TWICDEC21

(TheWeekInCongress.com December 19, 2007) The 110th Congress completed the appropriation process this week amid the usual flurry of last minute legislation ranging from praising the Christmas tree industry to a Congressional Gold Medal for Martyred Burmese leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, but most action reflected a White House unwilling to spend on Democrat's programs.

The House consolidated 11 appropriation bills under the title of HR 2764, a bill originally funding the State Department and Foreign Operations. The total spending for the consolidated bill is $556 billion, about $20 billion less than Congress intended but closer to the President's number. Most of the underlying legislation passed under pay-as-you-go provisions.

The House proposed an amendment to the final bill that would prohibit use of any funds for torture or the Iraqi Freedom Fund and requires the President to produce, by February 15, 2008, a comprehensive regional stability plan for the Middle East. The plan must include a military, diplomatic economic and political strategy that provides for the security of US interests in the region and the engagement of targeted counter-terrorism efforts. Funds are included for Afghanistan near $31 billion and over $4 billion was added for vehicles protected against Improvised Explosive Devices.

Absent from the House effort were bridge funds requested by the President for the continuing operations in Iraq. The Senate, however, in a 70 to 25 vote, included $70 billion off-budget funds for those efforts.

Two Senate efforts were made to limit US involvement in Iraq. The Feingold amendment called for redeployment to begin in 90 days with a residual force to protect US diplomatic staff, train Iraqi military and target terrorist operations. The amendment failed 24 to 71. The Levin amendment offered the sense of Congress that it supports the President's September 3, 2007 statement that US forces in Iraq should be transitioned to force protection, training Iraqi military and counterterrorism. The amendment failed 50 to 45.

Veterans care is typically increased as Congress continues to focus in on disabilities specific to Iraq deployment such as traumatic brain injuries and combat stress reactions.

Congress is willing to increase funding for Afghanistan and agreed to additional funds targeting opium crops there and will continue to make the effort to encourage, through economic aid and technical help, conversion from poppy growing to other marketable crops. Next door in Pakistan, military aid and economic support funds will continue the relationship that began out of necessity after 9-11. The US looks to develop further the Pakistan Frontier Corps to increase efforts to infiltrate and fight terror-related groups on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border.

Humanitarian aid and spending to support UN/African Mission peacekeeping and protection in Sudan will move forward with $1 billion. $2.4 billion in Military aid to Israel is to be delivered in 30 days and accounts for nearly half of US military aid this year. The funds must be spent to purchase US military equipment. Other recipients in the region will be Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt. Humanitarian aid or aid that would support democratic institutions was spread among Central Asian countries including Iran and Syria.

In domestic areas the bill will provide $1.7 billion for student loans and grants. Law enforcement spending, intended to be limited by the White House, gained $1.2 billion and health research was provided with an additional $600 million and expansion of community health centers. The bill also funds farm drought relief. Security on the home front was also included. Additional funds for border security aligned with other spending that would aim to improve water quality in the Rio Grande due to poor water treatment on the Mexico side of the border. Border security in general and port security got a boost in the billions.

The Senate agreed to the House amendment 76 to 17.

The House then agreed to the Senate amendment (Providing Iraq supplemental funding.) 272 to 142.

ENERGY PACKAGE AGREED TO WITHOUT TAX PACKAGE

The House agreed 314 to 100, to the Senate-amended energy bill, HR 6, that removed cuts in oil company subsidies and limited the amount of renewable energy sources utilities must have in their portfolios. The bill requires that automakers produce vehicles, on the average, that get 35 miles per gallon by 2020 and increases the amount of biofuel to be blended into gasoline. As is traditional in energy bills, better efficiency and energy savings is required of appliances.

The Senate amended the bill, last week as it became clear it would not survive a veto with the subsidy cut and renewable dictates intact. The President signed the bill into law on Wednesday.

HR 6

CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE CONTINUED

AT CURRENT LEVELS

Congress May Revisit the Bill in 2008

The House- and Senate-passed bill aimed to expand SCHIP to increase coverage to 10 million low income children whose parents made too much to to qualify for Medicaid but could not afford private health insurance. The final bill provided coverage for families of three with an income of $51,000 but was subject to claims that it contained an income limit of $83,000 for a family of four and allowed illegal aliens to be easily covered. Both assertions were not true.

The President vetoed the bill and House leadership decided against a final veto override vote. Continuing funding at current levels will provide coverage for approximately 6 million children. The continuation was agreed to 411 to 3 .

Cloture Agreed to on Senate FISA Bill but Debate Has Stalled

Telecom Companies Relieved of Legal Liability

Hundreds of millions in civil lawsuits have been levied against phone companies for providing protected customer information to government officials immediately after 9-11. The bill would override State law and prohibit the suits based on the conclusion that the companies, after receiving written affirmation from government officials, believed that the government requests were legal and so acted in good faith.