This Week on Capitol Hill

Pump up the economy: Congress continues to cobble together a $700 billion - $1.3 trillion "economic recovery" bill which leaders hope to wrap up by mid-February. The massive stimulus bill - which'll include tax cuts for families and business, state aid for health and education and infrastructure spending - is still a shoe-in for passage, but it may have a bumpier ride than expected as Dems and GOPers debate the size and priorities of the bill.

• read more on stimulus bills of '08 and '09 and Congress' responses to the economic crisis

Discrimination by paycheck: The Senate may okay a pay discrimination bill, HR 1, passed in the House last week. The "Lilly Ledbetter" bill extends the deadline for pay discrimination lawsuits - from the time a worker is hired to any time a worker gets a paycheck cut.

Kid's healthcare: After coming up short in '07, Congress will try again early this year to expand state health care coverage for kids. The House plans a vote this week to increase funding for SCHIP, the state-run program that covers low-income kids that aren't low income enough to qualify for Medicaid. Final numbers on how large of an expansion are still in the works.

Taming TARP: When the administration (Bush or Obama) asks Congress for the second half of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout pot, as it's required to do under legislation passed last fall, Congress may attach a couple of strings along with its blessing. This week the House may vote on a couple of conditions - including demanding that $40 billion of the payouts go to help homeowners falling into default.

The rest of Congress' early '09 line-up is still in the works. While a few of the president-elect's campaign initiatives will be rolled into the stimulus package - including green energy investment and middle class tax cuts - no one's saying which of Obama's major reform promises will top the agenda, although a few low-hanging fruit have been hinted at for early passage.

• catch cJ's rolling tally of congressional items in Outlook '09

If you want to let your Congressfolk know where you stand on any of the issues above, you can email them through Congress.org, because...

Hey, it's your democracy too.

- teamJoe

Next update: January 19, 2009.