There is nationwide nursing shortage. A higher education bill Congress passed includes a provision by Senator Bernie Sanders to inject new resources into training nurses. The president is expected to sign it. The White House, however, renewed a threat to veto a Sanders bill to double home energy assistance. "It is impossible to understand Bush's priorities," Sanders said as he pledged to renew efforts to pass the bill before the winter. Congressional Quarterly poured over Senate and House roll call votes. Guess which senator least often voted the way the White House wanted.

Nursing Shortage Nurse training programs will be strengthened under higher education legislation that Congress passed and President Bush is expected to sign. Senator Bernie Sanders, a member of the Senate education committee, authored the section of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 that would address the nursing shortage by authorizing $3,000 for each additional student colleges enroll in nursing programs. Congress approved the bill on July 31. President Bush is expected to sign it by August 14, when the current higher education law expires. "My hope is that this provision will result in an additional 10,000 or more students graduating from nursing schools each year at a modest cost," Sanders said. The senator was joined at a press conference here by Betty Rambur, dean of the University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and Vermont Technical College President Ty Handy. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services foresees a shortage of more than 1 million nurses by the year 2020. Even with such an enormous need for nurses, U.S. nursing schools turned away more than 41,000 qualified applicants in 2005. If community college and associate degree nursing programs are included in these numbers, 150,000 well-qualified applicants are turned away each year from nursing programs.

Home Energy Senator Bernie Sanders blasted President Bush for threatening to veto legislation to add an extra $2.5 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The White House on Tuesday reasserted that Bush would veto a Sanders-sponsored bill to double the program that helps seniors, the disabled and families pay the costs of heating and cooling their homes. "At a time when home heating prices are soaring and people are sweltering in the South, it is beyond comprehension that the president would threaten to veto desperately needed legislation that has the support of a tripartisan majority of senators, the nation's governors, AARP, and others," Sanders said. Sanders and 52 other senators, including 13 Republicans, sponsored the Warm in the Winter and Cool in the Summer Act. If Republican Senate leaders dropped their obstruction tactics and allowed a vote on the bill, Sanders predicted it would be approved by a veto-proof majority. "People in the north understand that it would be inhumane to stand by while seniors freeze to death this winter or kids get sick," he said. "People in hot-weather states know heat waves can be killers." Sanders said the extra $2.5 billion for home energy assistance is a tiny fraction of what Bush has squandered in tax breaks for the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans. "It is impossible to understand George W. Bush's priorities. He's for trillions of dollars in tax breaks for the wealthy and he is spending $10 billion a month on Iraq, but he's a penny-pincher when it comes to making sure families, seniors, and the sick don't go cold this winter."

Television Town Meeting Cable television customers may air concerns over prices and programming and new television technology at a town meeting in Rutland at 7 p.m. on Aug. 14. Senator Bernie Sanders arranged the meeting in City Hall after receiving complaints about Comcast channel lineup changes. "What is taking place is a rate increase," Sanders said. You can share your questions or concerns here. What do you think about your cable or satellite television provider? Please take our survey here.

Rain, Rain Go Away Vermont's Congressional Delegation wrote to President Bush to requesting a presidential disaster declaration for damage caused by a severe rain and wind storms that have pounded the state this summer. "FEMA resources are critical to help Vermont and its towns respond to this disaster… We urgently request your support of a Presidential Disaster Declaration for the state of Vermont…" Senators Sanders, Patrick Leahy and Congressman Peter Welch. "The ground over the northern and central parts of the state is completely saturated and unable to absorb these record amounts of rain, with continued forecasts for significant additional rain this week. Rivers have flooded their banks and remain precariously high…Many of our towns are dealing with road washouts, downed trees that restrict emergency access and power outages."

Don't Blame Bernie Congressional Quarterly studied roll call votes during the seven-and-a-half years of President Bush's two terms. The senator who least often voted the way the White House wanted (23 percent of the votes) was Bernard Sanders. The CQ tally counted Sanders' votes in the House as well as the Senate, where votes on confirmations tend to elevate presidential support scores. To check it out, click here.

Traveling Man When President Bush returns from the Olympics in Beijing, his three-nation Asian swing will make him the most-traveled U.S. president in history. His 136 foreign trips surpass Clinton's 133 trips abroad. Bush has visited 49 states since taking office, but not Vermont. The Burlington Free Press called it a "high-level snubbing of the state". To check out the USA Today chart on presidential travels, click here. To read the Free Press article, click here.