Senate Analysis –
The Senate will continue their push to complete the four remaining appropriations bills, as the fiscal year nears an end. Senate leadership had hoped by this point health care would be completed and they would be on the verge of passing a cap-and-trade bill. Major policy work on health care, global warming taxation and financial reform will continue in the background for much of September.
Major Senate Floor Action –
- Senators will continue work on the Transportation-HUD appropriations bill, which increases spending by 22.6% over last year’s non-emergency level.
- A global warming debate could break out on the Interior-Environment appropriations bill, which increases spending by 16.5% over last year’s non-emergency level.
- Details in the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill are likely to be overshadowed by debate over the Obama Administration’s investigation into the CIA.
Major Senate Committee Action –
- The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold two important global warming-related hearings: “Impact of Greenhouse Gas Trading Program” and “Economic Effects of Climate Change Legislation”
- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold two key hearings on Afghanistan: “Three Strategies for Afghanistan” and “Threat of Failure in Afghanistan”
- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on “Protecting Against Cyber Attacks”
House Analysis –
Health care will continue to be a major issue of debate behind the screens as Congress continues to navigate this important issue. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said it will come to the floor “when it’s ready to come” offering little information on when a deal will be struck. Other issues that will continue to draw attention this fall include Financial Regulatory Reform, DOD Authorization Conference Report, Appropriations Conference Reports, and a likely Continuing Resolution.
Major House Floor Action –
H.R. 3246 Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2009
H.R. 3221 Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act
Major House Committee Action –
Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV), Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee will be holding two hearings on his bill H.R. 3534 the “Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources (CLEAR) Act of 2009. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will be testifying in front of the committee concerning this legislation. Mark up of this legislation is expected in committee later in the month.
With the new Acorn issues , Please is their a lawyer that can start the class action suit against Acorn??? They are getting our tax dollars.
In consideration of the week's schedule, it would be much more productive, efficient and effective to investigate all government entities and eliminate the ones encouraging criminal behaviors. In today's world and even more important, have the president and his administration investigated.
As far as Acorn goes, the women working there seemed very professional in what they were trained to do. How many more government=made corrupt programs aren't found out yet? Time to eliminate… put a nice dent in the deficit!
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You make a great point, we should start to let them know we are coming to get them. Looking for a brave lawyer to start the process for the people. Acorn uses our hard earned dollars, a class action suit by the tax payers. Since we cant file against our goverment.
Daily I read editorials, comments and letters-to-the-editor from all over the nation. Whereas when the House passed the bill it was maybe 2-to-1 against cap-and-trade, opinion now is off the charts against it. The Senate will be wise to bury this unpopular, complex and risky legislation.
I don't see Americans supporting cap-and-trade or any CO2 regulation until we have our own 'climate truth commission.' The U.S. now largely out-sources our climate science to the United Nations, a political organization, dedicated to advancing their "consensus" view that man is driving global warming. The problem is their view is neither a consensus nor likely accurate. Why?
1) The 600 climate scientists who worked on the UN's Climate Change 2007 report never voted on the 'drives' issue. That conclusion was reached by only about 50 scientists plus UN bureaucrats.
2) The UN has a huge conflict of interest. The 'Kyoto Protocol' is their's and they have a vested interest in demonizing CO2.
3) Thousands of knowledgable people and climate scientists worldwide tell us the UN is wrong.
4) Past climate changes–100s of them–were driven by Mother Nature, not mankind. Yet, the UN took Mother Nature off the table when they limited their evaluation to 'climate change caused by human activity'.
5) There is no 'smoking gun.' The proof that CO2 drives global warming is circumstantial.
6) The UN treats unproven climate projections as 'fact', yet UN forecasts for the last 10 years do not fit what has actually happened.
7) In the past the UN used faulty data to bolster unwarranted findings.
The United States needs our own objective, transparent climate commission to think-through global warming. We need the advice of a bi-partisan 'Climate Truth Commission' before we burden our economy with expensive energy. Both sides of the man-made global warming issue should welcome such an approach. …each is so sure of themselves.
– Robert Moen, http://www.energyplanUSA.com
I do not mean to be pessimistic but I fear that the government has become so corrupt that there is little we can do about groups like Acorn and others. Although it would be nice to see the government start a legitimate investigation into Acorn. Having people like Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Andrew Wilcow and Rush does help alot.