CQ Today Midday Update
Midday Update for Friday, October 23, 2009 – In This Issue
--------------------------------- Today in WashingtonThe House adjourned after passing a Coast Guard authorization bill. The Senate is not in session The President toured a Massachusetts Institute of Technology research laboratory. Speaks at fundraiser for Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, then travels to Connecticut to attend a fundraiser for Democratic Sen. Christopher J. Dodd. Returns to Washington tonight. In Washington, the School of Advanced International Studies holds a discussion, "Solving the Mystery of King Tut's Death," with W. Benson Harer Jr. 6:30 p.m. 1619 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. --------------------------------- Top StoriesHouse Democrats Sorting Out Status of 'Public Option'House Democratic leaders may have determined they don't have enough votes for their preferred version of the "public option," a government-run health insurance plan that would compete with private insurers. [Read More]Pelosi Moving to Close Medicare 'Doughnut Hole'House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made another bid to solidify support for Democrats' ambitious health care plans Friday, pledging to move aggressively to close the "doughnut hole" in Medicare drug coverage. [Read More]House Passes Coast Guard Authorization BillThe House voted to authorize $10 billion for Coast Guard programs for the current fiscal year. The fate of the bill now lies in the Senate, where it has run into a dead end in recent years. The agency was last authorized in 2006. [Read More]Six-Month Highway Bill Extension Now Likely in SenateThe Senate is scrapping plans for an 18-month extension of surface transportation law and is now working instead on a six-month extension, a Democratic aide and industry officials confirmed Friday. [Read More]Second Stopgap Spending Measure Likely to Stand on Its OwnHouse Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer said he expects the House to consider a stand-alone stopgap funding measure next week to keep the government operating past Oct. 31. [Read More] --------------------------------- Political ClippingsThe Boston Globe reports that the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the largest labor union in the state, announced Thursday that it will back Rep. Michael E. Capuano in the four-way Democratic primary to fill the Senate seat of Edward M. Kennedy, "giving Capuano one of the most significant union endorsements in the race." Union president Anne Wass cited Capuanoâs "strong pro-education track record along with a deep understanding of the challenges facing urban public schools" as key factors in the decision to recommend him in the Dec. 8 primary to its 107,000 members, according to the newspaper. The other candidates in the race are state Attorney General Martha Coakley; Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca; and Alan Khazei, a cofounder of the organization City Year. Taegan Goddard's Political Wire reports that a new Public Policy Polling survey in Maine finds "the only thing that's clear about next year's race for Governor of Maine is that everything is unclear." The survey organization adds: "Maine might have the most wide open gubernatorial contest in the whole country for 2010. A Democrat could win, a Republican could win, an independent or third party candidate could win. And there are a lot of different people who could win within each of those categories as well. It's going to be a bit of a free for all, and that will make it an interesting contest to watch."
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