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Thursday, May 22, 2008
Dispute Over House Panel's Earmarks Puts Hunter At Odds With White House
House Armed Services ranking member Duncan Hunter tried to persuade the White House Wednesday to drop objections to a provision in the FY09 defense authorization bill that would shield the measure from a recent executive order against earmarks.
Extenders Vote Is Not Quite Veto-Proof
The House on Wednesday approved a $55.5 billion tax bill renewing various expiring provisions on a 263-160 vote. That is not enough to overcome a threatened veto and the outlook for Senate action remains uncertain.
Senate Talks Break Down Over Physician Pay Cut Patch
Senate Democratic leaders shut down negotiations with Republicans on Wednesday on legislation to stop a Medicare physician pay cut, mainly over the GOP's rejection of plans to cut payments to private Medicare plans and expand low-income assistance, an aide for Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus said.
Missing Title May Force Second Override Of Farm Bill Veto
For want of a missing trade title, the House's 316-108 vote Wednesday to override President Bush's veto of the farm bill may have gone for naught.
Farm Bill Debacle Stalls Conference Report Consideration
House consideration of a FY09 budget resolution conference report that would authorize $1.013 trillion in discretionary spending was stalled Wednesday over an unrelated floor dispute.
Senators Face Series Of Votes Today On Supplemental Bill
The Senate will attempt today to meet 60-vote thresholds on a series of votes on legislation to provide $165 billion to fund Pentagon operations in Iraq and Afghanistan until a new administration takes over next year.
GAO Questions New EPA Process To Assess Chemical Risk
Bush administration officials Wednesday said a new process for evaluating the risk chemicals pose to public health and the environment would improve the efficiency and quality of such assessments despite criticisms that it will have the opposite effect.
Lawmakers Honor LBJ's Centennial
Lawmakers honored the late President Lyndon Johnson at a service Wednesday in Statuary Hall, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Texan and former Senate majority leader's birth.
Inspector General Cautions On Practice Of "Shared" Staffers
The House Administration Committee was warned Wednesday that its use of "shared employees," who may perform similar duties for many different members, places congressional offices "at significant risk of illegal or other improper activities occurring within their financial and administrative functions."
Grassley Accuses FBI Of Retaliation Against Whistle-Blowers
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, went before the House Judiciary Crime Subcommittee Wednesday and accused the FBI of retaliating against those who criticize the agency's actions.
DOD IG: Army Doled Out Billions In Iraq Without Controls
The Army has made billions of dollars of payments in Iraq without proper documentation due to inadequate internal controls, the Defense Department's inspector general says in a report to be released today.
GAO Official Says Political Influence Not Isolated At Interior
Despite the resignation of one high-ranking Interior Department official last year over allegations of improper political influence, four more department officials might have interfered in endangered species decisions for political reasons, a GAO investigator said Wednesday.
Boxer, Warner, Lieberman Roll Out Plan For Climate Bill
The three main Senate authors of global warming legislation Wednesday released legislative language laying out a three-way agreement on the bulk of the bill, while two of the three offered a separate agreement recognizing nuclear power as a necessary means of reducing greenhouse gases.
Panel Turns Up The Juice On Electricity Grid Authorities
Government and private sector entities responsible for ensuring the reliability and security of the U.S. electrical grid from blackouts and cyber-attacks are not addressing the issue with the seriousness it deserves, House Homeland Security Emerging Threats Subcommittee Chairman Jim Langevin, D-R.I., said Wednesday.
BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
Doha Deflation
Prospects for a successful conclusion of the Doha Round of multilateral trade talks continue to dwindle. New negotiating texts in agriculture and manufacturing have just been released, but are far from being agreed upon. As a result, a meeting of trade ministers to bless a formula for cutting tariffs will not take place before late June or might slip further.
HILL BRIEFS
Freshman Rep. Richardson Defaulted On Calif. House
Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Calif., let the mortgage on a Sacramento house slip into foreclosure last year as she was running for the seat vacated by the death of Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, D-Calif., a California newspaper reported this week.
Genetic Nondiscrimination Is Officially On The Books
President Bush signed legislation Wednesday making it illegal to discriminate based on genetic testing, ending more than a decade of debate over a fast-emerging issue.
Senators Seek GAO Study On Media Consolidation
Three Senate Democrats asked GAO Wednesday to prepare a study on the effects of increased consolidation in the media industry and the decline of independent programming on radio and television.
Google-DoubleClick Merger Raises Questions For Barton
House Energy and Commerce ranking member Joe Barton on Wednesday pressed Google Inc. about technical and legal issues the company faces if it merges its user data with information gleaned by Internet advertising service DoubleClick, which the company acquired recently for $3.1 billion.
Ethics Creates Subcommittee To Review Fossella Arrest
The House Ethics Committee Wednesday announced it had established an investigative subcommittee to review the arrest of Rep. Vito Fossella, R-N.Y., on drunken driving charges but would defer any action until legal proceedings are concluded.
Senate Dems: No Korea FTA Without Trade Enforcement
A dozen senators led by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., told the Bush administration Wednesday to do more to address unfair trade barriers before asking Congress to approve the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.
Labor Dept. Proposes H-2B Visa Changes
The Bush administration moved Wednesday to streamline the process of bringing foreign workers into the country for temporary nonagricultural employment. The Labor Department proposed changes to the H-2B visa program, which allows 66,000 temporary non farm workers to enter the country each year.
POLITICAL ROUNDUP
Flier Highlighting Republican Hopeful's Donations Criticized
Republican Party leaders in Wyoming are criticizing an anonymous flier highlighting donations made by a GOP candidate seeking the seat held by retiring Rep. Barbara Cubin, R-Wyo.
Rodriguez Challenger Opts To Remain As Commissioner
The Republican challenging Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-Texas, changed course Tuesday and said he would keep his post as Bexar County commissioner during his bid, the San Antonio Express-News reported.
Primary Opponent Challenges Signatures Filed By Kilpatrick
Former state Rep. Mary Waters is challenging the petition signatures collected by her primary foe, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., the Associated Press reported.
Former Rep. Hubbard Wins State Senate Primary In Ky.
Former Rep. Carroll Hubbard, D-Ky., whose career in Congress ended in 1992 amid the House banking scandal, is getting another chance at resurrecting his political career, the Associated Press reported.
CLARIFICATION
Clarification
An article in Wednesday's CongressDailyAM should have reported that Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J. raised a point of order against an amendment offered by Senate Majority Leader Reid that contained several immigration provisions. The point of order was sustained and Reid then offered a substitute amendment without those provisions.
5/22/2008 AM Contents
- Dispute Over House Panel's Earmarks Puts Hunter At Odds With White House
- Extenders Vote Is Not Quite Veto-Proof
- Senate Talks Break Down Over Physician Pay Cut Patch
- Missing Title May Force Second Override Of Farm Bill Veto
- Farm Bill Debacle Stalls Conference Report Consideration
- Senators Face Series Of Votes Today On Supplemental Bill
- GAO Questions New EPA Process To Assess Chemical Risk
- Lawmakers Honor LBJ's Centennial
- Inspector General Cautions On Practice Of "Shared" Staffers
- Grassley Accuses FBI Of Retaliation Against Whistle-Blowers
- DOD IG: Army Doled Out Billions In Iraq Without Controls
- GAO Official Says Political Influence Not Isolated At Interior
- Boxer, Warner, Lieberman Roll Out Plan For Climate Bill
- Panel Turns Up The Juice On Electricity Grid Authorities
PEOPLE
BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
HILL BRIEFS
- Freshman Rep. Richardson Defaulted On Calif. House
- Genetic Nondiscrimination Is Officially On The Books
- Senators Seek GAO Study On Media Consolidation
- Google-DoubleClick Merger Raises Questions For Barton
- Ethics Creates Subcommittee To Review Fossella Arrest
- Senate Dems: No Korea FTA Without Trade Enforcement
- Labor Dept. Proposes H-2B Visa Changes
POLITICAL ROUNDUP
- Flier Highlighting Republican Hopeful's Donations Criticized
- Rodriguez Challenger Opts To Remain As Commissioner
- Primary Opponent Challenges Signatures Filed By Kilpatrick
- Former Rep. Hubbard Wins State Senate Primary In Ky.
