|
Off-site Links To Legislation and Other Information |
THOMAS.gov Bill Data--The Library of Congress |
Non-partisan Budget & Spending Information |
The White House |
National and International Resources We Use |
Does Your Opinion Match the Polls? |
|
Legislation News & Report (TM) The Week in Congress .com (TM) "A Democracy is Only A Democracy When You Participate" June 26, 2009 Edition Volume 6 Number 21 |
||||||||||||||
Other Bills and Resolutions This Week +++ U.S. & The World Canada Praised for Long Term Relationship With US; --- Submerged Island Land Transferred; ---- Senate Approves Aid to Pakistan; ---- Funds Available to Care for Torture Victims; ---- Agenda Urged for Holocaust Asset Conference; ---- Corporation to Manage US Travel; ---- Emergency Continued Over N. Korea; --- Emergency Continued Over W. Balkans; ---- Managing America +++ Appropriations & Authorization Bills ---- --- ---- Disabled Military Retiree Benefits; ----- Senate Approves Aid to Pakistan; --- Banking & Finance Nothing This Week ---- The Courts Nothing This Week ----- Education Higher Education Loan Program Revised; ----- Energy ---- Environment and Resources Nothing This Week ----- Government Agencies House May Shift to Bi-monthly Pay Days; ---- VA Could Offer Two-Year Budget; ---- Health & Safety Safety At Home Risky Business; ----- ---- Immigration Nothing This Week ---- Military Nothing This Week ------ Miscellaneous Reference to Slave Labor Displayed at New Visitor Center; ---- Reference to God Displayed at new Visitor Center; ---- Native American Matters Native American Land Patent Validated; ---- ----- Grants Would Support Ironworker School for Native Americans; ---- Private Relief Nothing This Week --- Privileged Resolutions ------ Public Land Submerged Island Land Transferred; ---- --- Taxes Senate Replenishes Highway Trust Fund; ---- Transportation Nothing This Week ----- Veterans ---- Healthcare Increased for Women Vets; ---- Website to Focus on Vet Scholarships; ---- VA Could Offer Two-Year Budget; ---- War on Terror Nothing This Week Religious Leader Group Seen to Improve Intnl. Affairs; ---- Black Music Noted for Contributions; ----- Civil Rights Bill Would Clear Dead Boxer's Criminal Record; ---- Chicago Pitches for 2016 Olympics; ---- Oklahoma Athlete Commemorated; ---- The President Emergency Continued Over N. Korea; --- Emergency Continued Over W. Balkans; --- |
Testing unmanned drone. Photo: Courtesy DHS
HOUSE MOVES THREE SPENDING BILLS
Majority Keeps Pace Towards Debating Each Bill Individually While Minority Presents Procedural Obstacles
TheWeekInCongress.com - June 25, 2009 - The House considered three appropriation bills this week bringing the total to five of the 12 yearly spending bills it must attend to, but not without procedural resistance from the Minority. (See story below).
HR 2647, the Department of Defense Authorization, HR 2892, the Homeland Security Appropriations and HR 2996, the appropriation bill for the Department of Interior passed this week. Last week the House passed the Legislative Branch and State Department appropriation bills.
SENATE PASSES AID TO PAKISTAN
Military Aid Rests on Disengagement with Terror Groups
Measuring Progress is Assigned to Secretary of State
The Senate gave unanimous approval to S 962, a bill providing military and non-military aid to Pakistan.
The bill states that it "...seeks to transform the relationship between the United States and Pakistan from a transactional, tactically-driven set of short-term exercises in crisis-management, into a deeper, broader, long-term strategic engagement. The legislation aims to properly balance the relationship between United States and Pakistan by acknowledging and supporting the national security interests of the United States as well as our economic and geopolitical interests."
Military aid is contingent on certification by the Secretary of State that that the government of Pakistan has disengaged from any relationship, political or otherwise, with al Qaeda, the Taliban, and other terror groups in the country.
Non-military aid aims to improve democratic governance, education, wellbeing and humanitarian assistance and places special emphasis on improving the rights of Pakistani women.
SENATE TAKES UP IMPEACHMENT OF TEXAS JUDGE
The Senate received from the House the Articles of Impeachment for Judge Samuel B. Kent, District Court Judge from the Southern District of Texas who was convicted of sexual assault and lying under oath. While convicted and sentenced to prison, Judge Kent can only be removed from office through impeachment or resignation.
The House last week passed by voice vote, HRES 520, the articles of impeachment. The Senate then moved to conduct a trial to remove the Judge from office.
The Senate appointed to the Impeachment Trial Committee Senators Impeachment Trial Committee: McCaskill, Klobuchar, Whitehouse, Udall of New Mexico, Shaheen, Kaufman, Martinez, DeMint, Barrasso, Wicker, Johanns, and Risch.
Judge Kent was issued a summons to appear before the Committee.
The Senate Sergeant-at-Arms laid before the Senate a statement of resignation executed by Judge Samuel Kent following service of a summons, to be effective June 30, 2009. The return of the service and accompanying statement of resignation will be printed in the record.
HOUSE PASSES ENERGY BILL
Rated by CBO as a Deficit Reducer
HR 2454 as considered by the House has been categorized as the global warming bill and the carbon sequestration, cap and trade bill. Its intentions are to reduce carbon emissions, increase investments in renewable energy, and protect consumers from energy price increases. (CBO rates the cost at 50 cents per day for each American and calculates that over ten years the bill will result in a $24 billion reduction in the federal deficit.)
The Republican substitute, the bill, HR 513, takes a different approach by authorizing about $24 billion to provide grants and prizes for researcher who work on reducing reliance on foreign energy to zero over 20 years.
HR 2454 Bill summary and votes HR 513 Bill and votes.
MINORITY CONTINUES PARLIAMENTARY STRATEGY DELAYING BILL PASSAGES
Beginning last week some members of the Minority party have imposed procedural delays to legislation by requesting votes to reconsider votes already taken. All efforts failed but the two-minute votes brought the traditional 10 to 12 votes on amendments and passage of appropriation and authorization bills to 57 for one bill, the appropriations for Commerce, Justice and Science.
In some cases Republicans mustered nearly 200 votes, a significant increase over the one or two dozen votes they accumulated last year when applying the tactic to the farm bill.
This week the strategy included several motions to adjourn and was applied to HR 2990, a bill providing increased benefits for retired and disabled military. The bill passed but had no amendments and would normally require two votes, one on a motion to recommit the bill for changes in the committee and one vote on passage, but between the introduction of the resolution containing the rules for debating the bill and final passage, a small group of Republicans requested 7 votes on motions to adjourn and one vote to reconsider a vote. While the original motion to adjourn brought 76 supporters subsequent votes failed with only 20 to 30 votes. The votes to adjourn are RC 425; RC 426; RC 427; RC 432; RC 434; The motion to reconsider the vote agreeing to the rule was RC 431.
The Minority's strategy is in protest of its assertion that it is not given sufficient opportunity to offer amendments to the spending bills although some 30 Republican amendments to HR 2847, the Commerce, Justice and Science bill, were brought to the floor and voted on several times.
The Majority allowed for 8 Republican amendments to the DHS bill, HR 2892, and gave the option of selecting four amendments from another block of 11 earmark cutting amendments offered by Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ). Another option was the selection of one amendment from three earmark-cutting amendments offered by Rep. John Campbell (R-CA). When those amendments were debated Republicans still demanded a roll call vote even if agreed to by voice vote.
The Department of Defense authorization debates suffered less from the Minority's strategy. The bill to fund the Department of Interior came to the floor with a rule that allowed for predetermined amendments and two pro forma amendments that may come from the bill managers of each party. The only amendments allowed were those made in order in the report of the House Committee on Rules plus up to three from Rep. Flak of AZ and one each from Rep Campbell of CA and Rep Hensarling of TX. Each amendment was given ten minutes of debate equally divided between the opponent and proponent.##
All Rights Reserved. © 2009 TheWeekInCongress.com(TM) No reproduction, language translation or distribution of all website content without written permission from TheWeekInCongress.com.(TM)
|
Bills increase Veteran COLA / women vet's health; provide funds for torture victims; study Indian water project; support ironworker school for Native Americans.
Veteran COLA Increase
Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) rates for veterans disability compensation, compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for disabled vets children and the dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children is increased Women Veteran Health
The Secretary of the VA is directed to study barriers to the provision of healthcare encountered by women veterans and assess all health care services and programs for women. Torture Grants
Grants to programs within the US to cover the cost of services provided by treatment center that deal with rehabilitation of victims of torture. Indian Water Project
The Secretary of the Interior is directed to conduct a study on the feasibility and suitability of constructing a storage reservoir, outlet works, and a delivery system for the Tule River Indian Tribe. Iron Worker School
The Secretary of Interior is directed to provide an annual grant to an eligible entity that will provide an iron working training program for federally recognized Indian tribe members.
|
||||||||||||