Image not recoveredUSCapital.thumbnail.jpgThe following is a roundup of political activity going on in Washington and across the nation. It is courtesy of Scott Wilk, Community Organizer, and Anchor Consulting group. The Beacon will be posting these daily as they become available.
In the House:
- The House convenes at 10:30 a.m. for Morning Hour.
- 12:00 p.m.: Legislative Business
- Unlimited “One Minutes” Per Side
- Today, the House will be considering…
- S. 181 – Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (Sen. Mikulski – Education and Labor) (Subject to a Rule)
- H.R. 1 – American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Reps. Obey/Rangel/ Waxman/Miller/Oberstar/Gordon/Frank/Velazquez/Towns/Spratt – Appropriations) (Subject to a Rule)
- S. 328 – To delay the Digital Television Transition until June 13, 2009, as amended (Sen. Rockefeller – Energy and Commerce) (under suspension)
- The aforementioned Ledbetter Act will have a straight up-or-down vote in the House today. Having already passed the Senate, it is also expected to pass the House, and ultimately expected to be signed by President Obama.
In the Senate:
- Convenes: 10:00am
- Resume consideration of Calendar #18, H.R.2, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Improvements Act.
- 12:30pm Senator-appointee Gillibrand will be sworn in. Following the swearing in, the Senate will stand in recess until 2:15pm to allow for the weekly caucus luncheons.
- Roll Call Votes are expected during Tuesday’s session of the Senate.
- Under the Senate Finance Committee’s economic stimulus plan, US-based lumber, steel and cement firms now required to pay back anti-dumping funds they received this decade would have that requirement waived. This has long been championed by Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV). Those companies had been receiving those funds to level the competition with Canadian and Mexican imports that were held to be unfairly subsidized, but the GOP-controlled Congress had required those US companies to pay back the monies they received.
- Also under the Senate Finance Committee’s economic stimulus plan, investors in big budget movie projects could realize a tax break of up to $246 million. The measure is strongly backed by Hollywood’s interests in Washington, as the economic downturn has affected movie profits as well.
- Today, Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) and ranking member Judd Gregg (R-NH) will announce their plans for a bipartisan commission to craft overhauls to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The commission’s recommendations would be “fast-tracked” for legislation.
- On the heels of yesterday’s directive by President Obama for the EPA to allow tighter state regulations on fuel emissions, Senate Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) now plans to unveil new global warming legislation this week.
- Senate Republicans intend to lead a robust opposition to Democratic plans to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), including Republicans who had voted for similar legislation ultimately vetoed by then-President Bush.
Other News
- Yesterday, by a 60-34 vote, “the Senate confirmed Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary.” Ten Republicans voted in favor of Sec. Geithner (Shelby (AL), Crapo (ID), Snowe (ME), Ensign (NV), Gregg (NH), Voinovich (OH), Graham (SC), Corker (TN), Cornyn (TX), Hatch (UT)), while four Democrats voted against his confirmation (Byrd (WV), Feingold (WI), Harkin (IA), and Sanders (VT)). Sen. Sanders is an independent, but caucuses with Senate Democrats. (AP)
- In an interview with Dubai-based Al Arabiya television, “President Barack Obama struck a conciliatory tone toward the Islamic world, saying he wanted to persuade Muslims that ‘the Americans are not your enemy’ and adding that ‘the moment is ripe for both sides’ to negotiate in the Middle East.” (NYT)
- “Home Depot, Caterpillar, Sprint Nextel and at least eight other companies announced on Monday they would cut more than 75,000 jobs in the United States and around the world – a gloomy start to the workweek for employees anxious about holding their own as the economy sinks.” (NYT)
- “John W. Thompson, the outgoing chief executive of network security firm Symantec Corp., has emerged as a leading contender to be Commerce secretary, a move that would give the high-tech industry a major voice in the Obama administration.” (LAT)
- House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) has subpoenaed former Bush White House and campaign aide, Karl Rove to testify in regard to “the firing of nine U.S. attorneys and other political disputes that swirled around the Justice Department.” Mr. Rove had been subpoenaed to discuss these matters previously, but he and then-President Bush asserted executive privilege. Whether that privilege still applies remains unclear. (WaPo)
Anchor Clients in the News
- Anchor Consulting send a hearty congratulations to Roger Seaver, President & CEO of Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital. Roger was recently named chairman of the Hospital Association of Southern California (HASC) for 2009. A highly regarded healthcare executive for the past 35 years, Roger has been known in the industry for developing market leading services in community hospitals and providing strategic leadership for addressing community healthcare needs. He was named president and CEO of Henry Mayo in 2001 after being brought in as a consultant to assist the financially troubled hospital.
The Hospital Association of Southern California (HASC), founded in 1923, is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) regional trade association. HASC membership includes 170 hospital and healthcare organizations and represents more than 95 percent of the general acute market in the six county region of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Santa Barbara. The mission of HASC is to serve the political, economic, informational and educational needs of hospitals and to help improve the quality and accessibility of health services.
Congratulations, Roger!
Today in History
- On January 27, 1888, the National Geographic Society was founded in Washington, D.C., for “the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge.”
Source and Thanks to www.anchor-consult.com