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Please enjoy today's issue of the Congressional Climate newsletter, brought to you by Keys to the Capitol! |
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Today's Hill Action:
THE SENATE:
The Senate convenes at 9:30 a.m. ET. Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R.3326, the Defense appropriations bill.
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (2:30 p.m.): Hearings to examine the nomination of David S. Ferriero, of North Carolina, to be Archivist of the United States, National Archives and Records Administration.
Senate Foreign Relations (10 a.m.): Hearings to examine Afghanistan's impact on Pakistan.
Senate Judiciary (9:30 a.m.): Business meeting to consider S.448 and H.R.985, bills to maintain the free flow of information to the public by providing conditions for the federally compelled disclosure of information by certain persons connected with the news media, S.1692, to extend the sunset of certain provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act and the authority to issue national security letters, S.369, to prohibit brand name drug companies from compensating generic drug companies to delay the entry of a generic drug into the market, and the nominations of Roberto A. Lange, to be United States District Judge for the District of South Dakota, Joseph A. Greenaway, Jr., of New Jersey, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit, Irene Cornelia Berger, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of West Virginia, and Charlene Edwards Honeywell, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Florida, and David Lyle Cargill, Jr., to be United States Marshal for the District of New Hampshire, and Timothy J. Heaphy, to be United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, both of the Department of Justice.
Senate Finance (10 a.m.): Hearings to examine the nominations of Jim R. Esquea, of New York, to be Assistant Secretary, and Bryan Hayes Samuels, of Illinois, to be Commissioner on Children, Youth, and Families, both of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Senate Foreign Relations (2:30 p.m.): Hearings to examine violence against women, focusing on global costs and consequences.
Senate (Select) Intelligence (2:30 p.m.): Closed hearings to consider certain intelligence matters
THE HOUSE:
The House meets at 10:00 a.m. Final votes are predicted to fall between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m.
HOUSE COMMITTEES:
House Veterans Affairs (10 a.m.): Health Subc. On pending legislation and draft discussion on homelessness and graduate psychology education. MC's and public witnesses.
House (Select) Intelligence (10 a.m.): Intelligence Community Management Subc. On an update on security clearance reform. Dept. witnesses.
House Armed Services (9 a.m.): Full Committee. On President Obama's plan for missile defenses in Europe and the implications for international security. Dept. witnesses
House Education and Labor (10 a.m.): Full Committee. On examining the impact on declining rate of youth employment and strategies to ensure that there are economic opportunities available for young Americans. Dept. and public witnesses.
House Energy and Commerce (10 a.m.): Energy and Environment Subc. On H.R. 3258 - The Drinking Water System Security Act, H.R. 2868 - The Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act
House Financial Services (9 a.m.): Full Committee. On Federal Reserve perspectives on financial regulatory reform proposals. Ben Bernanke, Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
House Foreign Affairs (9 a.m.): Middle East and South Asia Subc. On the Afghan elections. Public witnesses.
House Homeland Security (10 a.m.): Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response Subc. On the state of the nation's citizen and community preparedness in light of a recent report by FEMA on the findings from a national survey. Dept. and public witnesses.
House Judiciary (10 a.m.): Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law Subc. Markup of pending legislation.
House Natural Resources (10 a.m.): National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subc. On pending resources legislation. MC's and public witnesses.
House Oversight and Government Reform (10 a.m.): National Security and Foreign Affairs Subc. On transnational drug enterprises focusing on threats to global stability and U.S. national security from Southwest Asia, Latin America, and West Africa
House Science and Technology (11 a.m.): Energy and Environment Subc. On investigating the nature of matter, energy, space, and time
House Transportation and Infrastructure (9:30 a.m.): Full Committee. On examining progress to date on implementing the stimulus.
House Ways and Means (10 a.m.): Full Committee. On the funding levels of defined-benefit pension plans and the rules that apply to investment advice that is provided to participants in defined contribution plans. Public witnesses |
Baucus Says Health Care Markup Should End By Friday:
Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) kicked off day seven of his committee's health care markup Thursday by announcing the possibility of finishing up the amendment process late Thursday or at some point Friday.
Baucus said more than 100 amendments have been considered thus far, during what has been the longest Senate Finance Committee markup in 15 years. Baucus said Wednesday that he has enough votes to pass his $900 billion health care package - as amended - out of committee.
If Baucus completes the markup this week, the process of merging the Finance bill with the more liberal Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee bill can begin. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and White House officials are expected to spearhead that effort.
KTC |
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House OK's 2010 Water & Energy Spending: 
The House agreed Thursday to essentially freeze spending on energy and water projects next year after pouring tens of billions of dollars into them as part of last winter's economic stimulus plan.
Lawmakers voted 308-114 to provide $33.5 billion in the budget year that started Thursday for programs including renewable energy research, Army Corps of Engineers water projects, nuclear weapons safety and security and environmental cleanup. That's more than the $33.3 billion a year earlier and less than the $34.4 billion the White House requested.
The Senate is expected to take up the measure next week. If passed, it would be only the second of 12 annual spending bills to reach President Barack Obama's desk.
A day before, the Senate sent the president a measure keeping federal programs running for another month at 2009 spending levels while works continues on the remaining 10 bills covering areas such as defense, homeland security, agriculture and education.
Despite the virtual freeze on energy and water projects, there were some favored programs.
Energy efficiency programs covering solar energy, vehicle technology and biofuels are in line for a $314 million boost, to $2.2 billion. Programs to modernize and secure the nation's electricity grid would get $172 million, an increase of $35 million. Army Corps flood protection and other construction projects would receive $2 billion, $313 million more than the White House sought.
Despite the effort to hold down costs, Republicans complained the price tag was still too high after what they said was $58 billion in emergency spending for these programs in the past year.
"Shoveling billions of taxpayer dollars into the agencies in this bill - essentially doubling the size of their budgets in under two years - will undoubtedly prime the pump for government waste as these bureaucracies struggle to find ways to spend it," said Rep. Jerry Lewis of California, the top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee.
Committee Democrats put the energy and water project total from the $787 billion stimulus at $44 billion, minus $2 billion later taken out for the "Cash for Clunkers" car program.
One program that did not fare well was the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada. Long opposed by powerful Nevadans such as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the administration has decided to end it. The $197 million for the program, down $92 million from last year, is primarily for looking into future alternatives.
KTC |
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Until tomorrow,
Keys To The Capitol |
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