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The following is political activity for Thursday, May 5, 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 convenes at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business.
  2. Last votes are expected no later than 3:00 p.m.
  3. One Minute Speeches (5 per side)
  4. H.R. 1230 – Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act (Structured Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Doc Hastings / Natural Resources Committee)
  5. Special Order Speeches
  6. Immigration bill cracks down on cities  -  A bill unveiled today by Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Penn.) would slash federal funding for cities whose local law enforcement don’t enforce immigration laws. (Politico)

IN THE SENATE

  1. The Senate convenes at 10:00am.  Following any leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business for debate only until 5:00pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each, with the first hour equally divided and controlled between the Leaders or their designees, with the Republicans controlling the first 30 minutes and the Majority controlling the next 30 minutes.
  2. The next roll call vote is expected at 5:30pm on Monday, May 9.
  3. That vote will be in relation to a nomination.
  4. Senate confirms controversial nominee  -  Senate Democrats on Wednesday overcame a filibuster driven by a small group of Republicans and confirmed John McConnell to be a judge for the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island. (The Hill)

OTHER NEWS

  1. Deficit reduction talks face roadblocks  -  The White House seeks to jump-start budget talks today amid signs that bipartisan efforts to save trillions of dollars have stalled over the two toughest issues: taxes and entitlement programs. (USA Today)
  2. Government Joins Bowl-Game Brawl  -  The Justice Department sent a letter Tuesday to the National Collegiate Athletic Association stating that “serious questions continue to arise” over whether the Bowl Championship Series—the sport’s much-criticized method for choosing a champion—complies with antitrust laws. (Wall Street Journal)
  3. House panel moves to revive alternate jet engine   -  A House panel on Wednesday took a step toward reviving the alternate engine for the next-generation F-35 fighter plane over the objections of President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who consider it wasteful spending. (AP)
  4. A Brief Victory Lap Before Budget Fight Strains ‘Unity’ Call  -  On Monday night President Obama welcomed dozens of Congressional leaders to dinner at the White House and expressed hope that they “can harness some of the unity” forged by the death of Osama bin Laden “to confront the many challenges that we still face.” On Thursday comes the biggest test of that, and few see much prospect of a dawn of bipartisanship. (New York Times)
  5. With White House speculation building, Mitch Daniels comes to Washington  -  Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels delivered a high-profile speech in Washington on Wednesday as his self-imposed deadline to decide on a presidential race looms and polls continue to show ambivalence about the GOP field. (Los Angeles Times)

FEDERAL GRANT OF THE DAY

  • Promotion of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) for Civic Engagement- The United States Government, as represented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in Russia, is seeking applications (proposals for assistance funding) from U.S. non-governmental and non-U.S. non-governmental organizations, for implementation of the ?Promotion of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) for Civic Engagement Project. The project will achieve this through three components: 1) supporting the development of new ICT applications for civic engagement; 2) enhancing the capacity of civic actors to use ICTs to achieve their organizational missions; 3) and enhancing subnational government capacity to engage with, and respond, to citizens using ICTs.  For more information, see full grant announcement.

TODAY IN HISTORY

  • May 5, 1961- On this day, astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. became America’s first space traveler as he made a 15-minute suborbital flight in a capsule launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

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