Image not recoveredUSCapital.thumbnail.jpg
The following is a roundup of political activity going on in Washington and across the nation. It’s courtesy of Scott Wilk, Community Organizer, and Anchor Consulting group. The Beacon will be posting these daily as they become available.   

In the House:

  • House stands in pro-forma session.  No votes expected
  • A dispute among House Democrats stalled legislation Thursday to let bankruptcy judges reduce the principal and interest rate on mortgages for debt-strapped homeowners. (Associated Press)
  • British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will be the first foreign leader this year to speak before a joint meeting of Congress. (Associated Press) 
  • Senior congressional Democrats said Thursday they hope to move forward this year on trade deals with Colombia, Panama and South Korea but are waiting for a signal first from President Barack Obama (Forbes)

In the Senate:

  • Convenes: 9:30am
  • At 9:30am, the Senate will be in a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.
  • There will be no Roll Call Votes today.
  • Residents of the U.S. capital would finally have a full voting member in Congress, heeding demands first made by democratic activists two centuries ago, under a bill passed on Thursday by the Senate. (Reuters)
  • The Senate – concerned about U.S. security in the face of Mexico’s escalating drug war – announced hearings on the violence and how this country should respond. (Dallas Morning News)

At the Races:

  • Ken Ruddin of NPR examines what the new landscape of the political map will look like after the 2010 census.  The result, more Red State Congressional seats. (NPR) 
  • For Republicans beleaguered by losses in two election cycles, hope has come in the form of New York State Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R). (The Hill)
  • Florida Gov. Charlie Crist’s now-public deliberations over whether to enter the state’s Senate race have put things completely on hold for Republicans interested in the seat. (The Hill) 
  • Attorney General Lisa Madigan issued a surprise opinion late Wednesday that could pave the way for state lawmakers to cut Sen. Roland Burris’ term short by setting a special election. (Chicago Sun Times)

Other News

  • The President’s Budget plan would effectively raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans and trim Medicare costs to help pay for what the administration calls a $634 billion “down payment” on a universal health care program. (Washington Post)
  • It is the buzz of the philanthropy world, news that President Obama’s fiscal 2010 budget blueprint cuts tax deductions for charitable donations (and other items) for Americans in the top income brackets. (LA Times)
  • President Obama’s budget proposal on education would for the first time index student-aid Pell Grant to inflation, guaranteeing low-income college students a stable grant amount, and pay for that expensive shift by eliminating $4 billion in annual subsidies to private banks who make student loans. (New York Times)
  • Ed O’Keefe and Steve Vogel outline winners and losers in the President’s FY2010 Budget in the (Washington Post)
  • The Guantanamo prison is “well-run now,” with no signs of inmate mistreatment, but the Obama administration remains determined to close it, Attorney General Eric Holder said on Wednesday after a visit this week. (Reuters) 
  • The State Department’s top Middle East official met Thursday with the Syrian ambassador to the United States, marking a resumption of diplomatic dialogue after nearly five years. (CNN)

The Opinion Pages

  • The LA Times breaks out the calculator to determine if the President’s budget adds up. (LA Times)
  • George Will reviews the facts associated with Global Warming. (Washington Post — Real Clear Politics)
  • Howard Fineman artfully describes President Obama’s first weeks in office. (Newsweek)
  • Chuck Raasch reviews the reviving of the Era of Big Government. (Washington Post)

Today in History

  • Fred Rogers (Latrobe, PA native and famed children’s television show host) died on February 27, 2003; Myron Cope (famed Pittsburgh Sports Broadcaster) died on February 27, 2008, and Henry Cabot Lodge (Republican Senator from Massachusetts who resigned his seat to serve during World War II) died February 27, 1985.

Source and thanks to www.anchor-consult.com