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Today’s roundup of political activity going on in Washington and around the nation is a very full plate of activity across the spectrum. 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:

  • On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business. 
  • Last votes expected: 5:00 p.m.
  • One Minutes (15 per side)
  • Suspensions (3 Bills)
    1. H.Res. 47 – Supporting the goals and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day (Sponsored by Rep. Poe / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
    2. H.Res. 180 – Supporting the goals and ideals of the third annual America Saves Week (Sponsored by Rep. Hinojosa / Financial Services Committee)
    3. H.Res. 183 – Expressing condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims of the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 (Sponsored by Rep. Lee (NY) / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
    4. H.R. 1105 – Omnibus Appropriations Act (Closed Rule, One Hour of General Debate) (Sponsored by Rep. Obey / Appropriations Committee)

 

  • Consideration of the Flake Privileged Resolution Regarding Earmarks
  • House Democrats unveiled a wide-ranging bill to prop up the housing market and most contentiously, empower bankruptcy judges to modify mortgages. (The Hill)  
  • Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the U.S. House of Representatives majority leader, on Tuesday said he didn’t see the U.S. government stepping in to nationalize weak banks. (Reuters)
  • In all, an estimated $3.8 billion worth of specific projects, called “earmarks,” are in the $410 billion spending bill that the House of Representatives is to vote on Wednesday.  This is less than one percent of entire spending within the legislation. (The Miami Herald)
  • For more information on the Omnibus Appropriations Act. (Congressional Quarterly)

 

In the Senate:

  • On Wednesday, the Senate will convene at 9:30 AM
  • The Senate will resume consideration of S.160, District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009.
  • The Senate confirmed Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA) as labor secretary, more than two months after she was nominated for the post by President Obama. (Washington Post)
  • In handling its investigation of Sen. Roland Burris’s (D-Ill.) conflicting testimony regarding his appointment, the Senate Ethics Committee is finding itself in something of a quandary. (The Hill)
  • Roland W. Burris indicated that he had no plans to resign his Senate seat, despite a suggestion again by the No. 2 leader in the Senate, Richard Durbin, that he do so. (New York Times)

At the Races:

  • Sen. Jim Bunning all but declared war on his own party’s Senate campaign committee chairman and threatened to sue the GOP if committee officials recruited an opponent to run against him in Kentucky’s 2010 Republican primary. (Louisville Courier Journal)
  • The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has launched a phone, e-mail and text campaign targeting a dozen GOP members who voted against Pres. Obama’s stimulus plan, emphasizing the tax cut segment of the proposal. (National Journal)
  • Democratic growth in the House over the last two election cycles has placed them in the position to defend many potentially competitive seats in 2010 – and the national party is already targeting those they deem most vulnerable. (Congressional Quarterly) 

Other News

The Presidential Speech to a Joint Session of Congress:

  • After a sustained ovation from the lawmakers and luminaries assembled in the House chamber, President Obama began his speech with the recognition that “the impact of this recession is real, and it is everywhere.” But the President said he sees light at the end of the tunnel, despite rising unemployment, a declining stock market, teetering banks and an auto industry gasping for breath. (Washington Post)
  • President Obama urged the nation on Tuesday to see the economic crisis as reason to raise its ambitions, calling for expensive new efforts to address energy, health care and education even as he warned that government bailouts have not come to an end. (New York Times)
  • The New York Times has made the Presidential address available on its web-site for review.  (New York Times)
  • Attorney General Eric Holder was designated as the “Sole Survivor” and did not attend the Obama speech last night before the Joint Session of Congress.
  • “The way to lead is not to raise taxes and put more money and power in hands of Washington politicians,” said Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who gave the Republican Party’s official response to President Obama’s Speech. (The Associated Press)

Foreign Affairs:

  • President Obama is nearing a decision that would order American combat forces out of Iraq by August 2010 as he seeks to finally end a war that has consumed and polarized the United States for nearly six years, senior administration officials said Tuesday. (New York Times)
  • Veteran Mideast peace negotiator Dennis B. Ross, who was widely expected to be named special envoy to Iran, has been given a less ambitious mission as the Obama administration continues to weigh how best to deal with the Islamic Republic. (LA Times)

The Financial Crisis:

  • The U.S. recession could end this year, paving the way for a “year of recovery” in 2010, if the government’s actions to bolster the financial sector are effective, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said. (The Washington Post)
  • However, the New York Times offered a different take of Chairman Bernanke’s testimony:  Mr. Bernanke told the Senate Banking Committee that the Federal Reserve was doing everything it could to unlock credit markets and ease the financial crisis. But a full recovery, he said, is months, if not years away. (New York Times)

Other Issues:

  • A new study involving nearly 1.3 million middle-aged British women — the largest ever to examine whether alcohol increases a woman’s risk of cancer — found that just one glass of chardonnay, a single beer or any other type of alcoholic drink per day poses a danger. (The Washington Post)
  • The Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday about who should pay for the often enormous costs of environmental cleanups under the federal Superfund law. (New York Times)
  •  Tiger Woods will make his return to the PGA Tour today after 8 months of recovery at the World Golf Championship Accenture Match Play Tournament.  His tee-time is 12:02 PM Pacific Time against Australian Brendan Jones (PGA Tour.com)

The Opinion Pages

  • The New York Times argues that President Obama found his campaign legs again during his speech to Congress and sounds more like the candidate they and the public loved.  (New York Times)
  • Ed O’Keefe outlines winners and losers from the Presidential Speech. (Washington Post)
  • Grover Norquist questions President Obama’s wisdom in an editorial titled: Obama-Reid-Pelosi Spendathon (National Review)
  • David Sanger of the New York Times outlined the challenge facing President Obama in his speech to Congress: Dismissing 16 years of Presidential edicts and directly rebuking President Clinton’s words 13 years ago: The era of big government is back even if just for a while.  (The New York Times)

Today in History

  • The Morning Briefing notes a sad day on February 25, 1991, when during the first Gulf War, an Iraqi Scud missile hit an American military barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia killing 28 US Army Reservists from Greensburg, Pennsylvania.  The water purifier unit included five individuals that Anchor founder, Harry Henderson, went to high school with.  The 14th Quartermaster, which had been in Saudi Arabia only six days, suffered the greatest number of casualties of any allied unit during Operation Desert Storm.

Source and thanks to www.anchor-consult.com