Pennsylvania Avenue
Nov. 19, 12 a.m.
“The mood of America is glum. Two-thirds of the public is dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country” and voters’ anti-incumbent mood is approaching 1994 and 2006 levels, when control of Congress changed hands.
Congress Inside Out
Nov. 18, 12 a.m.
As a state Senator in Illinois and as a U.S. Senator, Barack Obama built a reputation as a process reformer. He worked hard and had some notable success on ethics and lobbying reform. He also advocated good ideas on campaign and election reform, and brought more transparency to government, including his achievement — with unlikely Senate ally Tom Coburn (Okla.), a conservative Republican — of getting disclosure posted online of all entities receiving federal funds.
Procedural Politics
Nov. 17, 12 a.m.
I am often asked by foreign visitors to explain the differences between the House and Senate. My first reaction is to offer up a “night and day” comparison, but that would put them in the same galaxy and time zone. A more accurate analogy would be that the House and the Senate are as different as light and molasses, for they truly do operate at different speeds and in different universes. They’re not even parallel universes because quite often they’re working at cross purposes (is there such a thing as perpendicular universes?).
A Question of Ethics
Nov. 10, 12 a.m.
Q: I am an in-house lobbyist for a major health care provider that is providing an H1N1 flu vaccine clinic this Saturday. It is widely expected that there will be an enormous turnout. A Representative called me today and asked if there is any way that her family could receive the vaccine a day early. She has two young children and wants to make sure they receive the vaccine before we run out. We really do not want to say no, as we hate the idea of the Representative possibly spending all day waiting in line with her family, let alone not getting the vaccine at all. I discussed this with my supervisor, and the plan we came up with is to allow the Representative to come the day before the vaccine clinic. This way the vaccine will not be a “gift,” and we will not be violating any rules. Is that right?
Fiscal Fitness
Nov. 17, 12 a.m.
One of the things you learn quickly when you spend any time on Capitol Hill is that you never use the phrase “omnibus appropriation” in mixed company. In this case, “mixed company” means any group of people that includes a current or former Member or staffer of the House or Senate Appropriations committees.
Heard on theHill
State of the Art
Nov. 19, 12 a.m.
Sen. Al Franken’s unique skill of drawing an accurate map of the United States from memory is pretty darn impressive, but it looks like the Minnesota Democrat has some emerging competition on the artistic front.
RoadMap
Reid’s Health Bill Push May Spell Weekend Work
Nov. 17, 12 a.m.
If you’ve got a dog in the health care reform fight, you might want to keep this weekend open for another nail-biter vote — this time in the Senate.
CampusNotebook
Serving Early Birds
Nov. 18, 12 a.m.
Members and staffers who can’t wait until next week for a plate of turkey and mashed potatoes can head to the Senate cafeterias on Thursday for a Thanksgiving spread.
MorningBusiness
Byrd Flies to New Heights
Nov. 18, 12 a.m.
Two days before his 92nd birthday, Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) will be feted on the Senate floor today as the longest-serving Member of Congress.
Face Time
Updated: Nov. 17
Find out which Members of Congress have appeared most often on Sunday news shows in 2009.
House
Obey Seeks War Tax; Pelosi Signals Dwindling Support for Buildup
Nov. 20, 12:19 p.m.
With new polls showing increased opposition to the war in Afghanistan and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) casting doubts on her Caucus being up for another round of troop deployments, leading House Democrats are now calling for a war tax to make all Americans share the cost burden.
DeFazio Woos Colleagues to Support Obama Economic Team Ouster
Nov. 19, 6:48 p.m.
Rep. Peter DeFazio, one of the most outspoken Democratic critics of the White House economic team, said he plans to press the 27-member Congressional Populist Caucus to back his call for their ouster.
CBO: House Bill Cuts Deficit More Than Senate Version
Nov. 19, 4:29 p.m.
Score one for the House, perhaps. The Congressional Budget Office revised its estimate of the House health care bill Thursday, saying it would shrink the deficit by $139 billion in the first decade, $30 billion more than earlier estimates and $9 billion more than the Senate bill unveiled Wednesday by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).
Democratic Caucus Rolls Out Revamped Web Site
Nov. 19, 4:01 p.m.
The House Democratic Caucus unveiled a revamped Web site Thursday with a new focus on showcasing individual Members and legislation.
Pelosi Prefers Senate Abortion Language
Nov. 19, 1:18 p.m.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) rarely misses a chance to defend her chamber’s prerogative, but on one sticking point in the health care debate — abortion — she is casting her lot with the Senate.
GOP Leaders Say Most — Not All — Will Oppose ‘Doc Fix’
Nov. 19, 12:02 p.m.
House Republican leaders emerged from a closed-door conference meeting on Thursday confident that most of their members would vote against the $210 billion “doc fix” bill — but stopped short of declaring there would be unanimous GOP opposition.
Republicans Won’t Back Off Criticism of DHS
Nov. 19, 12 a.m.
Seven months ago, House Republicans decried as offensive a Homeland Security Department report that listed returning war veterans as possible recruits for “right-wing extremists.”
Gitmo Still Vexing Democrats
Nov. 19, 12 a.m.
House Republicans continued Wednesday to hammer Democrats over the issue of bringing suspected terrorists from Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, onto U.S. soil for trial — and they appear to be making headway.
Jefferson to Stay Out of Prison Pending Appeal
Nov. 19, 12 a.m.
Ex-Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) received a temporary reprieve Wednesday when a federal judge ruled the former lawmaker will not have to begin his 13-year prison term while he appeals his conviction.
D.C. Officials Renew Push for Greater Autonomy
Nov. 19, 12 a.m.
D.C. officials are renewing their push for greater autonomy, pressing Members to pass two bills that would eliminate a Congressional review process they say disrupts the city’s operations and wastes local dollars.
Owens, Garamendi About to Get Committee Assignments
Nov. 18, 6:25 p.m.
The two newest House Democrats — Reps. John Garamendi (Calif.) and Bill Owens (N.Y.) — are about to get their committee assignments.
House GOP to Meet Thursday, Fearing Split Over ‘Doc Fix’
Nov. 18, 6:02 p.m.
The House Republican Conference will hold a special meeting Thursday morning to discuss the “doc fix” bill, which has the potential to divide some the most conservative members from their leadership.
Democrats Demand Insurers Explain Rate Hikes
Nov. 18, 4:11 p.m.
A bicameral group of Democratic lawmakers led by Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) is asking the insurance industry to explain a report that its companies are steeply hiking rates ahead of a health care reform overhaul aimed in part at reining in industry profits.
Blue Dogs Challenge Pelosi With Support of Deficit-Cutting Commission
Nov. 18, 11:59 a.m.
In a direct challenge to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition voted Tuesday night to endorse a powerful bipartisan commission with fast-track authority to bring legislation to the House and Senate floor that would slash the federal deficit.
Reform Allies Ready Ads Backing Vulnerables
Nov. 18, 12 a.m.
Outside groups pushing health care reform are readying a multimillion-dollar ad blitz to defend about a dozen vulnerable House Democrats who helped pass a sweeping overhaul from attack ads launched by the measure’s opponents.
Bachmann ‘Tea Party’ Contested
Nov. 18, 12 a.m.
A government watchdog group accused Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) of violating House rules, asserting Tuesday that the lawmaker improperly used official resources to organize a recent “tea party” event at the Capitol to oppose health care legislation.
Blue Dogs Wary of Another Stimulus
Nov. 18, 12 a.m.
House Democratic leaders signaled Tuesday that they are moving full steam ahead with a stimulus bill in the coming weeks, a plan that is already dividing fiscally conservative Democrats unsure of whether they can swallow another multibillion-dollar spending package.
Members Grapple With Media Trends
Nov. 18, 12 a.m.
If Congress had a nickel for every news article and blog post about Members’ use of Twitter, it just might be able to pay off the deficit, fund health care reform and hire the nation’s unemployed to manage its tweets.
FBI Briefs Pelosi, Panel Leaders on Fort Hood Tragedy
Nov. 17, 6:22 p.m.
House Republicans from three key committees with jurisdiction over national security issues said Democratic chairmen were continuing to block Congressional investigations into the shootings at the Fort Hood military base despite assurances by federal investigators during a briefing of top committee leaders Tuesday morning that they could proceed.
Republicans Join CVC ‘In God We Trust’ Brief
Nov. 17, 4:18 p.m.
More than 40 Republicans have signed a legal brief opposing a lawsuit that aims to remove the engravings of “In God We Trust” and the Pledge of Allegiance from the walls of the Capitol Visitor Center.
Hoyer: Democrats to Move Jobs Package This Year
Nov. 17, 12:33 p.m.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) is confirming that House Democrats plan to move a jobs package in the next few weeks as the chamber turns its attention from a health care overhaul to soaring unemployment.
Police Shut Longworth Cafeteria
Nov. 17, 12:23 p.m.
Capitol Police evacuated parts of the Longworth cafeteria for almost an hour Tuesday morning to investigate an unattended backpack.
GOP Leaders Press Members to Pony Up to NRCC
Nov. 17, 12 p.m.
House Republican leaders on Tuesday pleaded with their Members to pony up to the National Republican Congressional Committee so the party will be fully prepared to fight for seats next fall.
Obey Rips Administration For ‘Outrageous’ Errors in Stimulus Reporting
Nov. 17, 11 a.m.
House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) is fuming mad at the Obama administration over a slew of “outrageous” reporting errors on an official Web site tracking stimulus dollars.
Democratic Leaders Eye Aggressive Timeline for Jobs Package
Nov. 17, 10:55 a.m.
House Democratic leaders plan to tackle soaring unemployment by moving a jobs package this year, House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (Conn.) said Monday night.
Schumer Advocates for Many on Panel
Nov. 16, 12 a.m.
As Senate Majority Leader, Lyndon Johnson once said of the Joint Economic Committee, “It’s as useless as tits on a bull.” But as that panel’s chairman during the 110th Congress, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) seized the opportunity to elevate the traditionally low-profile post to the forefront of shaping policy. Read Full Article
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