U.S. Congress

While Congress has officially begun it's August recess, members of the Alaskan congressional delegation may be finding it difficult to relax.

There's only one more workweek before the Congressional August recess (Aug. 3 - 31) and Democratic leaders are scrambling to pass a number of important bills before leaving Washington. They will try to pass the long-delayed ethics reform bill and an expansion of health insurance for poor children. The House will also debate a number of Iraq-related budget and withdrawal timeline provisions as well as energy and farm legislation. A full listing of the committee schedules for the week is after the jump.

• Ethics and transparency legislation - After Senate Republicans including Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) stalled the main ethics reform bill after Democrats refused to guarantee the inclusion of earmark reforms (S.1), Democrats are moving to pass a new version out of the House, allowing them to give it an up-or-down vote in the Senate without going through the committee process. Provisions include requirements for lobbyists to disclose campaign fundraising and changes to revolving door lobbing regulations. It is unclear whether the bill will include earmark provisions requiring the disclosure of earmark sponsors and the easy striking of earmarks that originate in conference committees.
• 2008 Defense budget - The House will debate the Fiscal Year 2008 Defense appropriations bill this week and several Iraq-related amendments are expected. Bush has requested $141.7 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan. An amendment is expected from Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) that would require a reduction in troop levels beginning 60 days after the budget is passed but does not include a deadline for a withdrawal to be completed. Another Democratic amendment to require the closure of Guantanamo bill within 180 days.
• More Iraq bills - The House may debate and vote on two Democratic bills approved by the House Armed Services Committee on Friday. H.R.3159, by Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.), would require that soldiers receive leave equal to the time they are deployed in Iraq and H.R.3087, by Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), would require the Pentagon to make reports on war planning.
• State Children's Health Insurance Plan - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) are expected to try and pass a reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP), which provides funding to states to provide health insurance to the children of families which have too much income to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford private health insurance. The Senate Finance Committee has sent a bipartisan bill to the full body that expands SCHIP by $35 billion over five years from its current level of about $25 billion. Amendments are expected from senate Republicans to reduce the increase to $9 billion and add small business health plans and health savings accounts, but have said they won't filibuster the bill. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) is expected to offer an amendment expanding the increase to $50 billion over five years. In the House, the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees have sent a Democratic bill to the floor that expands the program by $50 billion over five years and prevents planned cuts in Medicare physician fees for two years. It would be paid for by a 45 cent-per-pack tax hike on cigarettes, and cuts or freezes on fees paid to Medicare health plans and some healthcare providers. Pelosi said last week she will bring the bill, which faced strong opposition from some Republicans when it was in committee, up for a floor vote this week.
• Employment discrimination - The House is expected to vote this week on a bill that would nullify a recent Supreme Court ruling on employment discrimination in pay by extending the statute of limitations on claims each time an employee received discriminatory pay or compensation. The Supreme Court had recently ruled against a plaintiff based on the fact that the 180 statute of limitations started when the discriminatory decision was made, not each time the employee was paid. House Republicans have complained of being shut out of the process and President Bush has issued a veto threat.
• Budgets - The Senate votes to confirm former Rep. Jim Nussle (R-Iowa) as the new OMB Director may be delayed by Democrats if Bush indicates he will veto the domestic spending bills, which exceed his overall proposal (not including Iraq War funding) by $23 billion. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) has scheduled a vote in the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee but Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) is waiting to see what Bush says.
• Farm bill - The House will debate the $90.7 billion 2007 farm bill (H.R.2419).
• Energy - The House is expected to debate several energy bills this week, many of which are related to bills already filed to combat climate change.

Hearings Schedules: