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Around Town: July 7, 2009

July 7, 2009 at 6:21 PM ET by Katherine Brandon
As we noted earlier, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack joined the Vice President today to announce the key findings of the Food Safety Working Group. Take a look at some of the other projects the Cabinet members have been working on this week:

  • Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Hondurian President Manuel Zelaya at the State Department today.

     
    (U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with His Excellency Jose Manuel Zelaya, President of the Republic of Honduras at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC July 7, 2009.)
  • The EPA announced the winners of their water quality video contest. They received over 250 entries for the contest which aims to help educate the public on ways individuals can improve water quality in their communities. Watch some of the best videos here.
  • Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced accelerated efforts to develop renewable energy on public lands and offshore areas, such as wind farms on the Atlantic Ocean and solar facilities in the Southwest.
  • Also working to combat climate change, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack testified in front of the Senate about the important role rural America can play in addressing climate change. As you may remember, Secretary Vilsack has been traveling to rural communities across the country as part of the Rural Tour. On Monday, he held a community forum in New Hampshire to discuss the administration’s efforts to revitalize rural America.
  • HHS Secretary Sebelius announced $40 million in grants to help more children enroll in state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs. These funds are part of the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, which was one of the first acts signed into law by the President.
  • Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the extension of the California high-speed rail corridor from the Los Angeles area to Las Vegas, which will help traffic congestion, help reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and create jobs.
  • Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan is helping keep families together by providing 2,500 rental assistance vouchers. The funding is through the Family Unification Program, which provides assistance for families whose lack of adequate housing is the primary cause of parents being separated from their children.
  • Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano spent last week traveling in Europe and the Middle East. She met with European leaders to discuss coordination on pressing international issues.  She concluded her trip with a visit to U.S. Coast Guard units in Kuwait.