Coming This Week in Congress

By Congresspedia assistant editor Avelino Maestas

As Americans rush to finish their tax returns on Tuesday, Congress is also hustling to finish the Farm Bill and a housing crisis package while gearing up for fights over Iraq War funding.

The 2002 Farm bill is set to expire on April 18th, and members of both chambers are scrambling to work out an extension. Substantial debate remains, however, over the bill's overall price tag: the $10 billion increase initially floated has been countered by House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), who, with the support of House Republicans, wants to limit the increase to $5.5 billion.

Peterson’s proposal would also strip out a disaster relief program championed by Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.). Peterson cited "pay as you go" rules as his reason for opposing the program. On the flip side, Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) was upset that his proposed food stamps increase, coupled with tax breaks for farmers, was left out of the Senate version.

(More on this weeks' legislation and a complete list of this week's committee hearings after the jump.)

Senators and representatives return to work today following a two-week recess to once again find the struggling economy dictating their schedules. The mortgage crisis is continuing, and home foreclosures are on the rise. In addition, cities across the country are bracing for an oversupply of housing units as construction of new homes and condos—began while the housing bubble was at its peak—is completed. Meanwhile, taxpayers are waiting for rebate checks that were part of a stimulus package approved last month.

In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid wants to vote on a second stimulus package meant to relieve pressure on the housing market and on homeowners. Under the Senate measure, municipalities would share $4 billion in grants for the restoration of foreclosed homes. The bill would also provide $200 million for loan counselors, and would amend bankruptcy law to allow judges to modify mortgages for individuals on the verge of bankruptcy.

The bankruptcy provision is a bitter pill for the banking industry, which has lobbied for its removal from the legislation. In addition, Senate Republicans are striving to insert their own amendments: a limit on plaintiff attorneys’ fees and an extension of President George W. Bush’s 2001 tax cuts.

While there’s plenty to get done on the economic front, Congress will also take up legislation regarding the Iraq war in April. House leaders are drafting an “emergency” supplemental spending bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, since Pentagon officials have refused to include the wars in their normal budget requests. Democrats are saddling the legislation with a slew of domestic priorities, hoping to force tough votes for GOP members.

There's more—including committee meeting schedules—after the break.

The House and Senate will begin laying the groundwork for the 2009 federal budget this week, with proposals coming from the Senate Finance Committee and from the House and Senate budget and appropriations committees. Also this week, a compromise might be reached on electronic surveillance, with some saying a bill could head to the President by the end of next week.

The budget proposals — to be unveiled on Wednesday — are produced with two separate frameworks: each resolution is non-binding, but includes policy priorities in “reserve funds” and “reconciliation” instructions. Reconciliation instructions are provided to authorizing committees, which then produce a set dollar amount to fund policy priorities based on spending and taxation. The reserve funds, on the other hand, must follow “paygo” rules, and be offset by revenue increases or spending cuts.

Bush Administration officials have already threatened a veto for any budget proposals that exceeds the president' spending goals.

More on FISA, ethics reform, consumer protection and the week's committee schedules below...

With the Senate approving an economic package last week, it looks like Congress can now return to some issues that were put on hold while the stimulus plan was crafted.

For example, while both the House and Senate approved a Farm bill last year, the chambers never met to iron out their differences. Earlier his month, the Senate announced conferees, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is expected to do the same tomorrow.

One possible snag may be subsidies for farmers: President Bush has threatened a veto if subsidies are included for individuals making more than $200,000 per year. Another might be the Sen. Finance Committee: Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) wants to check the bill for tax loopholes that can be closed.

A quick update on FISA, the FARM bill and the budget are after the break, along with committee schedules.

The same fears of recession that are fueling quick Congressional action on an economic stimulus package are also forcing President Bush to submit a budget that trims spending on popular programs. However, despite any belt-tightening, the stimulus package will likely push the budget deficit to $400 billion, the highest since 2004 (though lower in real terms due to inflation) and a figure that will tie lawmakers’ hands heading into the 2008 elections.

The FY 2009 Federal Budget is the first to break the $3 trillion threshold. In it, Bush aims to increase defense spending by five percent, but will propose reductions in Medicaid and some education programs. Others, like the Early Start reading program, would be eliminated entirely.

The Senate will resume its review of the stimulus bill today, including amendments that would extend unemployment benefits for 13 weeks and would provide tax rebates for seniors and disabled veterans. Also up for consideration: food stamp extensions, low-income heating assistance, and home investment incentives.

For more on the budget, the FISA debate in the Senate, and committee schedules for the week, check after the break.

By Congresspedia Assistant Editor Avelino Maestas

With the State of the Union address out of the way, all eyes should return to Congress’ most pressing issues: FISA reform and an economic stimulus package.

It looks like Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), is going to spoil the stimulus party, introducing his own economic stimulus bill to rival the compromise version reached by President Bush and the House of Representatives. Baucus — the Senate Finance Committee chairman — said rebates for seniors, extended benefits for the long-term unemployed, and tax relief for businesses were the key components of the Senate plan, which is backed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

The Senate bill would issue rebate checks for most Americans: in this case $500 for just about everybody or $1,000 for couples, rather than the tiered system favored by Bush and the House. That bill would begin phasing out rebates for individuals making more than $75,000, and for couples making more than $150,000.

The House is expected to vote on their version of the package this afternoon, meaning a conference committee will have to sort out the differences before the bill can move on to the White House. Bush urged quick passage of a stimulus bill during his State of the Union address on Monday.

Prior to the president’s speech, Senators continued their legislative tug-of-war over electronic intelligence reform. More on the debate, and the history of FISA legislation, after the break.

Markets overseas on Monday reacted to a potential US recession with near panic, and American stocks saw a sharp drop today when they reopened, providing further incentive to Congressional leaders hoping to develop an economic stimulus plan this week.

Stocks later erased their losses, after the Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate by 3/4 of a point. Lawmakers are meeting with President Bush today to talk about a package of tax rebates, incentives and other measures meant to stave off a recession. They hope to have a plan developed by the State of the Union speech next Monday. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has said he thinks Congress can pass a stimulus plan by March 1.

Several high profile issues may be pushed to the wings as the economy takes over the spotlight, but that doesn’t mean we’re not keeping an eye on things for you here at Congresspedia. FISA reform, defense appropriations and children’s health care will all see votes this week. There’s more below the fold, including committee schedules for the week.

By Avelino Maestas, Assistant Managing Editor, Congresspedia

Congress is back up to half-strength this week, following the winter recess. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) kept the Senate in a special “pro forma” session in a bid to prevent President Bush from making any recess appointments. That didn’t stop Bush from attempting a pocket veto on the Defense Appropriations Act, which funds the Defense Department and provides money for soldier and sailor enlistment bonuses.

This week in Congress, Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid will face dissent within his caucus this week when the Senate debates policy for conducting intelligence gathering within the U.S. It also appears Congress will finally approve a $515 billion spending package, capping months of continuing resolutions and partisan feuding over the 2008 federal budget. President Bush may also have a comprehensive energy bill to sign by week’s end, if the House can approve the Senate’s weakened version of the CLEAN Energy Act. Medicare and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program will likely see votes as well.

FISA Revamp
The Senate today will take up reform of the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act, the 1978 law that regulated the nation’s intelligence gathering apparatus and its application at home and abroad. Lawmakers will debate the RESTORE Act, a successor of the Protect America Act, which included temporary changes to FISA. The PAA expires in February, necessitating Congressional action for reforms to continue.

Two versions of the RESTORE Act have been pushed in the Senate: one by the Intelligence Committee and another by the Judiciary Committee. The Judiciary bill varies from the Intelligence version in several respects: it prohibits the bulk surveillance of foreign telecom traffic that is not directed at a specific person or source. The Judiciary bill also mandates an audit of past National Security Agency activities (which may have been illegal) and requires a court review of activities that are directed against American citizens regardless of whether they are the target of a specific investigation.

However, the most glaring difference is telecom immunity. The Intelligence version grants phone and internet companies retroactive protection from prosecution for their cooperation with the Bush administration in surveilling American citizens. The Judiciary version of the bill does not contain immunity, and the bill approved by the House in October. Bush has threatened to veto any bill that does not include the immunity.

Reid will introduce the Intelligence version today. Sens. Chris Dodd and Russ Feingold have heatedly opposed the bill, and Dodd has threatened a filibuster as well.

This week: Time is running out to pass the (already overdue) federal budget (including funding for Iraq and Afghanistan), energy and climate legislation, fixing the Alternative Minimum Tax, the Farm Bill and hearings on the erased waterboarding videotapes.

The federal budget and Iraq funding:Lawmakers are quickly running out of time to pass the 2008 federal budget as the last continuing resolution (which continues funding the government at 2007 levels) will expire at the end of the week, and a looming holiday recess is fast approaching.

The House and Senate will take up an omnibus spending package this week that will contain the funding for the remaining 15 cabinet departments and other agencies comprising the federal government (the Defense Department spending bill was approved last month). Democrats – who had already reduced the amount of spending contained in the package over President Bush's budget request from $22 billion to $11 billion – are planning to sweeten the deal further by including funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The last time House Democrats offered an Iraq spending bill, they included language requiring troop reductions, with a full withdrawal complete by December 2008. That bill was defeated in the Senate, where it fell short of the 60 votes required to end debate and move to a vote.

The Democratic plan is now to get the ball rolling in the House, introducing a spending package with $30 billion in funding for Afghanistan, in a move designed to appease anti-war progressives who want to end the Iraq war but one that is ultimately fairly empty, since everyone acknowledges that the Department of Defense will likely shift that money to continue funding Iraq. The Senate will then introduce an amendment including as much as $70 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan.

By cutting the strings to withdrawal from the Iraq funding, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hope to win over enough Republicans to override a presidential veto. However, though details of the spending package haven’t been disclosed, President Bush has already threatened to veto the measure.