TWICJUL20

This mosquito is suspected of being a vector of the Japanese Encephalitis virus in Asia, and the West Nile in the United States. Spending for biomedical research is part of the Department of Health and Human Services bill. Photo: Courtesy Frank Collins PhD. Photograph by James Gathany

LABOR, HEALTH AND EDUCATION PASSES HOUSE

Earmarks Targeted, None Rejected

Spending for the $607 billion bill, $6.9 billion over last year, was explained as necessary to fill America's deficits “in worker development, safety and protection; deficits in healthcare access, affordability and quality; and deficits in educational access and opportunity."

Labor provisions include better inspection and enforcement of workplace safety laws and increases in training and educations programs particularly for the underserved and minority populations.

Healthcare provisions aim directly at improving access to health insurance through proven programs that combine State and Federal and private resources and efforts such a as spreading out the risk of covering high-risk patients through insurance pools. Better coverage for children is offered as well as an expansion of dental care policies. Funds would be increased for biomedical research to better prepare for and understand diseases, their causes, preventions and cures.

Preparation for pandemics is addressed by increasing demand for vaccines through the Center for Disease Control thereby stimulating production based on profitability. The avian flu threat is seen as imminent and requiring preparations for rapid response on a large scale. Increases in funding for more laboratories and rapid testing processes are among preparations for a successful response.

Education provisions, most of them included in the recently passed HR 2669, focus on increasing Pell Grant recipients and amounts, lowering interest rates on student loans, providing for loan forgiveness if students enter nursing and other needed fields or pubic service professions. Schools are given incentives to lower tuition costs and take on the responsibilities of becoming centers of excellence in some fields.

Amendment activity centered on shifting funds from one preferred program to another and cutting selected earmarks from the bill. Most earmark amendments were clearly defeated with votes favoring the cuts in double digits and votes opposing the cuts in triple digits. Opposition to the cuts came from both parties. Most earmarks targeted were in the $100,000 dollar range.

The argument supporting the cuts often centered on money being given to organizations that have large revenue bases and excess capital, sometimes in the millions of dollars. An example given was money requested for aquariums. Aquariums targeted by amendments reportedly charge high ticket prices and benefit from corporate and private financial support. Why, it was asked, should the US taxpayers in other States invest in the local projects and organizations that appear to have no pressing financial needs?

Arguments against the cuts generally rested on the educational value of the projects along with local pride and / or local or national historical value. The reasons for the small amounts being requested by projects and organizations with excess capital was not explained.

The bill Passed the House 275 to 140 RC 686 July 20, 2007. The motion to recommit the bill failed 206 to 213 RC 685..

{HR 3043 report with amendments and votes}

DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION PULLED FROM SENATE FLOOR

Iraq Amendment Fails

Photo: I.N. Frega

HR 1585, the House-passed bill that authorizes programs and spending levels for the Department of Defense, was expected to pass the Senate this week but was pulled from the floor by the Majority Leader after an amendment failed to garner the 60 votes necessary to move it to an up or down vote.

The amendment, SA 2087, was submitted by Senators Levin (D-MI) and Reed (D-RI) required the President to begin reducing the US military presence in Iraq beginning in four months with completion by April 2008. Some troops would remain for embassy security, Iraq forces training and anti-terror missions.

The bill drew other Iraq-related amendments last week; one to extend the time troops have at home between deployments (Webb) and another to limit the amount of time troops can be deployed (Hagel). Both failed to receive 60 votes towards passage.

Other amendments supporting preparation for an antiballistic missile program in Europe (Sessions), requiring a report on Iranian activities in Iraq (Lieberman), and raising the reward on information leading to the capture of Osama bin Laden to $50 million (Dorgan) were agreed to.

The annual bill provides spending limits for procurement of equipment, defense programs, military construction, personnel policy and end strengths, foreign countries and DOD management in general.

The bill is expected to be brought back for further debate perhaps as early as the week of July 23rd. Upon passage, the text of HR 1585 will be replaced with the Senate version, S 1547, before being returned to the House.

Amendment Votes

{Cloture vote on Webb amendment 2012}

{Cloture cote on Hagel amendment 2032}

(Vote on Lieberman amendment 2073}

{Vote on Sessions amendment 2024}

{Vote on the Dorgan amendment 2135}

{Vote on Levin/Reed amendment}

Bill Reports and Other Information

{HR 1585 with House & Senate Amendments-Votes}

{S 1547 with Senate Amendments-Votes}

(Senate Amendments}

{Senate Committee Report-Indexed for Research}

{Senate Committee Statement on earmarks}

HOUSE, SENATE TO CONFERENCE ON 9-11 BILL

Photo: James Tourtelotte

The House assigned conferees to meet with Senate negotiators to iron out differences in bills implementing the recommendations of the 9-11 commission. Both bills aim to take up recommendations not yet implemented by Homeland Security and those that need further attention.

Air Cargo security, improved passenger screening, national infrastructure protection along with the continuing challenge of providing interoperable communications across the law enforcement spectrum and improvements of the threat alert systems are included in the House bill.

The Senate bill emphasized other areas such as surface transportation protections, oversight of intelligence gathering, private sector preparedness and international travel security.

The Minority motion to instruct conferees prohibits the Transportation Security Administration from issuing Transportation Worker Identification Cards to applicants convicted of such crimes as treason, espionage, sedition or murder. Those convicted of other crimes such as smuggling, arson, kidnapping or robbery could be denied the I.D. card as well. The motion to instruct parallels similar language in the Senate bill and was agreed to 354 to 66. RC 635

{S 4 with amendments and votes}

{HR 1 with amendments and votes}

Bills Fund Appalachian Development, Rural Housing, Energy & Water Projects; Bargaining Rights for Public Safety Employees Proposed

Federal buy-ins are set to stimulate energy development and other economic growth in Appalachian States

{HR 799}

Innovative rural housing initiatives vie for $100 million in competitive grants
{HR 1982}

The Energy & Water Appropriations bill returns to face amendments striking earmarks.

{HR2641}

Bill would give collective bargaining rights to police, fire employees. Strikes would be prohibited.

{HR 980}

SENATE TAKES UP HOUSE EDUCATION BILL

After further debate was ended on the DOD authorization bill, the Senate turned to consideration of HR 2669 the House-passed bill that removes $19 billion from student loan lender profits and spends the savings on increases in Pell Grant awards, reductions in student loan interest rates, and loan forgiveness incentives to students who follow certain courses of study.

{HR 2669}