cJ's Capitol Hill Update

March 9, 2009

This Week on Capitol Hill

Budget '09: The Senate continues its slo-mo march toward passage of a budget for fiscal year 09 (which we're 5 months into). The "omnibus" budget bill, HR 1105 - which bundles nine spending bills Congress left hanging last year - was put on hold last week as senators voted on twelve amendments that aimed to, among other things, cut out "pork" projects, limit EPA protection of polar bears, prevent UN funding for abortions and dry up investment in Iran. All twelve amendments were shot down, as the next dozen - including items on Gaza and DC student vouchers - are expected to be this week.

Water Recycling: As House committees get down to business outlining a budget for '10, action on the floor is light this week with only a $13 billion water treatment bill, HR 1262, scheduled for a vote.

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Submitted by talker on March 9, 2009 - 10:44am.

March 2, 2009

This Week on Capitol Hill

Budget '09: The Senate could polish off left-over budget business this week, voting on a bundle of nine (out of twelve) spending bills to cover costs for the current fiscal year. Opting to avoid a budget tussle with President Bush last year, Congress put off passing all non-defense spending items, instead approving a "continuing resolution" to maintain funding at 2008 levels through March 6. Senators may okay a House-approved "omnibus" bill (HR 1105) sending the president a final budget this week, but lawmakers are just as likely to get tripped up by extraneous amendments  to save DC voucher programs and slow up EPA rulings on polar bears (in which case they'll spin out another continuing resolution to keep the government running until a final budget is passed).

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Submitted by talker on March 2, 2009 - 10:57am.

February 23, 2009

This Week on Capitol Hill

Budget '10: Congress will be a sideshow this week as DC's main events come courtesy of the White House. After squeaking a $787 billion stimulus package through Congress two weeks ago, then disappointing Wall Street with a much anticipated revamp of the TARP bailout bill last week, the administration won't be spared economic headaches this week when it presents the outline of a proposed budget for 2010. To prepare the nation for $1 trillion deficit sticker-shock, President Obama will start off the week with a "financial responsibility" summit on Monday and a congressional address on Tuesday, hoping to get across the point that fiscal sobriety will - someday - return to DC.

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Submitted by talker on February 23, 2009 - 2:17pm.

February 9, 2009

This Week on Capitol Hill

Save Our Economy: Congress is heck-bent on passing a final history-making stimulus bill this week, hoping to meet a self-imposed mid-February deadline. Lawmakers' first hurdle - Senate passage of that chamber's $820 billion package - looks set to be cleared on Tuesday. The hard slog will come later as the two chambers knock out a compromise that bridges the differences between the two versions of their bills. Partly to win over a handful of Republicans (needed to avoid a filibuster), senators added in tax cuts to boost house and car sales while trimming over $80 billion in House spending initiatives, with education and health taking the biggest hits. It's anyone's guess how far each chamber will budge in each other's direction - and how far into their President's Day break lawmakers will stick around - to get the job done.

For a glimpse of what else is coming down the pike, see cJ's rolling tally of congressional items in Outlook '09

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Submitted by talker on February 9, 2009 - 2:01pm.

February 2, 2009

Foreign Policy on the Rocks!

The Inaugural party may be over, but now the fun of governing begins!

Join citizenJoe for its first “Briefing for Obama” event this Thursday, February 5 with Slate.com’s Fred Kaplan, as we drink and wrap our minds around the foreign policy challenges our new president is up against.

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Submitted by talker on February 2, 2009 - 1:55pm.

January 26, 2009

Foreign Policy on the Rocks!

The Inaugural party may be over, but now the fun of governing begins!

Join citizenJoe for its first “Briefing for Obama” event Thursday, February 5 with Slate.com’s Fred Kaplan, as we drink and wrap our minds around the foreign policy challenges our new president is up against.

Posted In
Submitted by talker on January 26, 2009 - 11:06am.

January 21, 2009

This Week on Capitol Hill

While the committees of Congress continue to hew together a massive $800 billion - $1.3 trillion economic rescue bill and the Oval Office goes into full foreign policy swing, action on the House and Senate floor is light on this shortened week.

Discrimination by paycheck: The Senate may okay a pay discrimination bill, HR 1, passed in the House two weeks ago. 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.

Kid's healthcare: After coming up short in '07, Congress will try again early this year to expand health care for kids. Last week the House okayed HR 2, increasing funding for SCHIP, the state-run program that covers low-income kids that aren't low income enough to qualify for Medicaid, by $32 billion over 5 years, upping the number of children covered from 7 to 11 million. The Senate could follow up this week.

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Submitted by talker on January 21, 2009 - 10:48am.

January 12, 2009

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.

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.

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Submitted by talker on January 12, 2009 - 12:52pm.

January 7, 2009

This Week on Capitol Hill

Congress returned yesterday to face the daunting task of prepping a $700 billion - $1.3 trillion stimulus bill for the incoming president's signature. The massive "economic recovery" bill - which'll include tax cuts, state aid and infrastructure spending - is all but assured passage, but exactly how plump it'll be and how long it'll take to move through Congress are still open questions.

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 year's agenda, although a few low-hanging fruit have been hinted at for early passage, like expanding children's health care.

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Submitted by talker on January 7, 2009 - 2:02pm.

December 8, 2008

This Week on Capitol Hill

Car Talks: Congress drops in to DC this week to consider a short-term bailout for Detroit's Big Three. A final bill is still in the making but auto makers look like they'll get up to $17 billion in immediate loans to pay their bills through March.

Tapping TARP: While they're in town, lawmakers might also give Treasury head Paulson the okay to tap into the $350 billion left in the Trouble Assets Relief Program (aka the Wall Street bailout) - if he asks for it. The Treasury has used up almost half of the $700 billion rescue package and would need Congress' green-light to access the second half.

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.

Posted In
Submitted by talker on December 8, 2008 - 1:14pm.
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