This Week On The Hill

A preview from Greg Kaufmann:

This week, the Obama Administration will try once again to push through the $106 billion war supplemental. Opposition is much stronger than anyone anticipated, with most antiwar Democrats maintaining their stance, and House Republicans opposing $5 billion to boost IMF lending. In the Senate, Senators Lieberman, McCain and Graham have threatened to shut down business if there aren't assurances that photos of detainee abuse won't be released. Now is a good time for you to let your legislators know where you stand on this. The House is expected to vote on Tuesday.

We should see some more definition around healthcare legislation this week -- specifically on the question of whether the Senate will offer a public plan option? The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will markup its version tomorrow, while the Senate Finance Committee releases a draft on Wednesday. Finance Chair Max Baucus continues to pledge that he will have a bipartisan bill -- somewhat disturbing since Republican Committee members are united in their opposition to a public plan option to compete with private insurers. (Nothing like a little Senate chumminess and political cowardice to kill needed reform.) President Obama is in Chicago this afternoon speaking to the American Medical Association which also opposes the public plan option.

The administration will release its plan for reforming financial regulation this week. Smart money is on something rather underwhelming, brought to you courtesy of Geithner-Summers Inc. CongressDaily does report, however, that the Administration will support TARP Oversight Chair Elizabeth Warren's plan for a Consumer Product Safety Commission to regulate financial products -- so that's a piece of good news. Secretary Geithner will appear before the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday and House Financial Services on Thursday.

FY10 spending bills for Homeland Security ($42.6 billion) and Commerce-Justice-Science ($64.4 billion) are expected to reach the House floor at the end of the week. The Homeland Security bill restricts the transfer of detainees from Guantanamo, according to the New York Times.

House Armed Services will look at the FY10 defense budget tomorrow, while Senate Armed Services looks specifically at spending on missile defense programs.

Representative Rush Holt will reintroduce his Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act this week. The bill would end the hodgepodge of regulations that vary by district and establish a national standard for a voter-verifiable paper trail and access for people with disabilities, among other things. Holt has been a tireless advocate on these issues, and with 65 cosponsors and endorsements from a whole host of organizations -- like Common Cause, the Brennan Center, True Majority and Voter Action-- his bill enjoys broad support. Hopefully it will get a vote on the floor this time around.

Other happenings under the radar: The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will get an update on New Orleans Hurricane Protection and Restoration tomorrow…. On Thursday, Progressive Caucus Member John Tierney chairs a hearing on "Afghanistan and Pakistan: Oversight of a New Interagency Strategy"…. Finally, House Veterans' Affairs will examine legislation -- "Caring for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2009" -- this Thursday as well.

Comments (9)

1. "Stalinesque Statism" to the Right...

   "Not Enough" to the "Pure Progressives"...

   things going well, then.

   Posted by Mask at 06/15/2009 @ 1:16pm

2. Bipartisanship on health care legislation courted by Chair Baucus, but repubs say no a public plan option to compete with private insurers.

   Sort of like saying we have a punchbowl brimming with poop, but bipartisan compromise will leave just a few floaters remaining. Drink this stuff & you'll need more than medical attention.

   Posted by Sorelish at 06/15/2009 @ 1:50pm

3. No government health plan without tort reform.

   Posted by pyeatte at 06/15/2009 @ 9:35pm

4. "In the Senate, Senators Lieberman, McCain and Graham have threatened to shut down business if there aren't assurances that photos of detainee abuse won't be released."

   So, it's ok to torture people, just not take pictures of it. McCain, of all people, should be screaming at the top of his lungs over the torture business and yet here he is a proponent of continuing the process and throws impediments in the way of any investigations.

   "Finance Chair Max Baucus continues to pledge that he will have a bipartisan bill -- somewhat disturbing since Republican Committee members are united in their opposition to a public plan option to compete with private insurers. (Nothing like a little Senate chumminess and political cowardice to kill needed reform.) "

   Being an ex-Montana boy myself, I have to say that Baucus is an insult to the state and to the senate. Hopefully the state of Montana will remember the crap he's pulling and vote his sorry ass out next go around.

   We Americans are seeing that what we want doesn't count for anything. So far, with the dems in control of the senate, house and the White House, we've seen passage of conservative legislation only. Anything that smacks of public institutions for the well-being of the citizens of this country like a federal alternative to the private insurance, the idea gets talked out, thrown out, fillibustered etc. but never gets passed or even brought to the floor for a vote. Who knew that the minority party which is losing power by the second could wield so much power?!

   We have some really cool buildings in D.C......to bad we don't have cool people working in them. We've asked our elected representatives to represent us, but ended up with corporate lobbyists running the country on the tax payers dime. Pathetic.

   Posted by Wolfgang1 at 06/16/2009 @ 11:15am

5. No government health plan without tort reform.

   Posted by pyeatte at 06/15/2009 @ 9:35pm |

   That's probably what the insurance lobby is going for...Offer the working class a watered down govt. health plan and at the same time deny them access to the courts.

   The rich won't have their rights to sue for malpractice curtailed.

   Blame it on the Lawyers while the insurance companies still rake it in...

   Posted by koroviev at 06/17/2009 @ 02:58am

6. real well

   http://www.brookings.edu/metro/~/media/Files/rc/

   reports/2009/06_metro_monitor/06_metro_monitor.pdf

   Posted by frosty zoom at 06/17/2009 @ 12:15pm

7. Apparently, the Repubs HAVE declared they will have a health care reform "plan"....

   a "two page summary", that is.

   Similar in aspects to their budget "pamphlet"!

   LOL

   Posted by Mask at 06/17/2009 @ 1:27pm

8. The corporate structure in the health care business has implemented a phalanx of fail-safe procedures to prevent totally egregious botches such as confusing patient charts or confusing right with left. Much care is taken in confirming patient statements about personal medical history.

   That said, incompetence can rear its ugly head down the line. In the past, the quacks could gain employment in company towns where thousands were dependent on the "largesse" of the company. Nobody makes waves in that culture. Witness the almost hereditary circle of life in those environments. Nobody wants their brother or daughter-in-law to lose their job because of an unfortunate lawsuit initiated by a family member.

   Until caps are placed on the outrageous disparity in income from top to bottom, forget caps on medical malpractice.

   Posted by Sorelish at 06/17/2009 @ 1:33pm

9. Until caps are placed on the outrageous disparity in income from top to bottom, forget caps on medical malpractice.

   Posted by Sorelish at 06/17/2009 @ 1:33pm

   I think you are on the right track here. There's no way you can tell me that any CEO deserves to make more money than a brain surgeon or the president of the U.S. for that matter.

   The CEO doesn't have the education nor dexterity a doctor has, only the arrogance and greed to think he/she deserves to make 50 times what the surgeon makes. Doctors save lives, what do businessmen do besides line their own pockets and take advantage of the folks employed under them?

   Posted by Wolfgang1 at 06/17/2009 @ 4:33pm