Congress
Term Limits, Sen. Kennedy?
In a much-hyped rally announcing his endorsement of presidential hopeful Barack Obama, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) piled heaps of praise on the young Illinois senator Monday. Obama, Kennedy said, will be a fighter, an inspirer, a great uniter in the image of Kennedy's brother Jack, who came to power in another era of ideological bickering.
GOP Gags Witnesses on Credit Card Woes
Republicans on a consumer credit subcommittee required witnesses to waive privacy rights to their financial history before testifying about run-ins with credit card companies.
Big Oil Defends Profits
Gas prices and profits are largely out of their control, oil executives tell Congress.
Ron Paul Warns Burma Tyrants: We'll Stay Out of Your Way!
The House yesterday approved a lightweight, nonbinding resolution offering condolences to the people of Burma in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, which the Red Cross now estimates took as many as 128,000 lives when it struck the Irrawaddy Delta earlier this month. From a political standpoint, this was a pretty safe vote. Indeed, 186 Republicans joined every voting Democrat to pass the measure. But it didn't go unanimously. That's because Texas GOP presidential contender Rep. Ron Paul disapproved. The final count was 410 to 1.
Rocky Road for Credit Card Bill
Parties are split over how to approach business oversight, as lawmakers seek to modernize federal rules governing the highly influential banking industry.
Health Care Reform Waits
Former Health and Human Services secretary Tommy Thompson urged action this week, saying 2009 brings a perfect storm to sweep through change.
Free Cash! (And Don't Forget Us in November)
If you're like most working Americans, your mailbox this week held a gift from the IRS in the form of an "Economic Stimulus Payment Notice." These gems of efficiency are designed to inform taxpayers that they'll be receiving a one-time payment of up to $600 for individuals -- or $1,200 for couples filing jointly -- courtesy of their benevolent Washington representatives.
But there's something curious here, which is this: In order to get these checks, taxpayers have to do -- drum-roll here -- precisely nothing. That's right. Just file this year's return, like you're required to do anyway, and the extra cash will follow.
"These special letters remind people that they won’t need to do anything more than file a 2007 tax return in order to put the stimulus payment process in motion,” Acting IRS Commissioner Linda Stiff said in a statement.
Which begs the question: Why did we need to be told to do nothing?
A quick glance at the notice gives the answer. "Dear Taxpayer," the text reads. "We are pleased to inform you that the United States Congress passed and President George W. Bush signed into law the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, which provides for economic stimulus payments to be made to over 130 million American households."
The message is clear:
FISA Battle Is More Politics than Policy
Call it a game of political chicken: Four days after the Bush administration lost its authority to sidestep the courts when eavesdropping on some U.S. residents, House Democrats and the White House remain embroiled in a high-profile rhetorical battle over what the change means for the nation's security.
Abstinence-Only Education Endures
At least on part of Newt Gingrich's 1994 "Contract With America" lives on.
Shooting Down Missile Defense
The latest oversight is the first serious challenge to the unsuccessful, 25-year-old program.
Owning the News
Should community newspaper companies get to own local TV and radio stations too?
How Quickly They Forget
Despite voting to authorize the invasion, Democrats say only Bush is to blame.
Senate Passes Indian Health Care Bill
Capitol Hill is a long way from Indian country, but this week tribal leaders and health care advocates took a long stride closer to the boost in health funding that Congress has failed to provide for 16 years.
Billions for Pentagon Failures
The House Oversight Committee wonders why the Pentagon continues to fund programs based on non-existent technology.
Petraeus Testimony Field Manual
Last time Petraeus sat down before Congress, he was able to extend the surge despite strong public opposition.
Pelosi Thumbs China's Eye With Praise for the Dalai Lama
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) met the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India,, today, praising the Tibetan spiritual leader for his courage and leadership in the face of Beijing's crackdown on recent anti-China protests in Tibet.
If freedom loving people throughout the world do not speak out against China's oppression in Tibet we have lost all moral authority to speak on human rights anywhere in the world. The cause of Tibet is a challenge to the conscience of the world -- a challenge we can help meet...When we return home we will bring your message and try to meet the challenge to our conscience.
Don't Bore Me With Your Conflicts of Interest
In the "how-dare-you-question-my-virtue" category of political certitude, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal.) had a somehow refreshingly honest response Thursday to a reporter with the temerity to assume that she suffers the same temptations and proclivities as the rest of the race. The transcript speaks for itself:
Abortion Ban For American Indians Only
The new rule, sponsored by scandal-scarred Sen. David Vitter, adds a race-specific layer to a federal law that prohibits abortion coverage under federal health programs.
FISA Debate: Immunity for Whom?
The debate over how to modernize the nation's international spying laws in the midst of its so-called war on terror was stepped up a notch last Friday, after intelligence officials warned that some phone companies are refusing now to cooperate fully because Congress has yet to grant them immunity for potentially illegal cooperation in the past.
"We have lost intelligence information this past week as a direct result of the uncertainty created by Congress' failure to act," Attorney General Michael Mukasey and Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell wrote to House leaders Friday. "Because of this uncertainty, some partners have reduced cooperation."
And on the Sixth Day, the Intelligence Programs Plunged Into Uncertainty
For House Democrats, who left Washington last week without acting on legislation to expand White House spying powers, Attorney General Michael Mukasey has a few words of caution: The nation's intelligence programs, he wrote in a Feb. 22 letter (pdf here) to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes (D-Tex.), are now officially plunged into uncertainty due to your inaction.
