This Week in Washington: Highlights of Legislation to be Voted On
Before the month-long August Recess (the Senate is in for five weeks the House is in for four) Congress returned today for a four week stretch. Hopefully everyone had a chance to recharge over the 4th of July break as this month promises to be a busy one.
Former Comedian Al Franken was sworn is as a United States Senator earlier today giving the Democrats their coveted 60th vote. Dont expect the current dynamic to change much after his arrival but it has revived worries about the chances of more liberal legislation such as the anti-business/pro-union Card Check bill.
Health care is again taking center stage in both the House and the Senate.
In the House hearings continue and there is talk that the Democrats might take their government-run plan to the House floor by the end of the month. Today the CBO (
Congressional Budget Office) scored the House version of the Democrats health care overhaul at $1.5 trillion. They are hoping to markup the legislation as early as next week in three committees: Ways & Means Energy & Commerce and Education & Labor.
Republicans continue to focus argument on the government-run insurance plan proposed by House Democrats. A recent independent study highlighted by Ways and Means Committee Republicans predicts that it will force 2 out of 3 Americans to lose their current health coverage.
The
Lewin Group study forecasts that 114 million Americans would be forced out of their current private health coverage including more than 106 million Americans who currently have employer-provided health care.
Additionally the cost of private health coverage will skyrocket for those that can still afford it including House Democrats discussions that may include a surtax on the wealthy" to pay for their health care plan.
Vice President Biden said Sunday that the administration had misread" the economy when it predicted that unemployment would peak at 8 percent if their Stimulus" bill was passed. As unemployment continues to surge closer to 10 it is clear by all accounts that the Democrats nearly $1 trillion stimulus bill has not worked.
House Republican Whip Eric Cantor like many other Americans believes that the majority party in Congress and the Obama administration misread the stimulus not the economy.
Last Thursday Republican Leader John Boehner and Rep. Lynn Westmorland (R-GA) released a
short web video titled Bloudhounds" that underscores the failure of the Democrats stimulus plan to create jobs.
Be sure to notice below under Items of Interest information on fallout from the Cap & Tax vote before the break and the upcoming July Agenda.
Legislation to be Voted On:
1. H.R. 2965 - Enhancing Small Business Research and Innovation Act of 2009 amends the Small Business Act to reauthorize existing programs and continue the mission of the Small Business Administration. H.R. 2965 shouldnt be too controversial and is slated to be on the floor Wednesday.
2. H.R. 2997 - Agriculture Rural Development Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act 2010 includes $20.4 billion for the Department of Agriculture ($2 billion above FY09) $2.35 billion for the Food and Drug Administration ($298.6 million above FY09) and $160.6 million for the Commodities Future Trading Commission ($14.6 million above FY09). More than 80 of the bills appropriations are for mandatory spending with half of the total going to the fraud-ridden food stamp program for which demand has sharply increased due to rising unemployment and falling household income.
3. H.R. 3081 - Department of State Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act 2010 appropriates funds to the State Department for maintenance of diplomatic and consular programs peacekeeping operations international organizations and exchange programs. It appropriates funds for foreign aid and assistance abroad including USAID the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and other international assistance programs such as narcotics control nonproliferation anti-terrorism and refugee assistance. It also appropriates funds for international military education foreign military financing grants global environmental foundations international development programs Export-Import Bank operations Overseas Private Investment Corporation programs and the Trade and Development Agency. This bill will likely be considered Thursday and Friday.
4. H.R. 2701 - Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 2010 for intelligence activities of the U.S. government for the Intelligence Community Management Account and for the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System (CIARDS).
5. H.R. 3082 - Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act 2010 provides appropriations for military construction the Department of Veterans Affairs and related agencies. It is still unclear if this bill will be considered this Friday or if it will be bumped to next week.
Items of Interest:
1. Cap-and-Tax Fallout Before the break House Speaker Nancy Pelosi put forth a combination of special-interest handouts pet projects and special exemptions for certain Democratic House Members all financed on the taxpayers dime to get the 219 votes needed to pass this far-reaching bill. On top of that just like the failed stimulus bill many of the House members supporting the bill didnt read the legislation before they voted on it. Only time will tell what is really in this legislation.
2. Weekly Address Last week U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) delivered the weekly Republican address. Video is available
here.
3. July Agenda The Democrats expect to complete the remaining eight appropriations bills the highway funding bill (a temporary patch that attempts to fix a short fall in funding) a statutory PAYGO bill (which will ensure that every Americans taxes will go up) and the massive $1.5 trillion health care overhaul before the August recess. This will make for many late nights and long weeks in the House over the next month.
Article of the Week:
Washington Post sells access $25000 - Politico
For $25000 to $250000 The Washington Post is offering lobbyists and association executives off the record non-confrontational access to those powerful few Obama administration officials members of Congress and the papers own reporters and editors.
The astonishing offer is detailed in a flier circulated Wednesday to a health-care lobbyist who provided it to a reporter because the lobbyist said he feels its a conflict for the paper to charge for access to as the flier says its health care reporting and editorial staff.
The offerwhich essentially turns a news organization into a facilitator for private lobbyist-official encountersis a new sign of the lengths to which news organizations will go to find revenue at a time when most newspapers are struggling for survival.
And its a turn of the times that a lobbyist is scolding The Washington Post for its ethical practices.
Underwriting Opportunity: An evening with the right people can alter the debate says the one-page flier. Underwrite and participate in this intimate and exclusive Washington Post Salon an off-the-record dinner and discussion at the home of CEO and Publisher Katharine Weymouth ... Bring your organizations CEO or executive director literally to the table. Interact with key Obama Administration and Congressional leaders …
Spirited? Yes. Confrontational? No. The relaxed setting in the home of Katharine Weymouth assures it. What is guaranteed is a collegial evening with Obama Administration officials Congress members business leaders advocacy leaders and other select minds typically on the guest list of 20 or less. …
Offered at $25000 per sponsor per Salon. Maximum of two sponsors per Salon. Underwriters CEO or Executive Director participates in the discussion. Underwriters appreciatively acknowledged in printed invitations and at the dinner. Annual series sponsorship of 11 Salons offered at $250000 … Hosts and Discussion Leaders ... Health-care reporting and editorial staff members of The Washington Post ... An exclusive opportunity to participate in the health-care reform debate among the select few who will actually get it done. ... A Washington Post Salon ... July 21 2009 6:30 p.m.
POLITICO has asked The Washington Post for a response and will post it when it arrives.
Sources at the paper say the marketing offer may be getting ahead of what the newsroom is prepared to deliver. The newspaper recently hired someone to organize conferences and his primary mission is to stage on-the-record events about topical subjects in Washington. Conferences are a trend throughout the news industry.
Washington Post Salons are extensions of The Washington Post brand of journalistic inquiry into the issues a unique opportunity for stakeholders to hear and be heard the flier says. At the core is a critical topic of our day. Dinner and a volley of ideas unfold in an evening of intelligent news-driven and off-the-record conversation. ... By bringing together those powerful few in business and policy-making who are forwarding legislating and reporting on the issues Washington Post Salons give life to the debate. Be at this nexus of business and policy with your underwriting of Washington Post Salons.
For subsequent cancellation of the event read
Washington Post cancels lobbyist event amid uproar.
