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December 9, 2009

Nelson Proving a Difficult Sell

Sen. Ben Nelson is emerging as the Senate Democrats’ hardest sell on health care reform, and the defeat of his anti-abortion amendment Tuesday could prove to be the tipping point for the Nebraska centrist.

Reid Courting Snowe Again on Health Care Reform

As a group of 10 Senators raced to negotiate a deal on the public insurance option, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was working a few other angles to try to pass his health care bill this year: renewing his courtship of GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe (Maine).

Thune May Be Capitol's 2012 Contender

While most of the 2012 GOP presidential buzz is focused on a group of former and soon-to-be-former governors, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) is increasingly being viewed as the Capitol’s most likely White House contender.

Abramoff Cohorts Await Rulings

The Supreme Court’s review of a public corruption statute could open an escape route for individuals caught in the influence-peddling investigation centered on ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to criminal law experts.

Heard on the Hill: Tiger Bill Declawed

Rep. Joe Baca might just wish he could get a legislative mulligan.

House Members Push for Quick Action on Jobs

With President Barack Obama endorsing a hefty jobs package Tuesday, House Democrats are eyeing a fast-track bill that could give them something to crow about as they head home at the end of the year.

GOP Avoids Comment on Obama War Strategy

House Republican leaders have urged their Members to lay low in the debate about President Barack Obama’s Afghanistan war strategy in an effort to keep their message focused on jobs while Democrats fight each other over the war. Several Republican aides said limiting Republican comments on the war has allowed GOPers to make headway talking about “kitchen table” issues such as jobs, the economy and climate change.

Obama Plans a December on the Road

With the Senate bearing down to pass health care reform legislation by the end of the year, President Barack Obama will be traveling for nearly half the remaining days of the month, making two trips to Scandinavia and then resting up in Hawaii over Christmas and New Year’s.

Editorial: Opaque

With fanfare and self-congratulation, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced last week that House Members’ office expense reports are now posted online. Problem is, the move enhances opaqueness, not transparency.

Politics and Budget Constrain Congress' Job-Creation Push

The health care reform debate in the Senate is going to have a fascinating sideshow to watch. There are several must-pass measures Congress has to tackle before the year’s end — cleaning up budget and appropriations, some authorizations, including key parts of the USA PATRIOT Act, raising the debt ceiling, and passing measures such as an estate tax fix. Most are moving through the House on a reasonable timetable. But the Senate is wholly consumed with the health issue, each long day soaked up with delays and obstacles thrown out by the minority in order either to kill the bill or to delay it into next year. How can the Senate take time to do other things?

The Opposite of Progress

The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.

Health Care Reform Brings On New Clients

The Home School Legal Defense Association has historically steered clear of Capitol Hill health care debates, which did not seem relevant to its mission of keeping the federal government out of its business.

On Jobs, Democrats Find New Allies

After months of sparring over health care reform, small-business groups are angling to play a lead role in shaping a White House-backed jobs package that is expected to become a priority in the new year.

K Street Files: Then There Were Three

Compete America, the tech community’s coalition to press for immigration reform, has whittled down a list of potential firms to run its operation. Podesta Group, Dewey Square Group and Monument Policy Group are all scheduled to be interviewed Thursday morning, according to an e-mail obtained by Roll Call.

The Foundlings' Fate

Part of Julie Miller’s work at the Library of Congress involves helping visitors find the materials they need to conduct their research.

Roosevelt Wrestles Ghosts In New 'Christmas Carol'

Bully! Humbug! A new family-friendly play inspired by both President Theodore Roosevelt and Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” opened Saturday at the Kennedy Center.

Hill Talk: H Street Shuttle Gets New Funds

After suspending service last Sunday because of a shortfall in funding, the popular H Street Shuttle is due to resume operations later in the month. According to Charles Allen, chief of staff for Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells (D), the shuttle will begin running again “no later than Dec. 21.”

Hill Climbers: Hold Onto Your Hat

The Republican staff of the House Energy and Commerce Committee recently underwent a whopping eight-person change. With such a large number of changes, the range of people found on the staff comes as no surprise. But even the most seasoned Hill staffer would find the convergences unique. Recent additions include a former counsel to the vice president, an aspiring museum docent and a Texas-Canadian, to name a few.

Photo of the Week: The Way Out?

Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal (left), commander of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan, rides the Senate subway Tuesday en route to testify before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Afghanistan.