The recent letter to Congressman Rangel from the AMA in appreciation and support for H.R. 3200, the “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009” is disconcerting and fails to accurately represent the concerns of many of America’s physicians, myself included. The AMA has failed to clearly discuss the significant trade-offs that private practice physicians and their patients will face if this legislation is rushed through congress. First of all, if the legislation is passed along with the option of a public plan that competes with private plans, physicians will bear …
Major Senate Floor Action – The Senate will be considering the conference report for the Iraq and Afghanistan War Supplemental bill. The Senate is set to except language that would allow the release of prisoner abuse photos, but only after the Obama administration promised to use executive authority to block them. There is also a $100 billion IMF bailout in the bill. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will bring a tourism bill to the floor that will create a government marketing firm to promote tourism to the United States.
Senate Floor · FDA Tobacco Regulation – S982 · Supplemental Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan – HR2346 · Creation of a non-profit to increase tourism in the United States – S1023 Major Senate Committee Action · Foreign Relations Committee – Arms Control Nomination hearing · Energy and Natural Resources Committee – Comprehensive Energy Policy markup House Floor · Supplemental Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan – HR2346 · Foreign Relations Authorization Act – HR2410 · Pakistan Enduring Assistance and Cooperation Enhancement Act – HR1886 · Cash for Clunkers – HR2640 Major …
A a look at what happened last week, and what is coming up this week, on Capitol Hill Senate: Last week – began debate on the credit card bill This week – will finish the credit card bill and pass the Iraq and Afghanistan war supplemental House: Last week – passed the Iraq and Afghanistan war supplemental and Speaker Pelosi got embroiled over the waterboarding debate This week – Energy and Commerce Committee mark-up of the cap-and-tax bill and relatively no floor activity
The House Appropriations subcommittee on Energy and Water approved an increase in Energy Department spending to continue work on Yucca Mountain. The $494.7 million budget request was approved for the fiscal year 2009 despite much talk that Yucca Mountain will never be opened. As Heritage scholar Jack Spencer stresses, Yucca Mountain remains critical to used nuclear fuel management in the United States. The ball continues to roll in the right direction for Yucca, as the funding approval came just weeks after The Department of Energy submitted the license application to …
