The Week on the Hill

by Jill Smallen and Jason Dick

Sat. Feb. 2, 2008


Stimulus Cleared for Senate Debate

The House on January 29 overwhelmingly approved a White House-backed economic stimulus package that would provide $100 billion worth of rebate checks to U.S. workers, along with more than $40 billion in tax incentives to businesses. The 385-35 vote reflected the bipartisan support that the package has enjoyed in the House under the stewardship of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. Despite pressure to quickly adopt the House-passed version, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., and ranking member Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, shepherded an alternative $157 billion package through their committee by a 14-7 vote on January 30. The Finance Committee's version would provide rebate checks to more people, including senior citizens who receive Social Security and veterans who rely on disability benefits. The committee also doubled the income caps that determine who can receive rebate checks, after Baucus initially suggested he would propose no caps, potentially allowing millionaires to get rebate checks. "To take off the caps causes me to want to gag," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said on January 29. The committee also added benefits for the unemployed and tacked on energy-related tax incentives. At press time, senators were debating how to proceed on floor debate. Reid on January 31 said the debate would be delayed until next week because Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., are busy campaigning. "I do need them back," Reid said on the floor.

-- Brian Friel/National Journal

Deadline Extended on FISA Bill

The House and Senate approved legislation on January 29 to prevent a temporary law authorizing the government's electronic surveillance activities from expiring for 15 more days. The move gives lawmakers a short window to finish work on the legislation aimed at overhauling the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and reining in the executive branch's spying activities. Without the extension, the temporary law would have expired on February 1. The Senate has struggled to pass a FISA reform bill, as the two parties have disagreed on the terms for debate and amendments, although negotiations were continuing at press time. Democrats have sought to strike, or significantly alter, a provision giving telecommunications companies retroactive legal immunity for helping the Bush administration conduct warrantless electronic surveillance of U.S. citizens. Senators have also been divided over how much oversight the secret FISA court should have over the administration's surveillance operations. Republicans said some amendments would fundamentally alter the bill. "If amendments cause intelligence gaps to reopen, the legislation will be worthless and probably won't pass and be signed into law," said Sen. Christopher (Kit) Bond, R-Mo. In the House, Democrats pushed through a FISA reform bill last fall that does not provide legal protections to telecommunications companies. Liberal Democrats, as well as privacy and civil-liberties groups, back the House bill.

-- Chris Strohm/CongressDaily

Bush Speech Heavy on 'Won'ts'

President Bush offered a State of the Union speech to Congress on January 28 that was perhaps more notable for his promises about what he won't do than what he will do. Compared with previous years' speeches, this one contained fewer agenda items: Bush wants quick passage of an economic stimulus bill and a new Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. He wants $30 billion to combat AIDS; approval of several free-trade agreements; $2 billion for an "international clean energy technology fund"; and money for a new "kids" Pell Grant program to help those in bad schools get to good ones. He'd also like Congress to renew both his tax cuts and the No Child Left Behind law. Plus he wants to make sure the Iraq war continues to be funded robustly. But the litany of "won'ts" was longer. He won't sign any legislation containing a tax increase. He won't sign appropriations bills that have more than half the earmarks they had last year. He won't pay any attention to earmarks that are included in report language instead of the text of legislation. He won't push seriously for Social Security reform, Medicare reform, tax reform, health care initiatives, or most any other big idea from years past. Why so many won'ts? Because he won't be here next year. The lame-duck president has a veto pen and not a lot more.

-- Keith Koffler/CongressDaily

 

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