Looking For Something? 

Try our

SEARCH PAGE

Legislation in the Spotlight

Do You Know What You're talking About?

Immigration; Lobby Reform; Iraq; Censuring the President; Govt. Surveillance;

D

Lobbying Reform: Our Position

 Tell Them What You Think: House / Senate––Newest Public Laws––Features–– Archives

Monthly Budget Review–Last Week––Contact Us––About Us––Legal––Privacy

        The Week In Congress .com  (TM)                  

Week Ending May 5, 2006                                                                                       Volume 3 Number 10

HOUSE BILL MAKES GAS PRICE GOUGING A CRIME

Definition of 'Gouging' Not Included

   Selling crude oil, gasoline, diesel fuel, home heating oil or any biofuel at a price that constitutes price gouging would become a crime. The bill, however, does not define ‘price gouging’ but rather leaves it to the Federal Trade Commission to come up with one six months after this bill is enacted. The FTC must also define what is a wholesale sale and a retail sale. Full story here... HR 5253

Photo: Donny Harder, Jr.

HOUSE REJECTS BUILDING GASOLINE REFINERIES ON CLOSED MILITARY BASES

  Companies that produce gasoline and distillates must have a number of permits and decisions made when applying to the Federal government to locate, build, and operate a refinery. This bills aims at Federal and State level coordination to facilitate the process. The President would appoint a Federal coordinator to become involved in an application for authorization to build a refinery within thirty days of the application and convene a meeting of Federal and State agencies responsible for authorizing such facilities. Full story here...HR 5254

SENATE PASSES PRESIDENT'S SUPPLEMENT

$14 Billion Over President's Limit

   The Senate has delivered a curious circumstance to the President's supplemental to fund operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the war on terror as well as some leftover hurricane emergency spending. The Senate applied numerous amendments to the bill and raised the overall price from the $92 billion passed by the House to nearly $109 billion. The dollar amount is significant not only because all spending in the bill is off budget and goes directly to increasing the deficit, but because President Bush has threatened to veto any bill that would spend more than $94.5 billion. An amendment, however, that passed 72 to 36 promises to return the bill to the President's proposal level. This bill will now move to a conference...Full story here HR 4939

HOUSE

COMPLETES PORT SECURITY BILL

Emphasis on restoring trade after attack

  Maritime vessels have long been the primary mode of moving international trade products to include 80% of that trade, the bill report said. The US imports $1.47 trillion in goods early with $423 billion arriving in container ships totaling about 9.7 million containers. Congress considers that terrorists could close ports and cost the US economy $1 trillion due to loss of goods and stalling trade relations with other countries. Full story here...HR4954

Photo: Mobile radiation scanner. DHS

LOBBY 'REFORM' CLEARS HOUSE

Amendments Further Define Right and Wrong

Ethics Training Required for New Members

Full story here.... HR 4975

Managing America

Health Matters

A brain trauma every 21 seconds HCR 99

Lung Cancer improvements remain illusive. Women non-smokers hardest hit SRES 408

The Nation needs nurses HRES 245

Water Resources

More recycled water for Texas HR 3418

California to take on desalination as solution to water shortage HR 3929

Clearing brush in the U.S. West would reverse 100 year old solution to water problem HR 2720

World Water Day sees half of the third world without safe water HRES 658

General

Another Resolution commending charter schools HRES 781

An award for public service SRES 461

Thirty eight million hungry, Senators collect food  SRES 464

Half million join high school military training  SRES 415

Land Deals

Michigan gets property for $10,000 HR 4700

Native American land deal revised 80 years on S 1003

Will Betty Dick Live out her life in peace? S584

U.S. AND THE WORLD

Recognizing Israel's 58th HCR 392 and SRES 463

Dissent over Germany's release of Hammadi to Lebanon SRES 457

Sympathy for the dead in Mexico HCR90

PRESIDENT TO FREEZE ASSETS OF DARFUR PLAYERS

EXEC1

GOVERNMENT CALLS FOR MORE VOLUNTEERS

EXEC2

SPORTS

Special Olympics torch to be run across Capitol grounds HCR 359

A long awaited award for Satchel Paige SRES 461

Hats off to Italy, Torino and the US Olympic Team HRES 697