Congress this week may send a housing relief package [3] to President Bush for his signature. The other major action in the House and Senate will be on energy-related measures, as both Republicans and Democrats propose fixes for high energy prices. There is also a primary election in Georgia [4] this week, as we prepare for the fall election season.

Federal officials announced early this morning that the government would take steps to shore up Fannie Mae [5] and Freddie Mac [6], the government-founded companies that finance about half of the home loans issued in the United States. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson [7] said the companies would be allowed to borrow money from the Federal Reserve, and the government might invest directly in the privately-held firms if their situation worsens. The steps are unprecedented, but officials have said the companies’ failure would cause further damage to America’s housing market and the overall economy.

Increased oversight of the firms is a central idea in the housing package [3] approved by the Senate last week.

Under the measure, a new full-time regulator would be appointed to oversee government-sponsored enterprises, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In addition, the Senate legislation would prevent the firms from repackaging certain mortgages and selling them as securities, though House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank [8] (D-Mass.) wants to remove that provision.

The bill, which is designed to help banks and homeowners impacted by a worsening credit market, has broad support for its major provisions. It would reform the Federal Housing Administration's mortgage insurance program, and provide $300 billion in insurance to allow some homeowners on the brink of foreclosure to refinance their mortgages. Still, differences remain: when the House takes up the measure this week, some "blue dog" Democratic representatives will likely try to find funding offsets - spending cuts or tax raises - for the $3.9 billion the bill grants to local communities to purchase, refurbish and sell foreclosed homes.

On the energy front, it is a return to partisan politics this week, as each chamber considers measures designed to reduce prices. Republicans in the Senate are introducing a bill that would allow states to decide whether drilling offshore should be permitted 50 miles from their coasts. Their Democratic colleagues want instead to encourage development in areas that are already open for drilling. The Democrats' legislation would require the Bureau of Land Management to offer production leases every year — twice as often as happens now — in Alaska's 23 million-acre National Petroleum Reserve. Democrats in the House are proposing a ban on exporting oil produced in Alaska.

Meanwhile, both chambers are considering legislation, such as the Energy Markets Emergency Act of 2008 [9], to reign in speculation in the oil market.

Georgia [4] will hold its congressional primary tomorrow, the first since Utah voters went to the polls almost a month ago. Between now and September 20, twenty-two states will hold nominating contests for congressional seats. Congresspedia's citizen-journalists are on the case, fact-checking information on races and updating biographies and policy positions for hundreds of candidates. This is all part of our Wiki the Vote project [10], and we need your help too: if you know something about the candidates in your state, please add that information to their profile. You can always contact [11] one of the staff editors for help.

Finally, here are this week's committee schedules:

July 15, 2008

Senate

• Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs [12] Hearings to examine the semiannual monetary policy report to Congress. SR-325 10:00 am
• Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security [13] Hearings to examine summer air travel, focusing on addressing congestion and delay. SR-253 10:00 am
• Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources [14] Hearings to examine S.3233, to promote development of a 21st century energy system to increase United States competitiveness in the world energy technology marketplace, and S.2730, to facilitate the participation of private capital and skills in the strategic, economic, and environmental development of a diverse portfolio of clean energy and energy efficiency technologies within the United States, to facilitate the commercialization and market penetration of the technologies. SD-366 10:00 am
• Senate Finance Committee [15] Hearings to examine international enforcement of intellectual property rights and American competitiveness. 10:00 am SD-215
• Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs [16] Hearings to examine the nomination of Gus P. Coldebella, of Massachusetts, to be General Counsel, Department of Homeland Security. SD-342 10:00 am
• Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions [17] Hearings to examine the Americans with Disabilities Act (Public Law 101-336), focusing on ways to determine the proper scope of coverage. SD-106 10:00 am
• Senate Foreign Relations Committee [18] Hearings to examine the crisis in Zimbabwe and prospects for its resolution. SD-419 10:15 am
• Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights [19] Hearings to examine the Google-Yahoo agreement, focusing on the future of internet advertising. 10:30 am SD-226
• Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe [20] Hearings to examine the Supreme Courts recent decision in Boumediene v. Bush, focusing on foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay detention facility. RHOB-2200

House

• Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water and Power [21] to mark up the following bills: H.R. 3437, Jackson Gulch Rehabilitation Act of 2007; H.R. 2535, Tule River Tribe Water Development Act; and H.R. 5293, Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation Water Rights Settlement Act, 10 a.m., 1324 Longworth.
• Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs [22] hearing on AFRICOM: Rationales, Roles, and Progress on the Eve of Operations, 10 a.m., 2154 Rayburn.
• Committee on Veterans’ Affairs [23] to mark up pending legislation, 10 a.m., 334 Cannon.
• Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation [24] oversight hearing on Low-Level Plutonium Spill at NIST-Boulder; Contamination of Lab and Personnel, 11 a.m., 2325 Rayburn.
• Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security [25] hearing on the following bills: H.R. 6064, National Silver Alert Act; H.R. 5898, Silver Alert Grant Program Act of 2008; and H.R. 423, Kristen's Act Reauthorization of 2007, 2 p.m., 2237 Rayburn.
• Committee on Rules [26] to consider the following bills: H.R. 5959, Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009; and H.R. 3999, National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act of 2007, 2:30 p.m., H-313 Capitol.
• Committee on Science and Technology [24] to consider the following bills: H.R. 3957, Water Use Efficiency and Conservation Research Act; H.R. 2339, Produced Water Utilization Act of 2007; and H.R. 6323, To establish a research, development, demonstration, and commercial application program to promote research of appropriate technologies for heavy duty plug-in hybrid vehicles, and for other purposes.

July 16, 2008

Senate

• Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety [27] Hearings to examine the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's licensing and relicensing processes for nuclear power plants. SD-406 10:00 am
• Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs [16] Hearings to examine global nuclear detection architecture, focusing on ways to build domestic defenses to combat a possible future attack. SD-342 10:00 am
• Senate Committee on the Judiciary [19] Hearings to examine the Administration's detainee policies and the fight against terrorism, focusing on sound legal foundations. SD-226 10:00 am
• Senate Committee on Rules and Administration [28] Hearings to examine administrative and management operations of the United States Capitol Police. SR-301 10:00 am
• Senate Special Committee on Aging [29] Hearings to examine smart ways Americans can save for their retirement. SD-562 10:30 am
• Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe [20] Hearings to examine racism in the 21st century, focusing on understanding global challenges and implementing solutions. RHOB-B318 11:00 am
• Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia [16] Hearings to examine the human capital crisis at the Department of State, focusing on its global implications. SD-342 2:00 pm
• Senate Committee on Armed Services [30] To receive a closed briefing on the status of negotiations with Iraq on a strategic framework agreement and a status of forces agreement. SR-222 2:30 pm
• Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests [14] Hearings to examine S.2354, S.3065, S.3085, H.R.3473, H.R.3490, H.R.3651, H.R.2632, and S.2448 SD-366 2:30 pm
• Senate Foreign Relations Committee [18] Closed hearings to examine North Korea's declaration of the Six-Party Talks. S-407 2:30 pm
• Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on Children and Families [17] Hearings to examine childhood obesity, focusing on declining health of America’s next generation (Part I). SD-430 2:30 pm

House

• Committee on Science and Technology [24] to consider the following bills: H.R. 3957, Water Use Efficiency and Conservation Research Act; H.R. 2339, Produced Water Utilization Act of 2007; and H.R. 6323, To establish a research, development, demonstration, and commercial application program to promote research of appropriate technologies for heavy duty plug-in hybrid vehicles, and for other purposes.
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit [31] hearing on Improving Roadway Safety: Assessing the Effectiveness of the NHTSA's Highway Traffic Safety Programs, 10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn.

• Committee on Natural Resources [21] to mark up the following bills: H.R. 160, Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Protection Act; H.R. 4828, Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site Boundary Expansion Act of 2007; H.R. 5751, Walnut Canyon Study Act of 2008; H.R. 5853, Minute Man National Historical Park Boundary Revision Act; H.R. 6176, To authorize the expansion of the Fort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, Texas, and for other purposes; H.R. 6177, Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River Extension Act of 2008; H.R. 2933, Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2007; H.R. 3299, To provide for a boundary adjustment and land conveyances involving Roosevelt National Forest, Colorado, to correct the effects of an erroneous land survey that resulted in approximately 7 acres of the Crystal Lakes Subdivision, Ninth Filing, encroaching on National Forest System land; H.R. 3336, Camp Hale Historic District Study Act; H.R. 3849, Box Elder Utah D879Land Conveyance Act; H.R. 3437, Jackson Gulch Rehabilitation Act of 2007; H.R. 2535, Tule River Tribe Water Development Act; H.R. 5293, Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation Water Rights Settlement Act; and H.R. 5350, To authorize the Secretary of Commerce to sell or exchange certain National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration property located in Norfolk, Virginia, and for other purposes, 11 a.m., 1324 Longworth.

• Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on Domestic Policy [22] hearing on Examining Contractor Performance and Government Management of Retroactive Pay for Retired Veterans with Disabilities, 11:30 a.m., 2154 Rayburn.
• Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security [25] hearing on the Reauthorization of the U.S. Parole Commission, 4 p.m., 2237 Rayburn.

July 17, 2008

Senate

• Senate Committee on Indian Affairs [32] An oversight hearing to examine tracking sex offenders in Indian country, focusing on tribal implementation of the Adam Walsh Act (Public Law 109-248). SD-562 9:30 am
• Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Investigations [16] Hearings to examine financial institutions located in offshore tax havens, focusing on ways to strengthen United States domestic and international tax enforcement efforts. SD-106 9:30 am
• Senate Finance Committee [15] Hearings to examine leveraging innovation to improve health care quality for all Americans. SD-215 10:00 am
• Senate Committee on the Judiciary [19] Business meeting to consider S.3155, S.2746, and S.3061. SD-226 10:00 am
• Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works [27] Hearings to examine ways to make the nation's highways safer for travelers. 10:30 am SD-408
• Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery [16] Hearings to examine major disaster recovery assessing the performance of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) since October 2007. SD-342 2:30 pm

House

• Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Human Intelligence, Analysis and Counterterrorism [33] executive, briefing on Hot Spots, 8:45 a.m., H-405 Capitol.
• Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Strategic Forces [34] hearing on nuclear weapons complex modernization, 10 a.m., 2212 Rayburn.
• Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support [33] hearing on Establishing a Modern Poverty Measure, 10 a.m., B-318 Rayburn.
• Committee on Small Business [35] hearing on Small Business Administration's Contracting Programs and Recent GAO Examination of Programs, 10 a.m., 1539 Rayburn.
• Committee on Education and Labor [36] hearing on Mayor and Superintendent Partnerships in Education: Closing the Achievement Gap, 10 a.m., 2175 Rayburn.
• Committee on Oversight and Government Reform [22] hearing on Business Practices in the Individual Health Insurance Market: Terminations of Coverage, 10 a.m., 2154 Rayburn.
• Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere [37] hearing on Venezuela: Looking Ahead, 10:30 a.m., 2172 Rayburn.