CQ Today Midday Update
Midday Update for FRIDAY, DEC. 7, 2007 – 2:02 P.M. In This Issue
--------------------------------- Today in WashingtonThe House is not in session; reconvenes in pro forma session at 3 p.m. Monday and at noon Tuesday for legislative business. The Senate blocks action on House amendments to a comprehensive energy bill; resumes consideration of amendments to a five-year farm policy bill. The President meets with Northern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. In Washington, the U.S. Navy Memorial holds events to commemorate Pearl Harbor Day, including a screening of the film, “Tora! Tora! Tora!” at 3 p.m., 701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 123. --------------------------------- Top StoriesSenate Seeks Rewrite After Blocking House-Passed Energy BillThe Senate will begin to negotiate changes to a House-passed energy bill this weekend, likely stripping out a controversial tax package and renewable electricity mandate, and tweaking a requirement to infuse billions more gallons alternative fuels into gasoline. [Read More]Democrats Plan 2008 Economic Stimulus PackageCongress will consider an economic stimulus package next year, driven by fear that the economy will slow significantly, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., said Friday. [Read More]Senate Democrats Urge Probe of CIA’s Destruction of Interrogation TapesSenate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin on Friday called on the Justice Department to investigate whether the Central Intelligence Agency engaged in illegal obstruction of justice by destroying videotapes of its 2002 interrogation of terrorism suspects. [Read More]Amendment Deal in Hand, Senate Resumes Work on Farm BillAfter reaching a last-minute deal on amendments to the farm bill, lawmakers resumed debate Friday on the five-year reauthorization measure. [Read More]Political Trivia for Dec. 7In what year did Arkansas Republican Mike Huckabee lose a race for the U.S. Senate? [Read More] --------------------------------- TheCapitol.Net: Tracking and Monitoring Legislation — Find and Use Congressional DocumentsAre you responsible for legislative tracking? Do you know which online resources are most useful for your particular task? Do you need to know alternative methods for monitoring legislative changes and ways to better utilize your resources (saving time in the process)? In this half-day course, you'll learn about the different types and versions of bills, committee and conference reports, leadership documents, the Congressional Record, and how to track and monitor legislation. WHERE: Goethe-Institut, 812 Seventh Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. WHEN: December 13, 2007, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Registration Fee: $395 Full program description and online registration, or call our registrar at 202-678-1600. This training conference is sponsored by TheCapitol.Net, exclusive provider of Congressional Quarterly Executive Conferences. --------------------------------- Political ClippingsThe Lexington Herald-Leader reports that "two high-profile Democratic officials who had considered taking on U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell next year are signalling that they're less likely to take the plunge after all." State Auditor Crit Luallen and outgoing Attorney General Greg Stumbo are both backing away from a Senate race, the paper reported, although Stumbo hasn't officially ruled out running. Stumbo told the daily he plans to "talk to some folks in Washington" before announcing his decision later this month. "Should Luallen and Stumbo both officially bow out in the coming weeks, that will shift the party's attention to Andrew Horne, a Louisville lawyer and Iraq war veteran" who lost a 2006 primary challenge to Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky.In Illinois, the Aurora Beacon reports that the State Board of Elections on Thursday certified Republican House candidate Michael Dilger on the Feb. 5 primary ballot in the 14th District, rejecting objections filed last month to his nominating petitions. Dilger joins three other Republicans seeking to replace former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., for a two-year term: dairy magnate Jim Oberweis, state Sen. Chris Lauzen and Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns. The four Democrats in the race are Bill Foster, Jotham Stein, John Laesch and Joe Serra. It's not known if Dilger plans to run in the Feb. 5 special primary to select a nominee for the rest of Hastert's current term. Hastert resigned Nov. 26. --------------------------------- Today on Governing.com State and local government news from CQ’s sister publication WASHINGTON, D.C.: City Seeing String of Revenue Gushers SAN FRANCISCO BAY: Ship's Pilot Charged in Oil Spill MICHIGAN: EPA: State Complicit in Dioxin Cleanup Delay ARIZONA: Utilities Plan Major Solar Power Project --------------------------------- Other CQ ProductsSign up for free trialsCQ Legislative Impact CQ.com CQ Weekly CQ Today CQ Today Action Alerts CQ BillTrack CQ Budget Tracker CQ Committee Amendments CQ Green Sheets CQ HealthBeat CQ Homeland Security CQ House Action Reports CQPolitics.com CQ Press CQ Top Docs See all CQ products |