment for serious conditions like cancer and kidney failure because they limit access to medical specialists and refuse to pay for many of the pricey medicines, diagnostic tools and complicated operations that are standard medical practice in America.”
3. POLITICS
Governor Schwarzenegger and members of the California legislature attempt to pass a plan to address the state’s budget crisis.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Director of Energy Policy Myron Ebell on the state’s dire situation:
“California is in economic freefall largely as a result of spendthrift government spending, crushing taxes, and heavy-handed regulations that have raised the cost of energy and of doing business in California. The whole sorry story is explained clearly and analyzed…by Tom McClintock, a freshman Republican Member of the House of Representatives and a long-time Member of the California state legislature. Rep. McClintock said in January that in his judgment it was inevitable that California would default on its debt. Unless the state legislature suddenly reverses course, McClintock will soon be proved right. California is facing bankruptcy.”
Listen to LibertyWeek, the CEI podcast, here.