Once again, housing legislation [1] aimed at reforming the Federal Housing Administration and at helping homeowners threatened with foreclosure is at the top of the list for senators and representatives this week, as debate intensifies over differing proposals. In addition, Democrats are mulling how much domestic spending to include in a $108 billion Iraq/Afghanistan supplemental, while 10 days remain before a second extension of the 2002 Farm bill expires. Negotiations, which began last year, continue as the House and Senate work to reconcile subsidy-levels and income-brackets for farmers.
Rep. Barney Frank [2], chair of the House Financial Services Committee [3], has proposed legislation that would force the FHA to insure some $300 billion in home loans that are close to being foreclosed. Lenders would be asked to renegotiate the loan principle, while the FHA would insure a 30-year fixed rate the borrower could afford. According to Frank, the legislation could cost taxpayers between $3 and $6 billion, depending on how many of the new loans default.
To sweeten the deal for President George W. Bush [4], Frank proposed tougher oversight of Freddie Mac [5] and Fannie Mae [6] (the two government-sponsored enterprises that sell mortgage-backed securities) and new regulations on the FHA. In addition, Congress might grant local housing finance agencies the authority to issue tax-exempt bonds to help some homeowners refinance their mortgages.
For more on this week's legislation and upcoming committee schedules, click through.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi [7] (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) are considering their options on an Iraq supplemental. With party members in both chambers eager to include a laundry list of domestic spending priorities and President Bush threatening a veto for any non-military items, striking a balance might prove difficult.
Up for possible inclusion in the war supplemental are:
- Extended unemployment benefits The bill could as much as double the 13-week window of benefit
- Renewable energy tax credits About $6 billion in renewable tax credits - previously stripped from last year's energy bill and this year's stimulus package - would not be paid for with tax increases elsewhere.
- A new GI bill for veterans’ education A Bush-backed House proposal and one authored by Sen. Jim Webb [8] (D-Va.) offer varying degrees of support for different active-duty and reserve populations, and either bill could be tacked onto the war supplemental as an amendment.
Sen. Robert Byrd [9] (D-W.Va), the Appropriations Committee chairman, may throw a monkey wrench in the works for the Democratic leadership, with his plans to hold a mark-up of the supplemental in his committee. Reid and Pelosi had hoped to bring the legislation straight to the floor for debate, skipping the mark-up process.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell [10] (R-Ky.) has hinted that Republicans won't fight the bill's passage, and that his party's membership would instead support the threatened Bush veto.
And some late news on the 2007 Farm bill [11]. Negotiations held throughout the weekend appear to be yielding some fruit, and Senate Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin [12] and House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson [13] have hinted at floor votes by the end of the week. However, President Bush has also asked for another extension of the 2002 bill, this time for one year. If Congress fails to approve a final 2007 bill, look for a protracted fight over the next extension.
Today, the House Ways and Means Committee [14] will be examining "Employment Eligibility Verification Systems." Committee members will look a proposed enforcement mechanism requiring employers to verify the citizenship of new employees.
Following special elections in Louisiana [15] this weekend, Congress will welcome two new members to the House of Representatives:
- Steve Scalise [16] (R) defeated Democrat Gilda Reed [17], keeping former Rep. Bobby Jindal [18]’s 1st congressional district seat in Republican hands.
- Rep. Don Cazayoux [19] (D) narrowly defeated Republican Woody Jenkins [20] for the long-time Republican-held 6th Congressional District seat.
Also during the weekend, a number of new superdelegate [21] announcements were made: Kalyn Free [22] (Okla.), Parris Glendening [23] (Md.), Inez Tenenbaum [24] (S.C.), Brian Colón [25] (N.M.), Jaime Paulino [26] (Guam), Jaime Gonzalez Jr. [27] (Texas), and Herman Farrell [28] (N.Y.) endorsed Sen. Barack Obama [29] (D-IL); Robert Martinez [30] (Texas) and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend [31] (Md.) endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton [32] (D-NY).
Finally, here are this week’s committee schedules:
Hearings Schedules:
May 5, 2008
House
- House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform [33]
Hearing on the Lack of Hospital Emergency Surge Capacity: Will the Administration's Medicaid Regulations Make It Worse? 10 a.m. on May 5 and 9:30 a.m. on May 7, 2154 Rayburn.
May 6, 2008
Joint meetings
- Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe [34]
To hold hearings to examine oil and food prices relating to the link between energy and environmental security, focusing on the role that environmental technologies can play in increasing energy security while combating climate change by reducing demand on hydrocarbon resources, 3 p.m., B318, Rayburn Building.
Senate
- Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard [35]
To hold an oversight hearing to examine the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 10:00 a.m. [SR-253] - Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works [36]
To hold hearings to examine perchlorate and trichloroethylene (TCE) in water. 10:00 a.m. [SD-406] - Senate Finance Committee [37]
To hold hearings to examine seizing the new opportunity for health reform. 10 a.m. [SD-215] - Senate Committee on Foreign Relations [38]
To hold hearings to examine the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims (ICHEIC). 2:30 p.m. [SD-419] - Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts [39]
To hold hearings to examine policing lenders and protecting homeowners, focusing on the current foreclosure crisis. 2:00 p.m. [SD-226] - Senate Select Committee on Intelligence [40]
To hold hearings to examine the nomination of Michael E. Leiter, of the District of Columbia, to be Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Office of the Director of National Intelligence. 2:30 p.m. [SH-216]
House
- House Committee on Education and Labor [41]
Hearing on Do Federal Programs Ensure U.S. Workers Are Recruited First Before Employers Hire From Abroad? 11 a.m., 2175 Rayburn. - House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality [42]
Hearing entitled The Renewable Fuels Standard: Issues Implementation, and Opportunities, 10:30 a.m, 2123 Rayburn. - House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet [43]
Hearing on H.R. 5353, Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008, 9:30 a.m., 2322 Rayburn. - House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health [44]
Hearing on Higher Education in Africa: Making the Link between Intellectual Capital and Regional Development, 10 a.m., 2172 Rayburn. - House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight [45], hearing on the City on the Hill or Prison on the Bay? The Mistakes of Guantanamo and the Decline of America's Image, 2 p.m., 2172 Rayburn.
- House Committee on Homeland Security [46]
Hearing entitled ``The Resilient Homeland--Broadcasting the Homeland Security Strategy,'' 10 a.m., 311 Cannon. - House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law [47]
Hearing on Rulemaking Process and the Unitary Executive Theory, 2 p.m., 2141 Rayburn. - House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on The Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties [48]
Hearing on From the Department of Justice to Guantanamo Bay: Administration Lawyers and Administration Interrogation Rules, Part I, 10 a.m., 2141 Rayburn. - House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security [49]
Hearing on Federal Prison Industries--Examining the Effects of Section 827 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, 1 p.m., 2237 Rayburn. - House Committee on Rules [50]
To consider the following: H.R. 5818, Neighborhood Stabilization Act of 2008; and a resolution providing for consideration of the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 3221) to provide needed housing reform and for other purposes, 3 p.m., H-313 Capitol. - House Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Energy and Environment [51]
To mark up the following bills: H.R. 3957, Water Use Efficiency and Conservation Research Act; and H.R. 2339, Produced Water Utilization Act of 2007, 10 a.m., 2318 Rayburn. - House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Aviation [52]
Hearing on Aviation and the Environment: Emissions, 2 p.m., 2167 Rayburn. - House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit [53]
Hearing on Rising Fuel Costs in the Trucking Industry, 10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn. - House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Health [54]
Hearing on Medicare's DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program, 1 p.m., 1100 Longworth. - House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Social Security [55]
Hearing on Employment Eligibility Verification Systems, 10 a.m., B-318 Rayburn.
May 7, 2008
Senate
- Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs [56]
To hold hearings to examine pending benefits legislation. 9:30 a.m., [SD-106] - Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies [57]
To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the Department of Labor. 9:45 a.m. [SD-124] - Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Defense [58]
To hold closed hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the United States intelligence community. 10:30 a.m. [S-407, Capitol] - Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government [59]
To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission. 3:00 p.m. [SD-192] - Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and Investment [60]
To hold hearings to examine United States credit markets, focusing on the regulation of investment banks by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. 10:00 a.m. [SD-538] - Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics, and Related Agencies [61]
To hold hearings to examine reauthorization of vision for space exploration. 9:30 a.m. [SR-253] - Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security [62]
To hold hearings to examine the state of the airline industry, focusing on the impact of the Delta/Northwest airlines merger. 2:30 p.m. [SR-253] - Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources [63]
Business meeting to consider pending calendar business. 9:45 a.m. [SD-366] - Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Subcommittee on Public Sector Solutions to Global Warming, Oversight, and Children's Health Protection [64]
To hold an oversight hearing to examine science and environmental regulatory decisions. 9:30 a.m. [SD-406] - Senate Committee on Foreign Relations [65]
To hold hearings to examine the nominations of Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat, of D541New Jersey, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Senegal, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Gillian Arlette Milovanovic, of Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Mali, Donald Gene Teitelbaum, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Ghana, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, of Louisiana, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia, Peter William Bodde, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Malawi, Donald E. Booth, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Zambia, Marianne Matuzic Myles, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Cape Verde, and Stephen James Nolan, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Botswana, all of the Department of State. 9:30 a.m. [SD-419] - Senate Committee on Foreign Relations [66]
To hold hearings to examine international Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (the ``Convention''), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on April 13, 2005, and signed on behalf of the United States of America on September 14, 2005 (Treaty Doc.110-04), amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (the ``Amendment''). A conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, adopted on October 28, 1979, adopted the Amendment on July 8, 2005, at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna (Treaty Doc.110-06), and protocol of 2005 to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (the ``2005 SUA Protocol'') and the Protocol of 2005 to the Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf (the ``2005 Fixed Platforms Protocol'') (together, ``the Protocols''), adopted by the International Maritime Organization Diplomatic Conference in London on October 14, 2005, and signed by the United States of America on February 17, 2006 (Treaty Doc. 110-08) 2:30 p.m. [SD-419] - Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs [67]
To hold hearings to examine fuel subsidies relating to food supply and prices. 10:00 a.m. [SD-342] - Senate Committee on the Judiciary [68]
To hold hearings to examine the nominations of Helene N. White, and Raymond M. Kethledge, both of Michigan, both to be United States Circuit Judges for the Sixth Circuit, and Stephen Joseph Murphy III, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan. 10:00 a.m. [SD-226] - Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights [69]
To hold hearings to examine concentration in agriculture, focusing on an examination of the JBS Swift Group acquisitions. 2:00 p.m. [SD-226] - Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights [70]
To hold hearings to examine a way forward for the United States Commission on Civil Rights. 2:30 p.m. [SD-430]
House
- House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Defense [71]
Hearing on Defense (Contracting) Outsourcing, 1:40 p.m., H-140 Capitol. - >House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Legislative Branch [72]
To continue appropriation hearings with public witnesses, 10 a.m., 2359 Rayburn. - House Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces [73]
To mark up H.R. 5658, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, 10:30 a.m., 2118 Rayburn. - House Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Military Personnel [74]
To mark up H.R. 5658, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, 11:30 a.m., 2212 Rayburn. - House Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Strategic Forces [75]
To mark up H.R. 5658, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, 1 p.m., 2118 Rayburn. - House Committee on Foreign Affairs [76]
Hearing on U.S. Foreign Policy in Pakistan: Implications for Regional Security, Stability and Development, 10 a.m., 2172 Rayburn. - House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism [77]
Hearing entitled ``Assessing the Resiliency of the Nation's Supply Chain,'' 2 p.m., 311 Cannon. - House Committee on the Judiciary, Task Force on Competition Policy and Antitrust Laws [78]
Hearing on Retail Gas, Part 1 Prices: Consumer Effects, 11 a.m., 2141 Rayburn. - House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security [79]
Hearing on Addressing Gangs: What's Effective? What's Not? 2 p.m., 2141 Rayburn. - House Committee on Natural Resources [80]
To mark up H.R. 3094, National Park Centennial Fund Act, 11 a.m., 1324 Longworth. - House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform [81]
Hearing on the Lack of Hospital Emergency Surge Capacity: Will the Administration's Medicaid Regulations Make It Worse? 10 a.m. on May 5 and 9:30 a.m. on May 7, 2154 Rayburn. - House Committee on Science and Technology [82]
To mark up H.R. 5940, National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2008, 11 a.m., 2318 Rayburn. - House Committee on Small Business, Subcommittee on Contracting and Technology [83]
Hearing on the role of small businesses in the upcoming digital television (DTV) conversion, 2 p.m., 1539 Longworth.
May 8, 2008
Senate
- Senate Committee on Appropriations, Energy and Water Development Subcommittee [84]
To hold hearings to examine the Department of Energy's decision to restructure the FutureGen program and obtain information about the elements of the original and revised approaches to advance carbon capture and storage technologies. 9:30 a.m. [SD-192] - Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation [85]
To hold hearings to examine improving the capacity of United States climate modeling for decision-makers and end-users. 2:30 p.m. [SR-253] - Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works [86]
To hold hearings to examine goods movement on our nation's highways. 10:00 a.m. [SD-406] - Senate Finance Committee [87]
To hold hearings to examine social security field offices, focusing on the resources and workforce needed to deliver quality service to the public. 10 a.m. [SD-215] - Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions [88]
To hold hearings to examine cancer relating to challenges and opportunities in the 21st century. 10:00 a.m. [SD-106] - Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs [89]
To to hold hearings to examine the nominations of Nanci E. Langley, of Virginia, to be a Commissioner of the Postal Regulatory Commission, and Andrew Saul, of New York, Alejandro Modesto Sanchez, of Florida, and Gordon James Whiting, of New York, all to be Members of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. Time to be announced [S-216, Capitol] - Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia [90]
To hold hearings to examine recruiting and hiring the next generation of federal employees. 10:00 a.m. [SD-342] - Senate Committee on the Judiciary [91]
Business meeting to consider S. 2840, to establish a liaison with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to expedite naturalization applications filed by members of the Armed Forces and to establish a deadline for processing such applications, S. 2913, to provide a limitation on judicial remedies in copyright infringement cases involving orphan works, S. 2511, to amend the grant program for law enforcement armor vests to provide for a waiver of or reduction in the matching funds requirement in the case of fiscal hardship, H.R. 4056, to establish an awards mechanism to honor Federal law enforcement officers injured in the line of duty, S. 2774, to provide for the appointment of additional Federal circuit and district judges, S. 1738, to establish a Special Counsel for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction within the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, to improve the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, to increase resources for regional computer forensic labs, and to make other improvements to increase the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute predators, S. 2756, to amend the National Child Protection Act of 1993 to establish a permanent background check system, S. 1515, to establish a domestic violence volunteer attorney network to represent domestic violence victims, S. 2504, to amend title 36, United States Code, to grant a Federal charter to the Military Officers Association of America, and S. Res. 537, commemorating and acknowledging the dedication and sacrifice made by the men and women who have lost their lives while serving as law enforcement officers. 10:00 a.m. [SD-226] - Senate Select Committee on Intelligence [92]
To hold closed hearings to examine certain intelligence matters. 2:30 p.m. [SH-219. D542]
House
- House Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Readiness [93]
To mark up H.R. 5658, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, 1 p.m., 2118 Rayburn. - House Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces [94]
To mark up H.R. 5658, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, 11 a.m., 2212 Rayburn. - House Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities [95]
To mark up H.R. 5658, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, 9 a.m., 2118 Rayburn. - House Committee on Budget [96] and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure [97]
Joint hearing on Financing Infrastructure Investments, 10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn. - House Committee on Education and Labor, Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities [98]
Hearing on The National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts: Overview of Programs and National Impact, 10 a.m., 2175 Rayburn. - House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health [99]
Hearing entitled ``Stem Cell Science: The Foundation for Future Cures,'' 10 a.m., 2322 Rayburn. - House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations [100]
Hearing entitled ``Direct-to-Consumer Advertising: Marketing, Education, or Deception,'' 10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn. - House Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity [101]
Hearing entitled ``Emergency CDBG Funds in the Gulf Coast: Uses, Challenges, and Lessons for the Future,'' 10 a.m., 2128 Rayburn. - House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia [102]
Hearing on U.S. Assistance to the Middle East: Old Tools for New Tasks? 10 a.m., 2172 Rayburn. - House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere [103]
Hearing on Central America and the Merida Initiative, 10 a.m., 2226 Rayburn. - House Committee on Homeland Security [104]
Hearing entitled ``Performance Based Acquisitions: Creating Solutions or Causing Problems?'' 10 a.m., 311 Cannon. - House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans [105]
Hearing on the following bills: H.R. 3840, To prohibit commercial fishing of Atlantic menhaden for reduction purposes in inland, State, and Federal water along the Atlantic coast of the United States, and for other purposes; and H.R. 3841, To prohibit the commercial harvesting of Atlantic menhaden for reduction purposes in the coastal waters and the exclusive economic zone, 10 a.m., 1324 Longworth. - House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water and Power [106]
Hearing on the following bills: H.R. 155, Lower Brule and Crow Creek Tribal Compensation Act; H.R. 5511, Leadville D543Mine Drainage Tunnel Remediation Act of 2008; and H.R. 5710, Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System Authorization Act, 10 a.m., 1334 Longworth. - House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform [107]
Hearing on EPA's New Ozone Standards, 10 a.m., 2154 Rayburn. - House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia [108]
Hearing on The Economics of Universal Mail Post PAEA, 2 p.m., 2154 Rayburn. - House Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Research and Science Education [109]
Hearing on Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Act of 2008, 10 a.m., 2318 Rayburn. - House Committee on Small Business [110]
Hearing entitled ``Medicare Physician Fee Cuts: Can Small Practices Survive,'' 10 a.m., 1539 Longworth. - House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support [111]
Hearing on the Utilization of Psychotropic Medication for Children in Foster Care, 10 a.m., B-318 Rayburn. - House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence [112]
To mark up the Fiscal Year 2009 Intelligence Authorization, 9 a.m., H-405 Capitol.