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The following is political activity for Monday, January 31, 2011, 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

  1. The House is out of session.
  2. House Speaker Boehner warns against debt default  -  House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner on Sunday said that the United States must continue meeting its obligations to fund government debt or risk a global financial disaster. (Reuters)

IN THE SENATE

  1. The Senate convenes at 2:00pm. Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will proceed to a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each. There will be no roll call votes during Monday’s session of the Senate. However, the Majority Leader hopes to reach an agreement to begin consideration of S.223, the Federal Aviation Administration Act.
  2. McConnell could chart new course in Senate  -  In the first two years of Barack Obama’s presidency, Mitch McConnell raised the art of obstructionism to new levels. When McConnell and his united GOP troops couldn’t stop things from getting through the Senate, they made sure the Democrats paid a heavy price for winning. (Washington Post)

OTHER NEWS

  1. In Obama’s reorganization plan, is Commerce first?  -  It was a big laugh line in President Obama’s State of the Union speech: “The Interior Department is in charge of salmon while they’re in fresh water, but the Commerce Department handles them when they’re in saltwater. I hear it gets even more complicated once they’re smoked.” (USA Today)
  2. NFL executes lobbying blitz on Capitol Hill  -  Forget Troy Polamalu and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Business-suited, briefcase-carrying Washington lobbyists have formed the NFL’s most formidable defense in recent years. (Washington Post)
  3. Senator moves to ban drug sold under bath salts guise  -  Two drugs that produce a “meth-like” high and are being sold under the guise of “bath salts” would be banned as federally controlled substances under a bill unveiled on Sunday by Senator Charles Schumer. (Reuters)
  4. Regulators, industry at odds on repetitive-motion injuries  -  The strained muscles that affect millions of American workers, from white-collar professionals who spend hours at their computers to poultry workers who process chickens, are proving to be painful as well to the Obama administration. (Washington Post)
  5. Miss. gov. juggles White House hopes, state’s past   -  Haley Barbour’s folksy style, savvy leadership in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and success as a GOP strategist have made the two-term Mississippi governor a serious contender early in the wide-open contest for the Republican presidential nomination. (AP)

 FEDERAL GRANT OF THE DAY

  • Improving Literacy through School Libraries: FY 2011- The purpose of this program is to improve student reading skills and academic achievement by providing students with increased access to up-to-date school library materials; well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media centers; and well-trained, professionally certified school library media specialists.  Eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) may use funds for the following activities: purchasing up-to-date school library media resources, including books; acquiring and using advanced technology that is incorporated into the curricula of the school in order to develop and enhance the information literacy, information retrieval, and critical-thinking skills of students; facilitating Internet links and other resource-sharing networks among schools and school library media centers, and public and academic libraries, where possible; providing professional development for school library media specialists and providing activities that foster increased collaboration among library specialists, teachers, and administrators; and providing students with access to school libraries during non-school hours, including before and after school, weekends, and summer vacation periods.  For more information, see initial grant announcement.

TODAY IN HISTORY

  • January 31, 1919- On this day, Baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia; he would go on to break the sport’s color barrier in 1947.

Source and thanks to www.anchor-consult.com / For more information, contact Anchor Consulting at 703-333-6013