IN FRATERNAM MEAM: CONGRESS GETS AN INCOMPLETE

IN FRATERNAM MEAM

Monday, October 09, 2006

CONGRESS GETS AN INCOMPLETE

Congress tried to wrap up its work early Satruday before leaving for five weeks of campaining for the midterm elections.

Here is a look at what it accomplished - and some of what it didn't:

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DONE:
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** Congress sent President Bush a bill allowing military comissions to prosecute terrorism suspects with legislation that also spells out some acts are violations of the Geneva Conventions.

** The Senate sent Bush a $448 billion defense spending bill that includes $70 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

** The House and Senate passed and sent to Bush an almost $35 billion homeland security spending bill, which included an overhaul of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and $1.2 billion for increased border fencing to discourage illegal immigration.

** Senate Democrats blocked a final vote on sending Bush a bill that would make it a crime for anyone but a parent to take a girl across state lines to obtain an abortion. The bill, which also would subject physicians who performed abortions in those cases to criminal penalties, was passed Tuesday by the House.

** The House passed and the Senate deemed as passed a bill to make 361 seaports safer from biloligical, chemical or nuclear attacks. A Senate vote was expected later. Republicams added a measure to restrict Internet gambling.

** The Senate sent to Bush a bill to build 700 miles of new fencing along the 2,000-mile U.S. Mexicao border. The House passed this two weeks ago.

** The House passed and sent to Bush a bill including North Korea in a nonproliferation law that provides for sanctions against foreigners who supply weapons technology to Iran and Syria. The Senate passed it in July in response to a missile launched by North Korea.

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NOT DONE:
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** The House and Senate could not reconcile their differences over legislation allowing their differences over legistlation allowing the warrantless wiretapping of terrorism suspects in time to deliver a bill before the election. The White House may get the authroization in a post-election session.

** Spending bills for annually funded government program other than defense and security remained unfinished, delaying planned spending increases for veterans health care.

** Congress did not renew some tax breaks that expried at the end of 2005, including deductions for tuition, teacher's classroom expenses and state and local sales taxes, as well as research and development credit for bussinesses. If renewed late, it may be too late for IRS forms, complicating tax instructions.

** The House and Senate could not resolve their differences over comprehensive immigration and border security bills passed in each chamber.

** Efforts to merge House and Senate bills expanding offshore drilling failed.

** The House and Senate responded to lobbying scandals by passing ethics bills, but they could'nt reconcile their differences and send an overall measure to the White House for signing.

** New York and New Jersey senators blocked Senate action authorizing $2.1 billion for victims of HIV/AIDS because it would shift aid from urban to rural areas. The House passed it Thursday.

(Source:ASSOCIATED PRESS/SUNTIMES)

posted by infraternam meam @ 9:32 AM

1 Comments:

At 6:07 PM, Sidney said…

Politicians are everywhere the same... quite sad actually :-(