Congressional
Climate Bill Tracking
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Video Of The Day
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Greetings!
Please enjoy today's issue of the Congressional Climate newsletter, brought to you by Lobbyit.com!
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Today's Hill Action:
THE SENATE:
The Senate will convene at 10:00 a.m. for morning business. Thereafter, they will resume consideration of S.493, the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011.
SENATE COMMITTEES:
Senate Veterans' Affairs (TBA): Business meeting to consider the nominations of Allison A. Hickey, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary for Benefits, and Steve L. Muro, of California, to be Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs, both of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. TBA.
Senate Appropriations (10:00 a.m.): Subcommittee on Depts. of Labor, Health, & Human Services, & Education, & Related Agencies - Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2012 for the Dept. of Labor. SD-124.
Senate Appropriations (10:00 a.m.): Subcommittee on Financial Service & General Government - Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2012 for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and for the Securities and Exchange Commission. SD-138. Senate Finance (10:00 a.m.): Hearings to examine buget enforcement mechanisms. SD-215. Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs (10:00 a.m.): Hearings to examine securing the border, focusing on progress at the Federal level. SD-342. Senate Judiciary (10:00 a.m.): Hearing to conduct oversight on the Dept. of Justice. SD-226. Senate Intelligence & Senate Armed Services (10:00 a.m.): Joint closed briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence community. SVC-217. Senate Armed Services (2:00 p.m.): Subcommittee on Personnel - Hearings to examine the Active, Guard, Reserve, and civilian personnel programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2012 and the Future Years Defense Program. SR-222. Senate Appropriations (2:30 p.m.): Subcommittee on Energy & Water Development - Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2012 for the National Nuclear Security Administration. SD-192. Senate Armed Services (2:30 p.m.): Subcommittee on Strategic Forces - Hearings to examine implementation of the New START Treaty and plans for future reductions in nuclear warheads and delivery systems post-New START Treaty; with the possibility of a closed session in SVC-217 following the open session. SR-232A. Senate Judiciary (2:30 p.m.): Hearings to examine the nominations of John Andrew Ross, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri, Timothy M. Cain, to be United States District Judge for the District of South Carolina, Nannette Jolivette Brown, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Nancy Torresen, to be United States District Judge for the District of Maine, and William Francis, Kuntz, II, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of New York. SD-226. Senate Foreign Relations (2:45 p.m.): Hearings to examine the nominations of Daniel Benjamin Shapiro, of Illinois, to be Ambassador to Israel, Stuart E. Jones, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, George Albert Krol, of New Jersey, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Henry S. Ensher, of California, to be Ambassador to the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, all of the Dept. of State. SD-419.
The House will convene at 10:00 a.m.
HOUSE COMMITTEES:
House Appropriations (9:30 a.m.): Interior & Environment Subcommittee - Hearing to examine Native American programs. B-308 RHOB.
House Energy & Commerce (9:30 a.m.): Commerce, Manufacturing, & Trade Subcommittee - Hearing to examine the threat of data theft to American consumers. 2322 RHOB.
House Energy & Commerce (9:30 a.m.): Energy & Power Subcommittee & Environment & the Economy Subcommittee - Joint hearing to examine the role of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in America's energy future. 2123 RHOB.
House Oversight & Government Reform (9:30 a.m.): National Security, Homeland Defense, & Foreign Operations Subcommittee - Hearing to examine military active duty-civilian transition issues. 2154 RHOB.
House Agriculture (10:00 a.m.): Hearing to markup H.R. 1573 - To facilitate implementation of title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, promote regulatory coordination, and avoid market disruption. 1300 LHOB.
House Appropriations (10:00 a.m.): Commerce, Justice, & Science Subcommittee - Hearing to examine the fiscal year 2012 budget request for the Office of Science & Technology Policy. John Holdren, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House, will be present. H-309 Capitol.
House Education & The Workforce (10:00 a.m.): Workforce Protections Subcommittee - Hearing to examine modernizing mine safety. 2175 RHOB.
House Financial Services (10:00 a.m.): Financial Institutions & Consumer Credit Subcommittee - Hearing to conduct markup of H.R. 1121 - Responsible Consumer Financial Protection Regulations Act, H.R. 1315 - Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act, and H.R. ___ - To postpone the date for the transfer of functions to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection if the Bureau does not yet have a Director in place. 2128 RHOB.
House Homeland Security (10:00 a.m.): Hearing to examine securing the nation's mass transit systems against a terrorist attack. 311 CHOB.
House Judiciary (10:00 a.m.): Courts, Commercial, & Administrative Law Subcommittee - Hearing to review regulatory costs and benefits. 2141 RHOB.
House Judiciary (10:00 a.m.): Intellectual Property, Competition, & the Internet Subcommittee - Hearing to conduct oversight of the generic top-level domains of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. 2141 RHOB.
House Natural Resources (10:00 a.m.): Natural Parks, Forests, & Public Lands Subcommittee - Hearing to examine pending resources legislation. 1334 LHOB.
House Natural Resources (10:00 a.m.): Water & Power Subcommittee - Hearing to examine protecting federal hydropower investments in the West. 1324 LHOB.
House Science, Space, & Technology (10:00 a.m.): Hearing to conduct markup of H.R. 1425 - Creating Jobs Through Small Business Innovation Act. 2318 RHOB.
House Transportation & Infrastructure (10:00 a.m.): Hearing to review transportation stimulus efforts. 2167 RHOB.
House Armed Services (10:30 a.m.): Military Personnel Subcommittee - Hearing to conduct markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2012. 2212 RHOB.
House Armed Services (12:00 p.m.): Emerging Threats & Capabilities Subcommittee - Hearing to conduct markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2012. 2118 RHOB. House Armed Services (1:30 p.m.): Strategic Forces Subcommittee - Hearing to conduct markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2012. 2212 RHOB.
House Agriculture (2:00 p.m.): Livestock, Dairy, & Poultry Subcommittee - Hearing to examine the state of the pork industry. 1300 LHOB.
House Homeland Security (2:00 p.m.): Transportation Security Subcommittee - Hearing to examine H.R. ___ - The MODERN Security Credentials Act. 311 CHOB.
House Rules (3:00 p.m.): Hearing to examine H.R. 1229 - Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act, and H.R. 1230 - Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act. H-313 Capitol.
House Armed Services (3:30 p.m.): Tactical Air & Land Forces Subcommittee - Hearing to conduct markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2012. 2118 RHOB.
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Sen. Sessions says Dem plan to split GOP with budget vote will backfire
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said Thursday that plans by Senate Democrats to divide Republicans by voting on the House budget plan for fiscal 2012 will backfire, and will instead remind voters that Senate Democrats have yet to develop their own spending proposals for the coming fiscal year.
"Sen. Reid has made a serious miscalculation if he believes bringing the House Republican budget to the Senate will disadvantage Senate Republicans," said Sessions, the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee.
"Instead, he will only draw more attention to the fact that House Republicans have presented an honest, principled budget while the Democrat-led Senate has failed to pass a budget in more than 700 days," he added. "Senate Democrats have not even presented a resolution in the Budget Committee this year or shown any intent to do so."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said this week that he would allow a vote on the House budget plan, which spends $6.2 trillion less than President Obama's plan, in order to expose a split among Republicans. In return, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he would insist on a vote on the Obama budget to show a division among Democrats.
McConnell pointed out, for example, that Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) has criticized Obama's proposal for not reducing the deficit enough.
Sessions this week stressed that a vote for Obama's budget would be a vote that "grows our deficits and our taxes" and makes the U.S. less competitive.
"In fact, the White House has so far refused to even put their 'framework' on paper," Sessions added. "This is not the honest budgeting the American people deserve.
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Angle in for special election
On Tuesday, Sharron Angle released a statement suggesting that she would not run in a special election to fill the seat that is about to vacated by Dean Heller, who has been appointed by Gov. Sandoval to fill the Senate seat vacated by John Ensign. But, in a Friday fundraising email, Angle seems to have changed her mind, telling supporters that she is running.
"I look forward to running in a legitimate campaign cycle where all registered voters are able to participate in both a primary and general election," Angle said in a statement Tuesday. "A Special Election free-for-all, or a situation where party insiders nominate a candidate, does disservice to our representative democracy."
In a fundraising email, however, Angle asked money from supporters for her run, claiming the urgency of preparing for a special election.
"A Special Election must take place in the next 180 days. I must begin to raise money immediately if Republicans intend to hold this seat," she said.
"Instead of more than a year to prepare, I must now raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in just WEEKS."
Apparently endorsing a 'free-for-all' election, Angle went on the attack, not only against Democrats, but against her own party.
"The Democrats want this seat," she said. "The left wing of the Republican Party wants it more. Instead of an open process - already they are behind closed doors, choosing one of their own to be the preferred candidate in the race. This is exactly why I am running and why I need your help - to put an end to special interest politics!"
The rules for a special election have not yet been determined but there are two possible scenarios: what Angle calls the 'free-for-all,' in which any candidate who wishes to run can do so, pending approval from the secretary of state, or the 'party insiders' route, in which the central committee of each party picks the nominee in lieu of a primary.
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Sen. Lindsey Graham on Sunday applauded a NATO missile strike in Libya that reportedly killed a son of leader Moammar Gaddafi and three of his grandchildren.
"I think this is a good move by NATO to go after the source of the problem," the South Carolina Republican said on "Fox News Sunday." "If you want to protect the Libyan people, go after his inner circle. ... In my opinion, wherever Gaddafi goes is a legitimate military target. He's the command and control source. He's not the legitimate leader of Libya, and the way to get this to end is to go after the people around him and his support network. So I support what NATO's doing."
Graham, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he favors a "pour it on approach" to end the military intervention in Libya, which began last month after the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution calling for military action to protect Libyan civilians from Gaddafi's crackdown on political dissidents.
The United States initially sent aircraft into Libya as part of an international coalition to support the Security Council resolution, but it has since pulled back into a supporting role. Graham said he supports sending U.S. aircraft back into the North African nation, and he has repeatedly criticized the administration for being too slow to respond to Gaddafi's crackdown on the nation.
"In my view, he's not a foreign leader. In my view, he's a murderer," Graham said of Gaddafi. "He's killing his own people, he's acting outside of international law, he's bombing civilians, he's not the legitimate leader of Libya. ... He should be brought to justice or killed."
Sen. Kent Conrad, who is a member of the Intelligence Committee, was more cautious about whether Gaddafi can be legally targeted as an individual.
"We have legal issues I'm not an expert on," the North Dakota Democrat said on "Fox News Sunday." "It is stated policy that we are not targeting an individual, but we can target the pillars of his power."
He listed the pillars as regiments controlled by Gaddafi's sons, foreign mercenaries, money and his tribe.
"I believe all of those should be targeted and aggressively gone after. You cannot allow him to continue," Conrad said.
Senate Armed Services ranking member John McCain warned Sunday that it's not a simple matter to assassinate Gaddafi.
"It's not as easy as you think," the Arizona Republican said on CBS' "Face the Nation," pointing out that the United States is still hunting al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. "And so, we should be taking out his command and control, and if he is killed or injured because of that, that's fine. But we ought to have a strategy to help the rebels succeed and overthrow Gaddafi and everybody associated with him."
McCain said that he is dissatisfied with the United States' "back seat" role in the military operation in Libya and that NATO allies don't have ample resources for the fight. He wants the United States to send its air assets into Libya, but he remains opposed to sending ground troops, he added.
The United States has to "understand that right now, unless somehow Gaddafi falls from within, that we may have a stalemated situation, and that would be very bad," McCain said. "It's events on the ground that will drive Gaddafi's desire to leave or not to leave. Right now, in many respects, he's not doing too badly for a third-rate military power."
Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said Gaddafi and his wife were inside the house targeted by NATO, but they escaped. However, Gaddafi's son, Seif al-Arab Gaddafi, 29, and three grandchildren under the age of 12 were killed, he added, according to the Washington Post.
NATO acknowledged that it struck a "command and control building" in Tripoli late Saturday but did not confirm the deaths of Gaddafi's relatives.
"All NATO's targets are military in nature and have been clearly linked to the Qadhafi regime's systematic attacks on the Libyan population and populated areas. We do not target individuals," Lt. Gen. Charles Bouchard, commander of the NATO operation, said in a statement.
"I am aware of unconfirmed media reports that some of Qadhafi's family members may have been killed," he added. "We regret all loss of life, especially the innocent civilians being harmed as a result of the ongoing conflict. NATO is fulfilling its UN mandate to stop and prevent attacks against civilians with precision and care - unlike Qadhafi's forces, which are causing so much suffering."
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Until tomorrow,
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