Legislative Update

A cloture motion failed along party lines trying to force a vote on the Warner-Lieberman bill (S 3036). Discussion of the appalling S 3044 continued with a cloture motion set for Tuesday. HR 6049 was also brought to the Senate. The House, as expected, did not get around to considering the Iraq/Afghanistan appropriations bill, and it may get put off another week or two still. Next week should be more of the same.

HR 3022- Naming a California wilderness area and expanding Sequoia national park.

HR 2632- Establishing a wilderness area in New Mexico.

HR 3682- Establishing a wilderness area in California.

HRes 1158- Celebrating the 100th anniverary of Ozark National Forest

HR 5680- Assorted Native American law changes

S 2516- To make Homeland Security help soldiers become naturalized citizens by sharing information with INS.

HR 5938- To provide secret service protection to former Vice Presidents.

HR 5593- Gives the Comptroller General responsibility over certain parts of the federal record. Nominally, this is for paperwork reduction, though I have no verification of the effects of this bill.

S 188- Changes the name of a bill that was passed two years ago from the "Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006" to the "Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Cesar E. Chavez, Barbara C. Jordan, William C. Velasquez, and Dr. Hector P. Garcia Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006" because the title did not reflect enough diversity without having a couple latinos. My respect for the sponsor of the bill, Ken Salazar, has fallen a bit.

HRes____- Mournging the passage of Bo Diddley.

HRes 1229- Celebrating our nations valedictorians, who really need to get a life.

HRes 1225- Supporting the naming of June "National Safety Month".

HR 5524- Expanding the Runaway and Homeless youth act. Increases the budget of youth homeless center to provide an expansion of services. Increases maximum length of stay and increases eligibility age range. Requires regular statistical reporting on the incidence of youth homelessness. Creates an ad campaign and creates a mechanism for public comment on program priorities. Makes sexual abuse prevention a priority. All this for $180,000,000 in 2009, plus $150,000,000 per year until 2013, plus whatever is deemed necessary by the agency.

HR 4926- A grant program to put external defibrilators in schools. Two things bother me about this. First, we can't stop troublemakers from pulling the fire alarm; what is going to stop them from electrocuting each other? Second, how much will it cost? A: "(f) Authorization of Appropriations- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2013." Blank cheques from the government bother me.

HRes 1243- Celebrating father's day (June 15th, if you forgot) and fatherhood in general.

HRes 127- Celebrating 50 years of Alaska!

HR 5683- Amending (increasing) GAO employee compensation. A very long bill that you are probably not interested in unless you work for the GAO.

HR 5778- To mandate the independance of the DC water authority.

S 1245- Reduces the scope of the National Capital Region Mutual Aid agreement, in that fewer people and agencies are touched by the law.

HRes 1063- 225th anniversary of the Treaty of Paris 1783.

HRes 1127- Condemning everything bad about the Arab media, from censorship to anti-semitism (which is rather ironic, properly understood).

HConRes 318- Supporting the International Year of Sanitation.

HConRes 332- Recognizing the 60th year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

HConRes 337- Recognizing the 15th year of Seeds of Peace.

HConRes 336- Honouring disabled vets.

HRes 1235- Supporting, but not doing anything about, designating a D-Day rememberance day.

HRes 1010- Recognizing the importance of manufatured housing in America (as opposed to living in natural housing like caves?).

S 602- Awarding the congressional gold medal to Edward William Brooke III.

HRes 1145- Celebrating the 100th year of American credit unions.

S 254- Awarding a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal to Constantino Brumidi.

HR 3229- Authorizing a coin to commemerate the national infantry museum.

HR 2268- Authorizing a mothers day coin.

HR 1553- The childhood cancer bill from last week that got pushed back to this week.

HRes 977- Expressing the sense of the House that stimulus cheques should be spent on American goods and services.

S 2146- Permits the EPA to accept, as part of settlement agreements, a promise to reduce diesel emissions.

HRes 1236- Being sad about some tornado in Iowa.

HR 6003- Various railway expansions and funds. Will be covered fully later.

HR 6063- Reauthorizes NASA. I like space, so I will go through this also.

Note that HR 2642, the Iraq/Afghanistan supplemental appropriations bill, could come up near the end of the week, although it probably won't. When it does, it will be covered.

Note further that HR 5749, which would extend unemployment benefits, may also come up this week, but probably won't.

Note finally that if either S 3036 or S 3044 pass the Senate, I will cover them. Have a nice day.