National

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Governor Peter Shumlin announce new multi-million dollar loan fund aimed at helping Vermont residents and small businesses improve their energy efficiency and lower their utility bills. USDA is making the investment through its Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program, supported by Senator Leahy, Senator Bernie Sanders and Congressman Peter Welch. Leahy is a leading member and former chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which oversees USDA. The project will be carried out by the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, and this is the largest investment USDA has made through the EECLP.

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Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) unveils his bipartisan legislation offering an incentive to Medicare beneficiaries for completing advance care directives which specify preferred medical treatment should they become unable to make their own decisions. Welch is joined by Cathy Frank, former chair of the Vermont Ethics Network, Dr. Bob Macauley, Director of Clinical Ethics at the University of Vermont’s College of Medicine, and Asaad Trina, a third year UVM medical student. The legislation has been endorsed by a broad coalition, including the American College of Physicians, the National Right to Life Committee, the American Nurses Association, and the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care.

Read a one-page summary of the legislation here: http://1.usa.gov/1OdT2Qn

http://www.welch.house.gov

Vera Bade, World Citizen, shares perceptions and realities of the similarities of Russian and American people.

Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), convenes a roundtable discussion with FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, and Vermont city stakeholders on the BTV Ignite program, a partnership with U.S. Ignite that encourages public, private and academic institutions to develop next generation internet applications.

http://www.welch.house.gov