The lights may be out in the House, but there is still plenty of unfinished business waiting for them in Washington.

This Week in the People's House
August 29, 2010
By Bobby Frederick

No votes in the House of Representatives this week as Congress continues its August Recess. The House returns for legislative business on Tuesday, September 14th and has scheduled 16 days of session before the 2010 Midterm Elections.

There is a long list of outstanding business that raises many questions:

Q: What is the House to do with the ten remaining appropriations measures it has yet to pass?

Likely A: The House and Senate will pass a continuing resolution to cover appropriations between the beginning of Fiscal Year 2011 (October 1, 2010) through some date in November when Congress returns for a lame duck. They will also likely roll up any outstanding appropriations bills into a single omnibus package.

Q: What will Congress do about the Estate Tax?

A: Die this year and pay no taxes on your estate. Die next year and the government will tax your estate up to 55%. Politicians, reporters and sports fans alike pointed this out after the death of George Steinbrenner.

Search for "estate tax" on thomas.loc.gov and you'll see that Congress has introduced 63 pieces of legislation that address the estate tax issue. On one extreme, Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) has introduced a bill that would repeal the estate (or death) tax outright. Meanwhile, on the other extreme, Senator Sanders (I-VT) has a bill that would maintain that 55% tax rate and make the estate tax retroactive to 2010. Somewhere in the middle, Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AK) and Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) have a bill that sets the estate tax rate at 35% with a $5 million exemption.

Some believe this will happen before the November Election while others think this is more likely lame duck session material. I side with the latter and think the reform will look similar to Lincoln/Kyl.


Q. What's this I hear about the Childhood Nutrition Reauthorization?

A. Normally, the House is waiting on the Senate to pass legislation, but in the case of the Child Nutrition Act, the ball is in the House's court. Operating under the premise that healthy foods foster healthy minds, the CNA began as a complement to the National School Lunch Program in 1966. However, without further action by the House, the CNA will expire at the end of September.

Before leaving for recess, the Senate passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, a 10-year, $4.5 billion increased reauthorization of the CNA by unanimous consent. This bill aims to address our obesity problem by putting healthier food in schools. President Obama had asked for $10 billion in additional funds, while the House Bill currently boosts funding by $8 billion. House action is likely in September.

Current Balance of the House is 433 members: 255 Democrats, 178 Republicans and 2 vacancies (NY-29 & IN-3). Enjoy this abbreviated version of The People's House!

Big News This Week

-More bad news on the economic home front as housing prices declined more than 27 percent and the actual 2nd quarter GDP growth was downgraded to 1.6 percent putting a damper on the "Recovery Summer".

-President Obama visited New Orleans today to mark the 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Archived coverage here.

-Republican Minority Leader John Boehner, (the man who would be Speaker) took his talents to Cleveland to discuss Republican ideas on the economy and suggest that the White House fire its economic team. Meanwhile, Vice President Biden hit back by criticizing President Bush and House Republicans when they ran the majority.

-It was a weekend of rallies in our Nation's Capital. Glenn Beck hosted his "Restoring Honor" event at the Lincoln Memorial which featured the likes of, Sarah Palin, Tony Larussa and Albert Pujols. -Meanwhile, Reverend Al Sharpton hosted his "Reclaim the Dream" event, honoring the 47th Anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial. -Photos here and here.

Editors Note: Whether it's a Presidential Inauguration, rally, or protest, I do my best to experience big events in D.C. with my own two eyes. This past Saturday, I took a run down the National Mall towards the World War II Memorial and caught a glimpse of the "Restoring Honor" rally. I couldn't put a number on it, but the place was packed, with much enthusiasm (to the point of traveling to Washington during the hottest month of the year, and when Congress is out of session) on display. You couldn't hear much of the speech near the WWII Memorial (due to the awesome crashing water of the fountains), but it seemed as though people wanted to be there for the experience, playing the part of a group thirsty for change. This type of enthusiasm could bring a new brand of Republican to the Congress in 2011.

The People's House Politics Extra - 65 days until the 2010 Midterm Election

-There is evidence that even some democrats fear the House may already be lost.

-Democrat and Republican incumbents alike are avoiding party labels while campaigning.

-Biggest incumbent upset of the season may have occurred in Alaska with Tea Party candidate Joe Miller currently ahead of Senator Lisa Murkowski.

-No primaries this week.

The House gets back to recess

This Week in the People's House

August 22, 2010

By Bobby Frederick

After an emergency one-day session on August 10th, the People's House spent the week of August 15th in complete recess. There are three full weeks of recess left before the House reconvenes on Tuesday, September 14th.

Among the business the House will have to consider before the end of the year - if not before the November 2nd election - are outstanding appropriations measures. So far, the House has passed just two of the twelve FY 2011 Appropriations measures (military and transportation). Last year, the House managed to pass all twelve appropriations bills before the August recess.

Did you know: In 1789 it took just ONE appropriations bill to pay for the needs of our nation. The cost? $639,000. Oh what a difference a couple hundred years makes.

Finally, there are only 16 days scheduled for the remainder of the 111th Congress. Lame duck appears guaranteed.

Current Balance of the House is 433 members: 255 Democrats, 178 Republicans and 2 vacancies (NY-29 & IN-3). Enjoy this abbreviated version of The People's House!

Big News This Week - Iraq, Ethics, Food Safety

Ahead of President Obama's August 31st deadline, the last U.S. combat brigade left Iraq on Thursday, August 19th. 50,000 U.S. troops will remain in Iraq and continue to be in harm's way. According to the Department of Defense, as of August 20th there have been 4,419 U.S. fatalities in Iraq since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Thank you for your sacrifice and service.

After being convicted of one count of lying to federal agents, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is officially a convicted felon. This count carries a maximum of five years in prison. Jurors were deadlocked (11-1) on the remaining 23 counts. A hearing will be held on August 26th to discuss a second trial. Blagojevich hinted that Obama administration officials would be called to testify in round 2.

In news for anyone who eats, Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa has recalled 380 MILLION eggs after hundreds were sickened by salmonella. Update from the FDA. Legislative note: It took two cracks, but the House passed H.R. 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act on July 30, 2009. The legislation aims to bolster food facility inspections, improve food traceability and allow mandatory quarantines The Senate is expected to act on its version of food safety legislation in September.

The People's House Political Extra - 72 days until the 2010 Midterm Elections

-Last week, respected election handicapper, Charlie Cook predicted that Republicans would take back the House. They need 39 seats to do so. Cook predicts 35-45 and believes this is a "conservative" estimate.

-The GOP now tops Democrats on the generic ballot by 12 points. This is the largest lead for Republicans since Rasmussen Reports started polling the question.

-The Democrat campaign arm for House races may hold the overall cash advantage, but for the fourth month in a row, the National Republican Campaign Committee outraised the DCCC.

-Alaska, Arizona, Florida and Vermont all hold Primary Elections on Tuesday, August 24th.

After abruptly returning from the "District Work Period" to pass a $26.1 billion state relief measure, the House is in recess for the next four weeks.

This Week in the People's House
8/15/2010
By Bobby Frederick

No one liked having their recess cut short in grade school and the same can be said for the men and women we elect to represent us in Washington.

Many lawmakers cut family vacations short, rescheduled town hall meetings and took a rain check on previously scheduled events to come back to the Nation's Capital to do the job they were elected to do. The most significant vote this week was on the question of whether or not to extend $26.1 billion in state aid that would bolster Medicaid coffers and prevent teacher layoffs.

Convening briefly on Monday, August 9th (first vote at 12:39 p.m. on 8/10) and adjourning on Tuesday, August 10th (last vote at 3:26 p.m.), the House registered 4 votes for the week. For the fifth legislative week in a row, Democrat's cancelled session for Friday. The House was in session for exactly 6 hours.

Current Balance of the House is 433 members: 255 Democrats, 178 Republicans and 2 vacancies (NY-29 & IN-3).

Rule Bills

H.R. 1586- The FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act introduced by Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY)

Don't be fooled by the title, the Senate merely used H.R. 1586 (there is no FAA language in it) as a vehicle for the $26.1 billion Medicaid and teachers funding. They passed this legislation on August 5th, setting the stage for the House to return and act. In a cosmetic embarrassment, leadership forgot to give the bill an actual name.

Quick Summary: Medicaid- $16.1 billion goes towards helping states administer Medicaid. Many governors reportedly had figured in this extra-federal assistance into their budgets and would therefore be forced to cut essential services (i.e. public safety) if the federal government did not step in.

Before the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (popularly referred to as "the stimulus") the minimum federal dollar match for Medicaid programs was 50%. The stimulus raised the minimum to 56% through the end of 2010 and H.R. 1586 would provide for increased rates through June of 2011.

Teacher's Funding- Within 45 days of this bill becoming law, the Department of Education could provide $10 billion to prevent teachers from being laid off.

How do you pay for all of this?: Democrats created a tough policy choice for lawmakers by paying for this new Medicaid and teachers funding through a $11.9 billion cut in the food stamp program and almost $11 billion in tax policy changes, including one often utilized by U.S. based multinational companies. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) ruled that this legislation would reduce the deficit by $1.37 billion over a 10-year period.

The Arguments: During debate, Democrats argued that his funding was necessary to stave of state budget shortfalls and protect the jobs of 160,000 teachers.

Meanwhile,Republicans painted this as a payoff to the teachers unions, an endorsement of a failed stimulus and yet another bailout that prompts the question, "Where will it all end?"

The Vote: The House comfortably passed the Senate Amendments to H.R. 1586 by a vote of 247-161 (Voting YES- 245 D's & 2 R's : Voting NO- 3 D's & 158 R's (25 not voting)). President Obama signed this measure into law just a few hours after House passage.

LAME DUCK

Because Democrats are projected to experience losses in both the House and Senate, chatter has turned to whether or not the Congress will engage in a substantial post-midterm-election lame duck session as a last ditch effort to push through stalled aspects of President Obama's agenda (i.e. an administration official indicated there was the potential to consider climate change in a lame duck session).

Republican Tom Price of Georgia offered a resolution seeking to prevent a lame duck unless a "sudden emergency" occurred, requiring action by Congress. However, this resolution was disposed of by a vote of 236-163 (Voting YES- 235 D's & 1 R : Voting NO- 6 D's & 157 R's (33 not voting)).

Border Funding Suspension

The House passedH.R. 6080, making $600 million in emergency appropriations for border security, introduced by Congressman David Price (D-NC). The measure provides funding for 1,500 border patrol agents and communications equipment with the goal of stifling illegal immigration. The measure passed by voice-vote in the House on August 10th, 1 Senator came back to Washington to usher this through the Senate on August 12th, and President Obama signed the funding into law on August 13th.

The People's House Political Extra!!! (79 days until the 2010 Midterm Elections)

1) This week, the editor in me was forced to think back to the teachings of my old high school football coach who always touted the virtue of sticking together. A sure sign of a team in disarray and fixing to lose, he argued, is a team that fights amongst themselves. If football imitates politics, a number of stories this week spell trouble for Congressional Democrats.

- August 8th, Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) talks about the inevitability of losing seats in the House and points the finger at conservative Democrats- "I think a lot of the House seats we’re going to lose are those who have been the toughest for the Democrats to pull into line — the Democrats that have been the most difficult.”

-August 10th, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs lashes out at the "professional left" -liberals who are critical of President Obama. Gibbs said, "They will be satisfied when we have Canadian healthcare and we've eliminated the pentagon. That's not reality."

-August 14th- Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) urges liberals to take on conservative Democrats in future primaries (if they are in safe districts).

2) Ethics troubles can be fatal to the party in power - just ask Republicans from 2006.

-Facing ethics charges, Democrat Congressman Charles Rangel took to the House floor to defend himself. During the 30 minute appearance (courtesy of our friends at C-SPAN) Rangel remarked, "If I was you I may want me to go away too. I am not going away. I am here." Speaker Nancy Pelosi had reportedly tried to talk Rangel out of the floor appearance.

-Another Democrat facing ethical heat, Maxine Waters (D-CA), gave a 1 hour and 15 minute press conference defending herself against accusations that she used her position to steer TARP money to a bank where her husband owned stock.

3) The Economy, Democrats who've given themselves a chance and the mosque controversy:

-Latest WSJ/NBC poll shows pessimism on the economy and political leaders.

-A look at three conservative democrats who have bettered their chances at re-election by opposing big ticket items on the President's agenda. How do you run in a climate that makes it hard to tout your party's achievements?

-An issue that once was only big among DC and NY pundits jumped to the national forefront on Friday night as President Obama, speaking at a White House Ramadan dinner, defended the right for Muslims to build a Mosque near ground zero. On Saturday, the President appeared to walk-back these comments.

Note: The People's House is in recess until September 14th. However, this People's House will be back at it again next week.

Recess fake-out edition: One day to pass a $26.1 billion state aid bill, a $600 million border security measure and views on the lame duck session

This Week in the People's House
8/8/2010
By Bobby Frederick

There are few sights quite like that of Congressmen and Congresswomen sprinting down the southeast Capitol steps after casting their last votes before the August recess (in fact pictures and videos of this are hard to find on the internet). They sprint towards staff-driven vehicles waiting to take them to the airport and presumably take them back to their districts to meet with constituents. Members will get a chance to re-live DC's version of the running of the bulls on Tuesday.

If you follow The People's House, you know that Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling the House back in to pass a $26.1 billion state aid bill that would prevent teacher layoffs and refill Medicaid funding created by the 2009 Stimulus law. While expected to pass, there is some controversy as this spending package is partially paid for by $12 million in cuts to the Food Stamp Program. (Think of it as starving Peter to teach Paul).

Congressman Tom Price (R-GA) also plans to offer a resolution urging that a lame-duck session should only take place if the country experiences an emergency. This effort comes amid reports that Democrats could push to enact cap-and-trade and other major policies into law after the midterm elections in which they are forecasted to experience significant losses.

Finally, the House may also consider H.R. 5875- the Emergency Border Security Supplemental Appropriations Act.

Quick Summary: This $600 million Senate-passed measure would bolster security at our borders. The House has already cleared a $700 million measure for border purposes, but it was only partially paid for, making it a non-starter in the Senate.

Other Big News

Bad news on the economy...again. The U.S. lost 131,000 jobs in July and unemployment rate is still 9.5%. See how YOUR state compares.

Good news on its surface: 74% of the oil spilled by BP has either burned, evaporated or dispersed.

U.S. District Court Judge (from Watseka, IL) overturned California's ban on same-sex marriage.

For my East Central Illinois brethren: For FutureGen, it's Different Administration, Same Result: After seven-year ordeal, Obama Department of Energy denies Mattoon, Illinois a flagship coal-fueled power plant with near-zero emissions.

The People's House Politics Extra!!! (86 days until the 2010 Midterm Election)

In a snapshot of Virginia's 5th Congressional District, town hall meetings may not be as loud this summer, but anger still remains.

Fourth House incumbent, Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI) falls in primary.

Living in 2008- Dem strategy hinges on first-time voters coming back to the polls and running against George W. Bush.

August 10th: Colorado, Connecticut and Minnesota hold primaries while Georgia has its run-off.

The House is coming back MUCH earlier than expected.

This Week in the People's House (The AUDIBLE Edition)
August 4, 2010
By Bobby Frederick

In what is likely a House of Representatives first, Speaker Nancy Pelosi used Twitter to call members back to the chamber for a special, abbreviated session next week.

Originally, the House had been scheduled to be in session and voting this week, but in June, Congressional leaders changed their minds and decided to give members an extra week of recess.

Plans have changed again as the House will be in session next week to consider a $26 billion state aid package aimed at preventing teacher layoffs and boosting Medicaid. A pro-forma session will likely be called on Monday, with votes and then re-adjournment on Tuesday.

This development occurred after a surprising procedural vote in the Senate that paves the way for that chamber to pass the aid bill on Thursday, August 5th.

Democrats are praising this funding bill as a job saver, while Republicans are painting it as another bailout that they fear states will come to constantly depend on. Adding to the controversy, Democrats are slashing billions in food stamp benefits to help pay for this bill.

For a brief history of other times that the House has been called back into session, click here. August is a popular month for members to hold town hall meetings, spend time with their families and travel. The Nation's Capital is nearly a ghost town during this month as Congressional staff also take vacation or go campaign. There is a good chance that a noticeable number of members could be absent when the House considers this $26 billion spending bill next week.

The People's House will be there to cover it all.

This Week in the People's House
August 2, 2010
By Bobby Frederick

The House blazed into the six-week August/September District Work Period after passing a $58.8 billion emergency war supplemental for Iraq and Afghanistan, a $141.1 billion Military-Veterans Administration appropriations bill, a $126.1 Transportation-Housing and Urban Development appropriations measure and energy legislation in response to the Gulf Oil Spill.

Convening on Monday, July 26th, (first votes at 6:02 p.m.) and adjourning on Friday, July 30th (last vote at 6:30 p.m.), the House worked a rare five-day week. The House was in session for a total of 56 hours and 47 minutes and registered 48 votes for the week.

Current Balance of the House stands at 433 members : 255 Democrats, 178 Republicans and 2 vacancies (NY-29 & IN-3). If all members are present and voting, the magic number to pass legislation under regular order is 217.

Big Bills

7/27/10

H.R. 4899- The Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2010 introduced by Congressman David Obey (D-WI).

Quick Summary: Despite a warning from Secretary Gates back in June that "we [the Pentagon] begin to have to do stupid things if the supplemental is not passed by July 4th," Congress was unable to meet this deadline until last week. The bulk of this nearly $60 billion bill ($37.1 billion) went to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan where the U.S. has now spent more than $1 trillion.
This measure also included $13 billion for Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange, $5.1 billion for FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund and almost $3 billion for relief in Haiti.

The House bowed to the Senate, passing that chamber's version of the war funding bill via suspension of the rules by a vote of 308-114 (Voting YES- 148 D's & 160 R's : Voting NO- 102 D's & 12 R's). President Obama signed this measure into law on Thursday, July 29th.

7/28/10

H.R. 5822, the FY 2011 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act introduced by Congressman Chet Edwards (D-TX).

Quick Summary: This $141.1 billion spending measure represents a 5% increase from last year's bill. Eighty five percent of the funds, or $120 billion, go towards veteran's health programs and compensation and pension benefits. The bill devotes $18.7 billion to military construction and housing. Finally, $1.3 billion would go towards emergency construction projects for the war in Afghanistan. This bill also contains more than 600 earmarks (special projects for members).

This bill passed by a vote of 411-6 (Voting Yes- 247 D's & 164 R's : Voting No- 0 D's & 6 R's). To move forward in the legislative process, the Senate must now act on this measure.

7/29/10

H.R. 5850- The FY 2011 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act introduced by Congressman John Olver (D-MA).

Quick Summary: This $126.1 billion measure funds the Department of Transportation's highway programs at $45.2 billion. It also includes $16.5 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration and $1.4 billion in grants for high speed rail. The bill also contains $46.6 billion for housing programs. There are more than 400 earmarks for this bill.

This bill passed 251-167 (Voting Yes- 237 D's & 14 R's : Voting No- 13 D's & 154 R's). This bill has now been referred to the Senate.

7/30/10

H.R. 5851 the Offshore Oil and Gas Worker Whistleblower Protection Act of 2010 introduced by Congressman George Miller (D-CA) & H.R. 3534 the Consolidated Land, Energy and Aquatic Resources Act of 2009 introduced by Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV).

Quick Summary: The impetus for the House to push these two bills before getting out of town was the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. H.R. 5851 would protect offshore energy employees who report safety violations or refuse to do their job over safety concerns from discrimination by their employer. Such protections already exist for onshore energy production workers. H.R. 5851 passed 315-93 (Voting Yes- 247 D's & 68 R's : Voting No- 1 D & 92 R's).

Meanwhile, H.R. 3534 would get rid of the $75 million liability cap for offshore oil spills. It also breaks up the controversial Minerals Management Services and gives its oil spill responsibilities to three other agencies. It creates layers of new safety regulations aimed at preventing future blowouts and prevents new oil leases from being granted to companies who currently hold a lease they do not pay royalties on (Such leases were given in 1998-99 as a way to boost production in response to very low oil prices).

During debate, Democrats argued that something needed to be done to address the safety concerns in the aftermath of the Gulf oil spill. Republicans argued that regulations would kill jobs in the industry and ultimately raise taxes. H.R. 3534 passed 209-193 (Voting Yes- 207 D's & 2 R's : Voting No- 39 D's & 154 R's).

This measure now moves to the Senate where the road to 60 votes looks improbable.

Other Big News

What's the biggest issue for the 2010 election? It's the economy, stupid and ours is recovering slower than expected. July 2010 jobs numbers will be released this Friday.

-In what was a very bad news week for Afghanistan, 92,000 pages of secret documents about the war were released in the Wikileaks controversy & to make matters worse July 2010 was the deadliest month in the nearly nine-year war. Despite these grim stories, the war is not the first thing on the minds of American voters.

-The jury is still deliberating the fate of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Blago's reluctance to testify and the shorter than anticipated trial may be good news for Democrats, but if found guilty, the timing of the sentencing could help Republicans.

-Sometimes you "drain the swamp"; sometimes the swamp drains you. With the possibility of ethics trials for two house Democrats (Charlie Rangel & Maxine Waters) near the election, Republicans have a chance to highlight how they will be different.

The People's House Political Extra

Kansas, Michigan and Missouri all go to the primary polls this Tuesday, August 3rd.

Former Reagan speechwriter, Peggy Noonan, has some advice for those on the trail : "Try a little tenderness". The virtue of being nice.

There are 92 days until the 2010 midterm elections.

The Future of the People's House

The House is in recess until Tuesday, September 14th. There is plenty of work left to do including finishing work on FY 2011 appropriations measures, determining the fate of the Bush tax cuts as well as other long lapsed tax credits. Further attempts at an energy policy, possible action on a child nutrition reauthorization and revisiting food safety could also happen. Any way you slice it, there is much to do - or not do- and only 16 legislative days left to do it (plus a lame duck session).

*Note: While the People's House may be in recess, THIS People's House will not rest. Please continue coming back for an examination of the top five votes heading into the 2010 midterm elections.