FatherGarage.com

The big question facing Congress this week is whether there will be another week of Congress after this one.

The stop-gap spending measure keeping the government running expires Saturday and many lawmakers — particularly Republicans — would like to finish off the tax measure, pass a long-term spending bill and head for the exits.

But the tax cut compromise probably cannot make it through the Senate until Tuesday at the earliest and the House is likely to bicker about it for a day or two and might even send a changed version back to the Senate, consuming much of the week.

But Democrats are now expressing more confidence — and to some, disappointment — that the compromise tax plan will be enacted.

“Most of us believe, as painful as some of the provisions are, this is absolutely essential so that our economy doesn’t slump and we provide the kind of benefits that unemployed people and the middle class income folks need across America,” Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

At the same time, the Senate has yet to take up its plan to fund the government through Sept. 30, and the House has taken a different approach so that divide has to be worked out as well.

One top Republican aide last week predicted that Congress could actually wrap up as early as Thursday night or Friday if lawmakers can finish off the tax deal and pass a spending measure.

But such an ending would mean that the Senate would not consider the START nuclear arms control treaty with Russia, a top priority of the president and a proposal the White House has been encouraging the Senate to debate. It would probably also mean that Democrats would abandon their efforts to pass a separate measure repealing the Pentagon ban on gays serving in the military, as well as a major immigration law.

If they give up on those initiatives with time still remaining on the Congressional calendar — even though Christmas is rapidly approaching — Democrats are likely to hear from important constituencies that they did not make full use of their last days of holding full control of the Congress. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, have some tough scheduling decisions ahead.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

A work of video art briefly depicting a figurine of Christ with ants crawling on it has been yanked from the Smithsonian’s Portrait Gallery after complaints from a Catholic group and members of Congress. The four-minute video, made by the late New York City artist David Wojnarowicz, features an 11-second segment of a small crucifix [...]

The prez will be pow-wowing with leaders of his own party on Thursday, Nov. 18. On the day he was scheduled to meet with Republican leaders, he’ll instead circle the wagons with congressional Dems to talk legislative priorities, post-”shellacking.” Here’s what’s on tap: 9:30 a.m. — The president receives the presidential daily briefing in the [...]

WASHINGTON – Congress returns to begin its lame-duck session on Monday and, despite all the election hoopla, Democrats are still in charge — for now.

But much of the attention at least initially will still be on the incoming Congress as lawmakers old and new of both parties gather for the first time since the Nov. 2 elections to elect their leaders, commiserate with dozens of defeated colleagues and show the ropes to some of the people arriving to replace them.

Though there is a serious legislative backlog facing them, House and Senate Democrats have put off the heavy lifting on taxes and spending for this week. Instead they will try to regroup and figure out what to do about expiring Bush tax cuts, how to mop up leftover spending issues and whether to approve extended unemployment compensation among other issues. And they will be doing it while newly empowered Republicans circle around them.

The House has scheduled a series of votes on the sort of non-controversial bills that are often used to fill time along with consideration of a measure to encourage telecommuting by federal workers. The Senate faces possible votes on a food safety measure. Two new members of the Senate — Democrats Chris Coons of Delaware and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia — are set to be sworn in Monday but their presence will not change the partisan makeup of the Senate for the moment.

Much of the action will be off the floor as the parties gather to elect leaders. Speaker Nancy Pelosi hopes to be re-elected Democratic leader on Wednesday despite the loss of 60 seats under her command. Representative Heath Shuler of North Carolina plans to oppose her in what could amount to a way for Democrats to register a protest vote.

Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio is set to become the Republican candidate for House speaker while Representative Kevin McCarthy is expected to officially join the leadership ranks as the new majority whip. The Senate leadership lineup in both parties is expected to remain the same.

On Monday, the ethics trial of Representative Charles Rangel, the 80-year-old Democrat and former Ways & Means Committee chairman, is to begin on charges of failing to properly report assets and other violations.

Congressional leaders are to meet Thursday with President Obama. House and Senate Republicans plan internal votes to ban spending on pet projects known as earmarks though the appetite in the Senate for the prohibition is smaller than the House, where the new majority is eager to make a statement about its willingness to cut spending.

Lawmakers are set to remain in session this week, break for Thanksgiving next week, and then return the week of Nov. 29 for an undetermined amount of time to complete their work.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus leaders will meet with President Barack Obama on Tuesday afternoon to encourage the White House to push for an immigration deal in the lame duck session, Politics Daily has learned. The meeting will be with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) and Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.). It comes as immigration [...]

Joyce Kaufman’s controversial statements have afforded her a radio career, but now they appear to have cost her a job on Capitol Hill. Just days after being hired as chief of staff for incoming Congressman Allen West (R-Fla.), the conservative talk show host has dropped out because of remarks she made at a tea party [...]