Blog - Congress Links

• Rep. Chris Van Hollen suggests a direct rebate to taxpayers will make a cap-and-trade bill feasible.

• Obama meets with House Dems and suddenly Rep. Henry Waxman [D, CA-30] says his committee will be ready to mark up cap-and-trade legislation sometime in the next three weeks.

• A new ABC/Washington Post poll shows a surge in public support for giving illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. a path to citizenship. Could this be the year Congress passes comprehensive immigration reform legislation?

• The Chronicle of Higher Education has an article (free to non-subscribers for a few days only) on prospects for the DREAM Act passing this session of Congress.

• WaPo: Rep. Murtha’s (D-PA) nephew got $4 million in defense contracts, all of it without competition.

• Brian Beutler of TPMDC interviews possible Specter-challenger Rep. Joe Sestak [D, PA-7].

• Sources say Ridge may run. He’s looking good in all the polls.

• Reason: Rep. Jim Moran’s [D, VA-8] stiff opposition to sexual innuendo hard to understand.

• Seven senators send a letter to the Committee on Rules and, voila, Senate votes are now available in XML.

• Schumer to Bernanke: “I believe the Federal Reserve’s failure to protect consumers from these outrageous rate increases is unconscionable.”

• via Reuters, Bernanke’s full prepared remarked before the Joint Economic Committee today.

• After they finish with foreclosures this week, the Senate will shift their attention to weapon systems acquisition reform. (h/t/ Senatus).

• H. Res. 230 – The U.S. House of Representative’s way of saying “Happy Cinco De Mayo!”
  
  

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