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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:

  • The House is in recess for the Independence Day District Work Period

In the Senate:

  • The Senate is in recess for the Independence Day State Work Period
  • Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is hoping to mark up the Senate’s version of climate change legislation before the August recess, now that the House has passed its version.
  • Meanwhile, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) wants all six committees with jurisdiction on a climate and energy package to have their work done by Sept. 18 to bring legislation to the floor by October.

Other News

  • “President Obama is trying to enlist the nation’s governors and his own army of grass-roots supporters in a bid to increase pressure on” Congress to pass comprehensive health care reform as “part of an intensifying but potentially risky White House strategy to shift the health care debate away from Washington and to the states.” (NYT)
  • “The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that white firefighters in New Haven were subjected to race discrimination when the city threw out a promotional examination on which they had done well and black firefighters poorly… The 5-to-4 ruling, which reversed an appeals court decision joined by Judge Sonia Sotomayor, now a Supreme Court nominee, will have broad impact, lawyers specializing in employment discrimination law said.” (NYT)
  • The ruling “could alter employment practices across the country, limiting the circumstances in which employers can be held liable for personnel decisions that touch upon race when there is no evidence of intentional discrimination.” (Hartford Courant)
  • Also yesterday, the Supreme Court announced “that it will consider whether to uphold a ban on corporate spending in federal elections, a move that campaign finance experts said could have a dramatic effect on the 2010 and 2012 federal elections.” (WaPo)
  • Speaking yesterday at a White House reception “to mark the 40th anniversary of the birth of the modern gay-rights movement,” President Obama sought to mend fences with gay leaders who feel that the President has abandoned their agenda, despite campaign promises to the contrary. (WSJ)
  • With “[a]ll but four states begin[ning] their fiscal years on Wednesday,” ten of those states “were scrambling Monday to pass budgets before a Tuesday deadline, with a handful — including Arizona, Indiana and Mississippi — facing the possibility of partial shutdowns if their legislatures don’t act in time.” (WSJ)
  • South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford “is facing calls for his resignation after disappearing to Argentina then returning last week to admit an affair,” but “[i]n a written message to supporters Monday,” Gov. Sanford “asserted that God’s plan for him includes finishing his term as South Carolina governor.” (Politico)

Federal Grant of the Day

  • American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications for Pathways Out of Poverty. The Department of Labor announces the availability of approximately $150 million in grant funds authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Recovery Act) for projects that provide training and placement services to provide pathways out of poverty and into employment within the industries described in the Supplementary Information, Part B of this SGA. Grantees selected from two separate types of applicants will be funded through this solicitation: (1) National nonprofit entities with networks of local affiliates, coalition members, or other established partners; and (2) local entities. The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is September 29, 2009.

Today in History

  • On June 30, 1936, author Margaret Mitchell published Gone with the Wind, one of the best-selling novels of all time and the basis for the blockbuster 1939 movie.

Source and thanks to www.anchor-consult.com | For more information, contact Jamie Gregorian at 571-205-1393 or [email protected]