Membership of the 111th Congress: A Profile. Jennifer E. Manning, Information Research Specialist, February 4, 2010

Women in the United States Congress: 1917-2009. Jennifer E. Manning, Information Research Specialist, Colleen J. Shogan, Senior Specialist in Government and Finance, December 23, 2009.

News release: "After more than a decade of nationwide effort, the Digital Promise Project has achieved an essential goal – the creation of the National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies. This year the Department of Education, as provided by their 2010 appropriations legislation, will make available the initial funding required to launch the National Center. In the words of the Center’s authorizing legislation, “The purpose of the Center shall be to support a comprehensive research and development program to harness the increasing capability of advanced information and digital technologies to improve all levels of learning and education, formal and informal, in order to provide Americans with the knowledge and skills needed to compete in the global economy.” Congress voted overwhelmingly to establish this Center, the first new national research center in many years, as an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Authorized in 2008 by amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965, the National Center will have a governing board of nine members, which will include outstanding representatives from the public and private sectors and from varied professions and disciplines."

An Analysis of the Roadmap for America’s Future Act of 2010, as Specified by Congressman Ryan’s Staff, January 27, 2010

The Government Domain - Congressional Documents on FDsys: Advanced Techniques - Following up on a previous column in which she introduced FDsys and explained the site's simple search and navigation, this month Peggy Garvin provides an update and introduces more advanced search techniques for the congressional information available on FDsys.

Via Rick McKinney: "GPO finally made available the text of the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009, H.R. 4173, as passed by the House on December 11, 2009. The 1706 page bill had been 1279 pages when introduced, but after numerous amendments adopted on the House floor (there was no reported version or committee report) it grew and many of us have waited until now to see it put together in one package. The bill has ten titles and many of the titles and sections (after Title V the sections to not correspond to the numeric title) were developed from earlier legislation and from Administration proposed language."

News release: " The Justice Department today announced separate agreements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Pace University in New York City and Reed College in Portland, Ore., regarding the use in a classroom setting of the electronic book reader, the Kindle DX, a hand-held technological device that simulates the experience of reading a book. Under the agreements reached today, the universities generally will not purchase, recommend or promote use of the Kindle DX, or any other dedicated electronic book reader, unless the devices are fully accessible to students who are blind and have low vision. The universities agree that if they use dedicated electronic book readers, they will ensure that students with vision disabilities are able to access and acquire the same materials and information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as sighted students with substantially equivalent ease of use. The agreements that the Justice Department reached with these universities extend beyond the Kindle DX to any dedicated electronic reading device."

"In the wake of the most significant financial crisis since the Great Depression, the President signed into law on May 20, 2009, the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009, creating the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. The Commission was established to "examine the causes, domestic and global, of the current financial and economic crisis in the United States." The 10 members of the bi-partisan Commission, prominent private citizens with significant experience in banking, market regulation, taxation, finance, economics, housing, and consumer protection, were appointed by Congress on July 15, 2009. The Chair, Phil Angelides, and Vice Chair, Bill Thomas, were selected jointly by the House and Senate Majority and Minority Leadership."

• First Public Hearing of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, Day 1, January 13, 2010. Links to PDF copies of witness statements.
  
• Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Selected Financial Market & Economic Data, January 13, 2010
  
• WSJ: Panel Rips Wall Street Titans
  
• Related postings on financial system

Executive Office of the President, Council of Economic Advisors: Economic Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Second Quarterly Report, January 13, 2010

News release: "Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz and key members of Congress, including Representative Chris Van Hollen, Chairman Bobby Rush, and Representative Mary Jo Kilroy, today renewed their call for legislation that would put an end to anticompetitive patent settlements, which drug manufacturers have been using to keep less-expensive medicines off the market and charge consumers billions of dollars a year in higher drug prices. Speaking at a joint press conference, Leibowitz said consumers are forced to pay inflated prices or forgo their medication because of these “pay-for-delay” deals, in which brand-name drug makers pay their generic competitors to keep cheaper alternatives off the market. He urged Congress to adopt a provision as part of the health care reform bill to stop pay-for-delay agreements."

Estimated Premiums for "Bronze" Coverage Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Letter to the Honorable Olympia Snowe, January 11, 2010

"The House of Representatives HR 3962 Affordable Health Care for America Act together with the Senate Patient Protection and Affordable Care bill as amended and passed December 24, 2009 are presented here in searchable form. This is provided as a public service. MarpX is a precision search engine uses the "Words Close Together" method of relevance ranking, which assures that the most meaningful hits appear near the top of the list search results."

"Health reform as set forth in legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in November would cut the number of uninsured Americans to 24 million by 2019 (a 56 percent decrease) and increase personal spending on health care by about 3.3 percent cumulatively between 2013 and 2019, according to an independent assessment released today by the RAND Corporation. In addition, the study finds that under the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) cumulative federal spending to help low-income people buy private insurance would total $445 billion by 2019 and federal spending on Medicaid would increase by $559 billion (a 21 percent hike) over the same period."

Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth, 2008-09, Allen J. Beck, Paul Guerino, Paige M. Harrison. January 7, 2009

The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act: Overview and Issues for Congress, Kevin R. Kosar, Analyst in American National Government, December 14, 2009

2009 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary: "Chief Justice John Roberts issued his 2009 year-end report, stating that "courts are operating soundly, and the nation's dedicated federal judges are conscientiously discharging their duties...In 2009, a total of 1,402,816 bankruptcy petitions were filed in the U.S. courts, an increase of 35% over the 1,042,806 filed in 2008. The 2009 total represents the greatest number of bankruptcy filings since 2005, when many debtors rushed to file petitions before October 17, 2005, the date on which the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA) took effect."

Follow up to previous postings on H.R. 4173, David Reilly, Bloomberg News columnist, commentary.

News release: "While the Recovery Act has made unprecedented investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, and other environmental improvements, a new report by The Council of State Governments finds that in most states the wave of green jobs tied to these investments has yet to arrive. CSG has released a state-by-state analysis of green jobs created or retained through the Recovery Act. According to CSG’s analysis, which looked at data collected by states through Oct. 10, 2009, states have created or saved just more than 13,000 green jobs."

Senate Health Care Bill - The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed in the Senate on December 24, 2009. [Note - 2409 pages, PDF]

New York Times - Comparing the House and the Senate Health Care Proposals: "Senate Democrats said Saturday that they had clinched an agreement on a sweeping legislation to overhaul the nation’s health care system. The House passed its own version in November. The proposals are broadly similar but differ on some major issues, such as on a new government insurance plan, abortion and immigration. Many provisions of the Senate bill, including the mandate for individuals to obtain insurance and the creation of insurance markets, would take effect in 2014, a year later than similar provisions of the House bill."

• Biosurveillance: Developing a Collaboration Strategy Is Essential to Fostering Interagency Data and Resource Sharing, GAO-10-171, December 18, 2009
• Department of Veterans Affairs' Implementation of Information Security Education Assistance Program, GAO-10-170R, December 18, 2009
• DOD Civilian Personnel: Intelligence Personnel System Incorporates Safeguards, but Opportunities Exist for Improvement, GAO-10-134, December 17, 2009
• Overseas Contingency Operations: Funding and Cost Reporting for the Department of Defense, GAO-10-288R, December 18, 2009
• Softwood Lumber Act of 2008: Customs and Border Protection Established Required Procedures, but Agencies Report Little Benefit from New Requirements, GAO-10-220, December 18, 2009
• Juvenile Justice: DOJ Is Enhancing Information on Effective Programs, but Could Better Assess the Utility of This Information, GAO-10-125, December 17, 2009
• UN Office for Project Services: Management Reforms Proceeding but Effectiveness Not Assessed, and USAID's Oversight of Grants Has Weaknesses, GAO-10-168, November 19, 2009

• Correction Regarding the Longer-Term Effects of the Manager's Amendment to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, December 20, 2009. Letter to the Honorable Harry Reid.
• Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Incorporating the Manager's Amendment. Cost estimate for the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 3590, incorporating the effects of changes proposed in the manager's amendment released on December 19, 2009
• Related postings on health care reform

Federal Estate and Gift Taxes, Economic and Budget Issue Brief, December 18, 2009.

S. 1733, Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, December 16, 2009. Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on November 5, 2009.

Via U.S. Dept. of State: Lobbying the Executive Branch: Current Practices and Options for Change, Jacob R. Straus, Analyst on the Congress, December 1, 2009

News release: "The House of Representatives today showed a renewed commitment to defeat cancer, passing an FY 2010 domestic appropriations bill that includes long overdue increases for cancer prevention services and helps to sustain critical research funding levels. The legislation would provide an 8.8 percent increase for cancer prevention and control programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a 2.3 percent increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including a 2.8 percent for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and a 2.7 percent increase for the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD)."

Federal Times: "The two councils that amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation published seven new rules in the Federal Register...one finalizes an interim rule encouraging food service contractors to donate “wholesome excess food to nonprofit organizations that provide assistance to food-insecure people in the United States.”

CBO: H.R. 4173, Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009. December 9, 2009: Cost estimate for the bill as amended and reported by the House Committee on Rules on December 8, 2009

Follow up to previous postings on health care reform, today's news release: "U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) released the following statement today regarding a new report by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) that shows that 60 percent of health care spending in the U.S. ($1.35 trillion out of $2.24 trillion) is controlled by state, local and federal government.

The Market Structure of the Health Insurance Industry, D. Andrew Austin - Analyst in Economic Policy, Thomas L. Hungerford - Specialist in Public Finance. November 17, 2009

Estimated Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Employment and Economic Output as of September 2009 - November 2009

An Analysis of Health Insurance Premiums Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, November 30, 2009 - Letter to the Honorable Evan Bayh

Temporary Extension of Unemployment Benefits: Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08), November 17, 2009

News release: "Eight federal regulatory agencies today released a final model privacy notice form that will make it easier for consumers to understand how financial institutions collect and share information about consumers. Under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB Act), institutions must notify consumers of their information-sharing practices and inform consumers of their right to opt out of certain sharing practices. The model form issued today can be used by financial institutions to comply with these requirements. The Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act of 2006 amended the GLB Act to require the agencies to propose a succinct and comprehensible model form that allows consumers to easily compare the privacy practices of different financial institutions, and has an easy-to-read font...The final rule provides that a financial institution that chooses to use the model form obtains a "safe harbor" and will satisfy the disclosure requirements for notices. The rule also removes, after a transition period, the sample clauses now included in the appendices of the agencies’ privacy rules. The final model privacy form was developed jointly by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal Trade Commission, National Credit Union Administration, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Office of Thrift Supervision, and Securities and Exchange Commission."

• H.R. 3962, Affordable Health Care for America Act, November 20, 2009. Revised cost estimate for the bill as passed by the House of Representatives
• Information on Medicare's Payments to Physicians and the Budgetary Effects of H.R. 3961, the Medicare Physicians Payment Reform Act of 2009, November 19, 2009. Letter to the Honorable Paul Ryan
• Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, November 18, 2009 Cost estimate for the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 3590, as proposed in the Senate on November 18, 2009
• Long-Term Implications of the Department of Defense's Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Submission, November 18, 2009. Testimony before the Committee on Armed Services, U.S. House of Representatives.

• Department Of Veterans Affairs: Improvements Needed in Corrective Action Plans to Remediate Financial Reporting Material Weaknesses, GAO-10-65, November 16, 2009
• Financial Audit: Federal Housing Finance Agency's Fiscal Year 2009 Financial Statements, GAO-10-218, November 16, 2009
• Financial Audit: Securities and Exchange Commission's Financial Statements for Fiscal Years 2009 and 2008, GAO-10-250, November 16, 2009
• Recovery Act: Agencies Are Addressing Broadband Program Challenges, but Actions Are Needed to Improve Implementation, GAO-10-80, November 16, 2009
• Student Achievement: Schools Use Multiple Strategies to Help Students Meet Academic Standards, Especially Schools with Higher Proportions of Low-Income and Minority Students, GAO-10-18, November 16, 2009
• Critical Infrastructure Protection: OMB Leadership Needed to Strengthen Agency Planning Efforts to Protect Federal Cyber Assets, GAO-10-148, October 15, 2009
• Integrity Committee's Process to Address Allegations of Wrongdoing by Inspectors General, GAO-10-63R, October 15, 2009
• Workplace Safety and Health: Enhancing OSHA's Records Audit Process Could Improve the Accuracy of Worker Injury and Illness Data, GAO-10-10, October 15, 2009

CRS Report R40901 - Terrorism Information Sharing and the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Report Initiative: Background and Issues for Congress, November 05, 2009

Job Loss and Infrastructure Job Creation Spending During the Recession, Linda Levine, Specialist in Labor Economics, October 2, 2009

Follow up to previous postings on the establishment of a Consumer Financial Protection Agency, the following new documents released by Sen. Dodd via his press release:

House Report 111-330, to accompany H. Res. 903 RH - The rule providing for consideration of H.R. 3962, Affordable Health Care for America Act, contains a summary of the amendment, the Common Sense Health Care Reform and Affordability Act.

Health Reform and the 111th Congress, Hinda Chaikind, Specialist in Health Care Financing, October 14, 2009

Follow up on previous postings on health care reform, from WSJ.com - Health-Care Reform Proposals - "Compare health-care legislation taking shape in the House and Senate as President Barack Obama pushes to overhaul the system. Details are still being negotiated and any final health care bill would have to meld proposals from the House and Senate."

H.R. 3962, Affordable Health Care for America Act - November 6, 2009: Cost estimate for the bill as introduced on October 29, 2009 and incorporating the manager's amendment from November 3, 2009 (updated to reflect enactment of H.R. 3548): "CBO and the staff of JCT now estimate that, on balance, the direct spending and revenue effects of enacting H.R. 3962, incorporating the manager’s amendment, would yield a net reduction in federal budget deficits of $109 billion over the 2010-2019 period."

• Richard S. Foster, Chief Actuary, CMS - Estimated Financial Effects of the 'America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009' (H.R. 3200), as Reported by the Ways and Means Committee, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, October 21, 2009
  
• Joint Committee on Taxation, Estimated Revenue Effects of Possible Modifications to the Revenue Provisions of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, October 29, 2009
  
• Related postings on H.R. 3962

• November 04, 2009 - Income of Americans Aged 65 and Older, 1968 to 2008
• October 30, 2009 - Private Health Insurance Provisions of H.R. 3962 / Note: related postings on H.R. 3962
• October 28, 2009 - Systemic Risk and the Federal Reserve
• October 22, 2009 - Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2010
• October 19, 2009 - Presidential Terms and Tenure: Perspectives and Proposals for Change
• October 16, 2009 - Trafficking in Persons in Latin America and the Caribbean

News release: "The Federal Highway Administration crossed the $20 billion mark in approved obligations for highway, road and bridge projects this week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today. Of the $26.6 billion available for federal highway and bridge projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, more than 75 percent has now been obligated."

HUD OIG: Review of HUD’s Process for Monitoring Recipient Reporting for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, October 30, 2009

CBO Analysis of Subsidies to and Payments by Enrollees in Insurance Exchanges Under the Affordable Health Care for America Act, November 2, 2009. Letter to the Honorable Charles B. Rangel

"The country will never be able to contain rates of chronic diseases and health care costs until we find ways to keep Americans healthier. But right now, Americans are not as healthy as they could be or should be. Two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese. The childhood obesity epidemic is putting today’s youth on course to potentially be the first generation to live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents. This report, the sixth annual edition of F as in Fat: How Obesity Rates Are Failing in America 2009, finds that in the past year, adult obesity rates grew in 23 states and did not decrease in a single state. The number of obese adults now exceeds 25 percent in nearly two-thirds of states. In 1991, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent. In 1980, the national average of obese adults was 15 percent."

• Different Measures for Analyzing Current Proposals to Reform Health Care, October 30, 2009. Letter to the Honorable Max Baucus
• Preliminary Analysis of the Affordable Health Care for America Act, October 29, 2009. Letter to the Honorable Charles B. Rangel
• Note: H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, is 1990 pages long (PDF)

WSJ: "Here are some key parts of the draft legislation hashed out between House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D., Mass.) and the Treasury Department.
1) It would create a financial services oversight council, chaired by the Treasury Secretary, which would consist of Federal Reserve Chairman, Comptroller of the Currency, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman, and heads of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and others. The council would:
a. advise Congress on banking regulation
b. identify companies and activities that should be subject to more supervision.
c. Issue formal recommendations that a council member adopt for firms it regulates.
d. Resolve a dispute between regulators.
e. Subject a financial activity or practice to tougher rules and standards if the activity could threaten companies or markets..."

CQ Staff: "The House Financial Services Committee approved creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA), marking a big win for many Democrats and consumer advocates. The measure (HR 3126) — a central piece of the Obama administration’s financial overhaul plan — would create a new federal regulator with broad powers to police large swaths of the economy, including credit cards, home mortgages and pay-day lenders. Support for the new agency has grown after hundreds of thousands of subprime borrowers lost their homes, triggering one of the worst recessions in decades."

The Clean Water Act after 37 Years: Recommitting to the Protection of the Nation’s Waters - Statement of Wade T. Najjum Assistant Inspector General for Program Evaluation Before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, U.S. House of Representatives, October 15, 2009.

Government Executive: The 1,500-page fiscal 2010 Defense authorization bill approved by a congressional conference committee on Wednesday will have major repercussions for contractors and the government's acquisition workforce. Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said the legislation "supports the [Pentagon's] plan to increase the size of the civilian acquisition workforce; reduces the Department of Defense's reliance on contractors for critical acquisition functions; and eliminates waste, fraud and abuse through better contract oversight."

Make Our Food Safe: "Every year, 76 million Americans are sickened from consuming contaminated food – and 5,000 of these people die. That’s more than the number of individuals who lose their lives as a result of fire or unintentional drowning in the U.S. each year. Continued outbreaks of foodborne illness over the last several years – from spinach to peppers to peanuts – have demonstrated that these outbreaks are not random, unpreventable occurrences, but are due to widespread problems with our food safety system. Our current food system is broken and has been in need of reform for decades. And this year, Congress has the opportunity to change course and help protect children, families, senior citizens and all others from foodborne illness."

ACLU: "The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the USA PATRIOT Act Extension Act of 2009 [October 9, 2009], a bill which falls far short of restoring the necessary civil liberties protections lacking in the original Patriot Act. The bill, passed by the committee after two sessions of debate, makes only minor changes to the disastrous Patriot Act and was further watered down by amendments adopted during markup. The American Civil Liberties Union had endorsed the JUSTICE Act, an alternative bill that would heavily reform not only the Patriot Act but other overly broad surveillance laws."

CBO: Preliminary Analysis of the Chairman's Mark for the America's Healthy Future Act, as Amended - October 7, 2009 Letter to the Honorable Max Baucus

The Riskiest Foods Regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI - a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC.

Federal Computer Week: "The upgraded version of the Recovery.gov Web site for tracking spending under the economic stimulus law gets mostly positive reviews, but has disappointed some visitors. The retooled site, sponsored by the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, went online on Sept. 28 with new mapping features, a new layout and more prominent displays of key spending data. One addition is a large, interactive map; users can click on geographic areas, or enter locations or zip codes, to display information on contracts, grants and loans awarded. The map has data gathered from federal agencies and on Oct. 30, it will publish state and local data on contract awards."

• September 21, 2009 - Social Networking and Constituent Communication: Member Use of Twitter During a Two-Week Period in the 111th Congress
• September 16, 2009 - FEMA Disaster Housing: From Sheltering to Permanent Housing
• September 16, 2009 - Wildfire Fuels and Fuel Reduction
• September 16, 2009 - F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
• September 16, 2009 - Older Workers: Employment and Retirement Trends
• September 14, 2009 - Climate Change: Costs and Benefits of the Cap-and-Trade Provisions of H.R. 2454
• September 1, 2009 - The Fall and Rise of Household Saving

EPIC: "...the Department of Justice announced a new policy that limits the government’s use of the state secrets privilege. The state secrets privilege is a rule of evidence intended to prevent genuine matters of national security from being disclosed in open court. However, recently it has been misused by both the Bush and Obama administrations in order to derail litigation completely. For instance, in 2007 EPIC filed a “friend-of-the-court” brief in a warrantless wiretapping case, Hepting v. United States, in which the government argued that the case should be dismissed because it would reveal “state secrets.” Under the new policy, the privilege will be invoked only "to the extent necessary to protect against the risk of significant harm to national security." The Attorney General will also have to approve each determination. The State Secret Protection Act of 2009, legislation with a similar purpose, is now pending in Congress. For more information, see EPIC Open Government."

News release: "A judge ordered the government Thursday to release more records about the lobbying campaign to provide immunity to the telecommunications giants that participated in the NSA's warrantless surveillance program. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White ordered the records be provided to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) by October 9, 2009. The decision is part of EFF's long-running battle to gather information about telecommunications lobbying conducted as Congress considered granting immunity to companies that participated in illegal government electronic surveillance. Telecom immunity was eventually passed as part of the FISA Amendments Act (FAA) of 2008, but a bill that would repeal the immunity -- called the JUSTICE Act -- was introduced in the Senate last week."

News release: "Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), author of the credit card reform bill signed earlier this year by President Obama, and Barney Frank (D-MA), Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, today introduced legislation which changes the effective date for the reforms in that bill to December 1, 2009. H.R. 3639, the Expedited CARD Reform for Consumers Act of 2009, would move up the effective date of the remaining provisions of the Credit CARD Act, which are now scheduled for February and August 2010."
“Pew Charitable Trust reports that interest rates have spiked by an average of 20% on credit cards representing more than 91% of the $864 billion in outstanding credit card balances. It’s clear that credit card companies are taking advantage of this period between the signing of my bill and the current effective date,” Rep. Maloney said. “The breadth and depth of the rate hikes happening now point to the need for faster consumer protections. Americans need relief now.”

CBO: Additional Information on Insurance Coverage for Unauthorized Immigrants Under Proposed Health Care Legislation, September 22, 2009 - Letter to the Honorable Chuck Grassley

OIG-09-97 - Transportation Security Administration Privacy Stewardship (PDF, 36 pages), August 28, 2009

News release and Fact Sheet: "U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jon Tester (D-MT), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) have introduced legislation to fix problems with surveillance laws that threaten the rights and liberties of American citizens. The Judicious Use of Surveillance Tools In Counterterrorism Efforts (JUSTICE) Act would reform the USA PATRIOT Act, the FISA Amendments Act and other surveillance authorities to protect Americans’ constitutional rights, while preserving the powers of our government to fight terrorism. The JUSTICE Act reforms include more effective checks on government searches of Americans’ personal records, the “sneak and peek” search provision of the PATRIOT Act, “John Doe” roving wiretaps and other overbroad authorities. The bill will also reform the FISA Amendments Act, passed last year, by repealing the retroactive immunity provision, preventing “bulk collection” of the contents of Americans’ international communications, and prohibiting “reverse targeting” of innocent Americans. And the bill enables better oversight of the use of National Security Letters (NSLs) after the Department of Justice Inspector General issued reports detailing the misuse and abuse of the NSLs. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday, September 23rd, on reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act."

Senate Finance Committee: Baucus Releases America’s Healthy Future Act

• Chairman’s Mark - America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009
  Scheduled for Markup By the Senate Committee on Finance On September 22, 2009 [223 pages, PDF]
  
• 9-16-09 JCT Analysis of the America's Healthy Future Act
  
• 9-16-09: Finance Committee Memo on Estimates of the America’s Health Future Act
  
• CBO: Preliminary Analysis of Specifications for the Chairman's Mark of the America's Healthy Future Act, September 16, 2009: "..the Chairman’s proposal would establish a mandate for most legal residents of the United States to obtain health insurance; set up insurance “exchanges” through which certain individuals and families could receive federal subsidies to substantially reduce the cost of purchasing that coverage; significantly expand eligibility for Medicaid; substantially reduce the growth of Medicare’s payment rates for most services (relative to the growth rates projected under current law); impose an excise tax on insurance plans with relatively high premiums; and make various other changes to the Medicaid and Medicare programs and the federal tax code...enacting the Chairman’s proposal would result in a net reduction in federal budget deficits of $49 billion over the 2010–2019 period..."

Council of Economic Advisors: Economic Impact of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - First Quarterly Report, September 10, 2009.

New York Times: Clean Water Laws Are Neglected, at a Cost to Health

"Across the nation, the system that Congress created to protect the nation’s waters under the Clean Water Act of 1972 today often fails to prevent pollution. The New York Times has compiled data on more than 200,000 facilities that have permits to discharge pollutants and collected responses from states regarding compliance. Information about facilities contained in this database comes from two sources: the Environmental Protection Agency and the California State Water Resources Control Board. The database does not contain information submitted by the states."

"The New York Times surveyed violations of the Clean Water Act in every state, and the response by state regulators...Figures were compiled by asking states to verify data initially provided by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Any time officials disputed the data, they were asked to provide alternative figures, which were substituted. New Mexico, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Idaho and the District of Columbia were not delegated enforcement of the Clean Water Act. Figures for those states are from the E.P.A. Georgia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Mississippi disputed the E.P.A. figures but did not provide alternative information."

White House: "Tonight the President will make clear to Congress exactly what he would like to see in the health insurance reform legislation that gets sent to his desk. With four out of five committees in Congress having finished their work and the fifth announcing today that they are moving forward, more progress has been made today than in all the decades since reform was first proposed by Teddy Roosevelt. But tonight the President will explain how these bills should be pulled together to find the best solutions possible to bring peace of mind to Americans who have insurance and affordable coverage to those who don't."

"The Reportable Food Registry (RFR or the Registry) is an electronic portal for Industry to report when there is reasonable probability that an article of food will cause serious adverse health consequences. The Registry helps the FDA better protect public health by tracking patterns and targeting inspections. The Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 (Pub. L.110-085), section 1005 directs the FDA to establish a Reportable Food Registry for Industry. The RFR applies to all FDA-regulated categories of food and feed, except dietary supplements and infant formula."

The Government Printing Office (GPO) is pleased to announce the release of 8 new collections into the Federal Digital System (FDsys). The new collections are:

• Congressional Directory (105th Congress to present)
  
• Congressional Record (Bound) (1999 to 2001)
  
• Congressional Record Index (Daily) (1983 to Present)
  
• Economic Report of the President (1996 to present)
  
• GAO Reports and Comptroller General Decisions (1994 to 2008)
  
• History of Bills (1983 to present)
  
• United States Government Manual (1995/1996 to present)
  
• United States Statutes at Large (2003 to 2006)

Remarks by the Vice President on the 200 Days of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: "First, we had to stabilize the financial system. We took the unpopular but necessary step of rescuing the banks. And now, although there's a long way to go, eight out of 10 of the largest financial institutions in America -- including Goldman, Morgan Stanley, American Express, as well as 16 smaller banks, have repaid the government in full, and I might add, at a $4 billion profit for the taxpayer. Second, along with the Fed, we took action stabilizing the housing market, allowing responsible homeowners to stay in their homes, and we’re beginning to see the results of that. We just learned that new housing starts rose 10 percent in July, for the fourth straight month increase. Are we there yet? No. But we're moving. Two hundred days ago, President Obama signed into law the third piece of our economic plan: the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. And today there's a growing consensus: The Recovery Act is, in fact, working. Don’t just take my word for it. Analysts from Moody’s to IHS Global Insight, to the Economic Policy Institute and others all estimate the Recovery Act has created or saved between 500,000 to 750,000 jobs. As a matter of fact, some notable economists suggest the number is as high as a million. Economists at Goldman Sachs believe that the package added 2.2 percentage points to real GDP growth in the second quarter of 2009, and estimate that it will add 3.3 percentage current -- points to the current quarter."

The Government Domain: Tracking Congress 2.0 - With the 111th Congress of the United States reconvening on September 8th, e-gov expert Peggy Garvin highlights new tools and sources that enhance and expand your ability to track and monitor the action.

News release: "Nationwide Insurance today released the results of its new On Your Side® survey, which found that 8 in 10 Americans surveyed this month say they would support legislation restricting cell phone use while driving. The survey, conducted Aug. 5-9, 2009, by Harris Interactive, reports that 80 percent of Americans favor a ban on texting while driving, while two thirds favor a ban on cell phone calls, and more than half say they would support a ban on cell phone use altogether."

FDIC Consumer News, Summer 2009 - Credit Cards: New Law Protects Consumers from Surprise Fees, Rate Increases and Other Penalties

• August 25, 2009 - Treatment of Noncitizens in H.R. 3200 [America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009]
• August 19, 2009 - Insurance Regulation: Issues, Background, and Legislation in the 111th Congress
• August 14, 2009 - Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy
• August 11, 2009 - Financial Regulation and Oversight: Latin American Financial Crises and Reform: Lessons from Chile
• August 11, 2009 - The Military Commissions Act of 2006: Background and Proposed Amendments
• August 07, 2009 - The U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women: (CEDAW): Issues in the U.S. Ratification Debate

"Welcome to our new website! As the Executive Director of the Council [Valerie Jarrett], I’m very excited to launch this site as we commemorate Women’s Equality Day on August 26. On this day when we remember the bravery and struggles that won women the right to vote, we are very pleased to add this website to share with everyone the work of this Administration to address the issues of concern to women and girls. The mission of the White House Council on Women and Girls is to ensure that every part of the federal government takes into account the needs of women and girls in the policies we draft, the programs we create, the legislation we support. Through this site you will be able to meet the member of the Council and the key staff in each agency who are charged with meeting this charge from the President."

• The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
  
• History
  
• States parties
  
• Reservations
  
• Country Reports
  
• Other UN Conventions on Women
  
• Commentary: Celebrating Women’s Equality Day

New York Times: "Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, a son of one of the most storied families in American politics, a man who knew acclaim and tragedy in near-equal measure and who will be remembered as one of the most effective lawmakers in the history of the Senate, died late Tuesday night. He was 77."

News release: "In response to increasing concerns in the health care debate regarding the long-term costs of reform, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) released a report examining various steps for reforming the health care system to one that delivers better care at lower costs. The report, entitled, Improving Quality and Value in the U.S. Health Care System, supports the bipartisan health reform recommendations released earlier this year by Senators Howard Baker, Tom Daschle and Bob Dole in their budget-neutral framework for comprehensive health reform, Crossing Our Lines: Working Together to Reform the U.S. Health System.

"As lawmakers and Americans discuss health care reform, The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) has made available H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, in electronic and printed form. The bill was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce. The authentic, electronic version is available on GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys), named by Government Computer News as one of the Government’s best Web sites. GPO authenticated the document by digital signature. This signature assures the public that the document has not been changed or altered. A digital signature, viewed through the GPO Seal of Authenticity, verifies the document’s integrity and authenticity."

News release: "AG King and twenty-three other State Attorneys General sent a letter late Monday to leaders of the Senate Banking Committee and the House Financial Services Committee, voicing strong support for the Consumer Financial Protection Agency proposed by the Obama Administration."

"Launched in June, iAWFUL identifies America's 10 worst legislative and regulatory proposals targeted at the Internet. The iAWFUL Web site urges Internet users to join the fight to fix or fight against bills that threaten the future of online commerce and communication. The list is regularly updated to reflect the most immediate dangers, based on regulatory severity and likelihood of passage."

Employee Benefit Research Institute Databook on Employee Benefits, updated August 2009: "The EBRI Databook on Employee Benefits includes data from dozens of sources to provide a comprehensive analysis of how the employee benefits system works, who and what its various functions affect, and its relationship with the U.S. economy...The book is organized into four sections -- overview, retirement programs, health programs, and other employee benefits, with an extensive appendix offering general economic and demographic statistics, a glossary of terms used in the book, a legislative history of employee benefit programs, reference guide listing sources for further research, and an index."

WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Obama Says Health Reform Will Put Patients’ Interests Ahead of Insurance Company Profits: "President Barack Obama described just how dysfunctional the current health insurance system is and how reform will fix it. Right now, the American people have a system that works better for the insurance industry than it does for them. Reform will put an end 14,000 Americans losing their insurance everyday and provide everyone with the security and stability missing today. It will stop insurance companies from creating annual or lifetime caps on coverage and will limit how much people can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses. Reform means lower costs, more choices, better coverage, and stronger businesses and families."

Consumer Financial Protection Agency Continues to Create Banker Angst: "As President Obama attempts to overhaul the financial services regulatory regime, the one requirement that has met even more resistance than executive pay caps is the proposed financial services consumer watchdog agency...The financial services industry has dug in its heels in hopes of at least helping to shape the plan into something more palatable."

Library of Congress State Legislation on Comprehensive Health Care Coverage

CRS: Private Health Insurance Provisions of H.R. 3200, July 27, 2009

EIA - Energy Market and Economic Impacts of H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy And Security Act of 2009 (08/04/2009): "This report responds to a request from Chairman Henry Waxman and Chairman Edward Markey for an analysis of H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACESA). ACESA, as passed by the House of Representatives on June 26, 2009, is a complex bill that regulates emissions of greenhouse gases through market-based mechanisms, efficiency programs, and economic incentives."

Analysis of the Subsidy Costs of Direct and Guaranteed Student Loans - July 27, 2009 - Letter to the Honorable Judd Gregg

News release: "In conjunction with the 19th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the U.S. Department of Labor has re-named and re-launched DisabilityInfo.gov as Disability.gov. The site now offers comprehensive information about programs and services to better serve the more than 50 million Americans with disabilities, their family members, veterans, employers, educators, caregivers and anyone interested in disability-related information. The new Web site integrates content from 22 federal agencies and will be managed by the Labor Department. The former DisabilityInfo.gov site was revamped with social media tools to encourage interaction and feedback, and new ways to organize, share and receive information. Visitors can sign up for personalized news and updates, participate in online discussions and suggest resources for the site. New features include a Twitter feed, Really Simple Syndication feeds, a blog, social bookmarking and a user-friendly way to obtain answers to questions on such topics as finding employment and job accommodations. Additional tools will be added during the months ahead."

Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009: "H.R. 3221 would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965, which authorizes most federal postsecondary education programs. It would prohibit new federally guaranteed loans from being made under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and would increase direct spending for the Federal Pell Grant Program and other programs. The elimination of guaranteed student loans would lead to a comparable increase in direct lending by the government. The estimated subsidy cost shown in the budget is lower for the direct student loan program than for the FFEL program. Thus, enacting the bill would yield net budgetary savings for shifting new lending from the guaranteed loan program to the direct loan program."

FCC Report to Congress On State Collection and Distribution of 911 and Enhanced 911 Fees and Charges: "This report is submitted by the Chairman, Federal Communications Commission pursuant to the New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008 (NET 911 Act). This report, which was prepared by Commission staff, is the first annual report on the collection and distribution of 911 and Enhanced 911 (E911) fees and charges by the states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, and the Indian territories."

Preliminary Analysis Of the Effects of HR 2454 On U.S. Agriculture - Office of the Chief Economist Economic Research Service, U.S., Department of Agriculture, July 22, 2009

Fact Sheet: Administration’s Regulatory Reform Agenda Moves Forward - Systemic Risk Legislation Sent to Capitol Hill: "Continuing its push to establish new rules of the road and make the financial system more fair for consumers and investors, the Administration today delivered proposed legislation to Capitol Hill that would require strong, consolidated supervision and regulation for all financial firms. The legislation also provides a regulatory regime to monitor, mitigate, and respond to risks in the financial system. Tomorrow the administration will release additional legislative language to create a National Bank Supervisor through the consolidation of the Office of Thrift Supervision and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and to provide the government the tools it needs to adequately respond to a financial crisis."
Reports:

• Title I - Financial Services Oversight Council Act of 2009
  
• Title II - Bank Holding Company Modernization Act of 2009
  
• Title VI - Bank Holding Company and Depository Institution Regulatory Improvements Act of 2009
  
• Title IX - Investor Protection Act of 2009
  
• Title XIII - Section 13 of the Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 343) is amended in the third paragraph
  
• Title V - Office of National Insurance Act of 2009
  
• Related postings on financial system

Financial Markets Regulation: Financial Crisis Highlights Need to Improve Oversight of Leverage at Financial Institutions and across System, GAO-09-739, July 22, 2009
• Troubled Asset Relief Program: Status of Efforts to Address Transparency and Accountability Issues, GAO-09-920T, July 22, 2009
• Related postings on financial system

Fact Sheet: "Continuing its push to establish new rules of the road and make the financial system more fair across the board, the Administration today delivered proposed legislation to Capitol Hill to increase transparency, tighten oversight, and reduce reliance on credit rating agencies. The legislation would also work to reduce conflicts of interest at credit rating agencies while strengthening the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) authority over and supervision of rating agencies. In recent years, investors were overly reliant on credit rating agencies that often failed to accurately describe the risk of rated products. This lack of transparency prevented investors from understanding the full nature of the risks they were taking. The Administration's legislation would tighten oversight of credit rating agencies, protect investors from inappropriate rating agency practices, and bring increased transparency to the credit rating process."

PASS ID Act Addresses Major Privacy Concerns in REAL ID: "CDT testified [July 15, 2009] before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on reevaluating the REAL ID Act. CDT testified in support of the PASS ID Act, noting that it mitigates or corrects critical privacy and security flaws introduced by REAL ID, while still establishing minimum federal standards for the issuance of driver's licenses and ID cards. While the PASS ID Act does not address all flaws in the REAL ID program, merely repealing REAL ID does not address all of the underlying privacy and security risks posed by government identification programs, CDT said. PASS ID provides the opportunity to start building privacy guidance and protections into all state identification programs, addressing trends and issues that will exist regardless of REAL ID implementation."

"The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) have completed a preliminary analysis of H.R. 3200, the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, as introduced on July 14, 2009. This analysis does not reflect any modifications or amendments made after that date. Among other things, the legislation would establish a mandate for legal residents to obtain health insurance; set up insurance “exchanges” through which some individuals and families could receive subsidies to substantially reduce the cost of purchasing insurance; significantly expand eligibility for Medicaid; make modifications to the Medicare and Medicaid programs; and impose an income-tax surcharge on high-income individuals."

Fact Sheet: Administration's Regulatory Reform Agenda Moves Forward: Legislation for the Registration of Hedge Funds Delivered to Capitol Hill

S. 1390, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 - July 14, 2009, Cost estimate for the bill as reported by the Senate Committee on Armed Services on July 2, 2009

CBO Preliminary Analysis of the Insurance Coverage Specifications Provided by the House Tri-Committee Group, July 14, 2009, Letter to the Honorable Charles B. Rangel

CBO: Intergovernmental Mandates in Federal Legislation, July 14, 2009, Economic and Budget Issue Brief

Additional Information on CBO's Analysis of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act, July 6, 2009

CBO: Affordable Health Choices Act, July 2, 2009 - Preliminary analysis of the provisions of Title I of draft legislation that has been posted on the Web site of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

"Who Runs Gov offers a unique look at the world of Washington through its key players and personalities. Our site will feature profiles of a select group of government officials, including members of the new presidential administration, legislators, senior Congressional aides and committee staff, and experts at think tanks and interest groups who influence how policy is made. Each profile focuses on an individual's policy experience and involvement with specific areas of government decision-making, from health care to telecommunications to financial services to national security. Our goal is to become the web destination for business, opinion and political leaders – as well as students, educators and engaged citizens - looking for crucial, real-time information on the individuals who shape the policy-making process in the nation’s capital." [Gloria Miccioli]

News release: "The most authoritative report providing a blueprint for how communities can tackle global warming was released by the California League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The report is a guide to California’s Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act, or SB 375, the nation’s first legislation to link transportation and land use planning with global warming. The report Communities Tackle Global Warming: A Guide to California’s SB 375, highlights that locating homes closer to jobs and transportation choices creates walkable communities and can improve quality of life, reduce commute times and cut millions of tons of global warming pollution. It also features a photo simulation of how communities could come alive after mixed-use development and improved street design bring pedestrian activity into the area."

H.R. 2998, American Clean Energy and Security Act, June 26, 2009 - Cost estimate for the bill as amended and reported by the House Committee on Rules on June 26, 2009

Paid Sick Days Don't Cause Unemployment, June 2009, John Schmitt, Hye Jin Rho, Alison Earle, and Jody Heymann. Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)

CBO: Preliminary Analysis of Major Provisions Related to Health Insurance Coverage Under the Affordable Health Choices Act, June 15, 2009. Letter to the Honorable Edward M. Kennedy.

Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009, H.R. 1207 - To amend title 31, United States Code, to reform the manner in which the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is audited by the Comptroller General of the United States and the manner in which such audits are reported, and for other purposes.

Did the 2008 Tax Rebates Stimulate Short-Term Growth?, June 10, 2009 Economic and Budget Issue Brief

"Our Roadmap to Recovery initiative is an ambitious effort to reflect the commitments of your Cabinet members for a stepped up level of activity in implementing the Recovery Act in the next 100 days. We intend to deliver this increased pace at virtually every agency, and in countless programs. In this report, we have highlighted ten of these commitments and provided a graphic representation of where Americans can expect to see the Recovery Act in action across the country this summer."

Emerging Issues in the U.S. Organic Industry, By Catherine Greene, Carolyn Dimitri, Biing-Hwan Lin, William McBride, Lydia Oberholtzer, and Travis Smith. Economic Information Bulletin No. (EIB-55) 36 pp, June 2009

"H.R. 2454, American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on May 21, 2009 would make a number of changes in energy and environmental policies largely aimed at reducing emissions of gases that contribute to global warming. The bill would limit or cap the quantity of certain greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted from facilities that generate electricity and from other industrial activities over the 2012-2050 period. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would establish two separate regulatory initiatives known as cap-and-trade programs—one covering emissions of most types of GHGs and one covering hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). EPA would issue allowances to emit those gases under the cap-and-trade programs. Some of those allowances would be auctioned by the federal government, and the remainder would be distributed at no charge...CBO has determined that the non-tax provisions of H.R. 2454 contain intergovernmental and private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). Several of those mandates would require utilities, manufacturers, and other entities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through cap-and-trade programs and performance standards. CBO estimates that the cost of mandates in the bill would well exceed the annual thresholds established in UMRA for intergovernmental and private-sector mandates (in 2009, $69 million and $139 million respectively, adjusted annually for inflation)."

Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB), Toward A 21st Century Framework for Federal Government Privacy Policy, May 2009

Fact Sheet: "Today, President Obama signs the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009, marking a turning point for American consumers and ending the days of unfair rate hikes and hidden fees. Americans need a healthy flow of credit in our economy, but for too long credit card contracts and practices have been unfairly and deceptively complicated, often leading consumers to pay more than they reasonably expect. Every year, Americans pay around $15 billion in penalty fees. Nearly 80 percent of American families have a credit card, and 44 percent of families carry a balance on their credit cards. To tackle these problems, the Administration moved swiftly with the Congress to enact reforms."

News release: "Today, President Obama...sign[ed] the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act and the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act into law...The Helping Families Save Their Homes Act is an important step towards stabilizing and reforming our nation’s financial and housing markets – helping American homeowners and increasing the flow of credit during these difficult economic times. This legislation will strengthen our nation's housing sector and facilitate the goals of the Administration's Making Home Affordable Program by helping millions of American homeowners stay in their homes. The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act will protect the American people by giving the federal government new tools and resources to prevent fraud. This reform bill will help the federal government keep markets free and fair, so that American consumers can thrive."

News release: "James B. Lockhart, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), today released FHFA’s first Report to Congress, detailing the findings of the agency’s 2008 annual examinations of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks), and the Office of Finance. The report is the first Report to Congress since FHFA was established by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA), signed into law in July of 2008. A predecessor agency, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), previously published annual reports to Congress on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac examinations."

News release: "Today, Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller, IV (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, introduced The Federal Surface Transportation Policy and Planning Act of 2009. This important legislation establishes a comprehensive and unifying mission for the nation’s surface transportation system."

White House Council on Economic Advisers, Estimates of Job Creation from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, May 2009: "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was designed to save and create jobs, as well as to cushion the economic downturn and make crucial public investments. At the time of passage, the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) made estimates of the employment effects of the Act for the economy as a whole. As the money is being distributed by the various agencies, there is interest in estimates of the likely jobs effects of the individual pieces. Of course, as projects swing into action, the government will gather actual data on reported job creation. This report describes the estimating procedures used so far; specifies procedures to be used by recipients for estimating job creation going forward; discusses reporting requirements for job creation; and describes the procedures the CEA will use to evaluate the job creation and retention benefits of the ARRA going forward."

News release: "Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the two departments are revoking an eleventh-hour Bush administration rule that undermined Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections. Their decision requires federal agencies to once again consult with federal wildlife experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – the two agencies that administer the ESA – before taking any action that may affect threatened or endangered species."

News release: "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing its strategy for increasing the supply of renewable fuels, poised to reach 36 billion gallons by 2022, as mandated by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007."

"Chairman Henry A. Waxman, Subcommittee Chairman Edward J. Markey, Chairman Emeritus John D. Dingell, Congresswoman Betty Sutton, Congressman Jay Inslee, and Congressman Bart Stupak reached an agreement on a "Cash for Clunkers" program that will help the auto industry while cleaning our air. This agreement is based on H.R. 1550 [Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009], introduced by Congresswoman Sutton, and H.R. 520, introduced by Congressman Inslee."

• Information Security: Cyber Threats and Vulnerabilities Place Federal Systems at Risk, GAO-09-661T, May 5, 2009: "Cyber threats to federal information systems and cyber-based critical infrastructures are evolving and growing. These threats can be unintentional and intentional, targeted or nontargeted, and can come from a variety of sources, such as foreign nations engaged in espionage and information warfare, criminals, hackers, virus writers, and disgruntled employees and contractors working within an organization. Moreover, these groups and individuals have a variety of attack techniques at their disposal, and cyber exploitation activity has grown more sophisticated, more targeted, and more serious. As government, private sector, and personal activities continue to move to networked operations, as digital systems add ever more capabilities, as wireless systems become more ubiquitous, and as the design, manufacture, and service of information technology have moved overseas, the threat will continue to grow."
• Recovery Act: GAO's Efforts to Work with the Accountability Community to Help Ensure Effective and Efficient Oversight, GAO-09-672T, May 5, 2009: "GAO is carrying out its responsibilities to review the uses of Recovery Act funds and will also target certain areas for additional review using a riskbased approach. GAO’s first bimonthly report examined the steps 16 states, the District of Columbia, and selected localities are taking to use and oversee Recovery Act funds. These states contain about 65 percent of the U.S. population and are estimated to receive about two-thirds of the intergovernmental grant funds available through the Recovery Act. GAO’s report made several recommendations to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) toward improving accountability and transparency requirements; clarifying the Recovery Act funds that can be used to support state efforts to ensure accountability and oversight; and improving communications with Recovery Act funds recipients."
• Related postings on financial system

EPA OIG: "EPA does not perform oversight of radon testing device accuracy or reliability. The 1988 Indoor Radon Abatement Act required that EPA establish proficiency programs for firms offering radon-related services, including testing and mitigation. EPA established and operated proficiency programs until 1998, when it disinvested in these programs. According to Agency representatives, EPA has neither the authority nor resources to ensure radon testing devices and testing laboratories are accurate and reliable. EPA asserts that it shares oversight responsibility with States and industry, including the two national proficiency programs operating under private auspices. However, without oversight, EPA cannot assure that radon testing devices provide accurate data on indoor radon risks or that radon testing laboratories accurately analyze and report radon results." At a Glance | Report

News release: "Today, President Obama and Secretary Geithner are unveiling two components [Fact Sheet and Backgrounder] of the Administration's plan to reform our international tax laws and improve their enforcement. First, they are calling for reforms to ensure that our tax code does not stack the deck against job creation here on our shores. Second, they seek to reduce the amount of taxes lost to tax havens – either through unintended loopholes that allow companies to legally avoid paying billions in taxes, or through the illegal use of hidden accounts by well-off individuals. Combined with further international tax reforms that will be unveiled in the Administration's full budget later in May, these initiatives would raise $210 billion over the next 10 years. The Obama Administration hopes to build on proposals by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel – as well as other leaders on this issue like Senator Carl Levin and Congressman Lloyd Doggett – to pass bipartisan legislation over the coming months."

• March 05, 2209 - Legal Issues Related to Funding for Religious Schools in P.L. 111-5, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
• April 23, 2009 - Airport Passenger Screening: Background and Issues for Congress
• April 20, 2009 - Insolvency of Systemically Significant Companies: Bankruptcy vs. Conservatorship/Receivership
April 16, 2009 - Organized Crime in the United States: Trends and Issues for Congress
• April 14, 2009 - NATO Enlargement: Albania, Croatia, and Possible Future Candidates
• See also related postings on financial system and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

"On Tuesday, April 28, the Senate overwhelmingly passed anti-fraud legislation that was reported earlier this year by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act was introduced on February 5 by Committee Members Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Ted Kaufman (D-Del.). On February 11, the Committee held a hearing to consider the legislation. The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act was reported by the Committee on March 5. The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009 is also cosponsored by Committee Members Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). In total, nearly 30 senators have cosponsored the legislation."

• The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009
  
• Committee Report
  
• Statement of Administration Policy

News release: "Today, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, joined by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, met with consumer groups, civil rights leaders and credit card consumers to discuss the national need for credit card reform. The discussion centered on the House Bill, Credit Card Holders Bill of Rights of 2009, (HR 627) which is set for a vote tomorrow and would significantly strengthen consumer protections in the credit card market."

News release: "With the NYCStat Stimulus Tracker, New Yorkers can track the City’s use of federal stimulus/recovery funds provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). This funding includes federal tax cuts, expansion of unemployment benefits and other social welfare provisions, and domestic spending in education, health care, energy efficiency and infrastructure. The stimulus money for New York City will be used to ensure continued vital City services, provide assistance to New Yorkers in need, and stimulate the City’s economy."

News release: "Today, in an Earth Day speech at a wind turbine tower manufacturing plant, President Barack Obama announced that the Department of the Interior has finalized a long-awaited framework for renewable energy production on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The framework establishes a program to grant leases, easements, and rights-of-way for orderly, safe, and environmentally responsible renewable energy development activities, such as the siting and construction of off-shore wind farms, on the OCS...In addition to establishing a process for granting leases, easements, and rights-of-way for offshore renewable energy development, the new program also establishes methods for sharing revenues generated from OCS renewable energy projects with adjacent coastal States. Additionally the framework will enhance partnerships with Federal, state, and local agencies and tribal governments to assist in maximizing the economic and ecological benefits of OCS renewable energy development. The Final Framework has been submitted to the Federal Register, and is available online."

• Energy Policy Act of 2005
  
• OCS Renewable Energy Program Framework
  
• FERC/DOI Memorandum of Understanding

News release: "On April 17, 2009, HHS issued guidance specifying the technologies and methodologies that render protected health information unusable, unreadable, or indecipherable to unauthorized individuals, as required by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act passed as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). This guidance was developed through a joint effort by OCR, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)."

News release: "[April 17, 2009] the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee posted to its website a joint discussion draft and summary for the “21st Century Energy Technology Deployment Act.” {CEDA] This proposal, put forward by the bipartisan Committee staff, seeks to improve the loan guarantee program at the Department of Energy and to provide additional options for deploying energy technologies. The basis of the bill is to shore up the existing program at DOE, then transition to a new financially-focused agency to perform and expand upon the duties of the program."

News release: "...Congressmen Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Eric Cantor (R-VA) introduced the Conservation Easement Incentive Act, H.R. 1831. This bill will aid in the protection of millions of acres of the nation’s agricultural lands and open spaces. H.R. 1831 makes permanent an expiring incentive that allows modest-income landowners to receive significant tax deductions for donating conservation easements that permanently protect important natural or historic resources on their lands...“If current development trends continue in California, another two million acres will be paved over by 2050. It’s time we made these protections permanent. By making sure that landowners can count on these enhanced tax benefits, we’ll take a big step forward in preserving our agricultural lands and keeping our environment safe from overdevelopment.”

• Small Business Administration's Implementation of Administrative Provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, GAO-09-507R, April 16, 2009
• Maritime Security: Vessel Tracking Systems Provide Key Information, but the Need for Duplicate Data Should Be Reviewed, GAO-09-337, March 17, 2009
• Superfund: Greater EPA Enforcement and Reporting Are Needed to Enhance Cleanup at DOD Sites, GAO-09-278, March 13, 2009

The Global Financial Crisis: Analysis and Policy Implications, Dick K. Nanto, Coordinator, Specialist in Industry and Trade, April 3, 2009.

DOT OIG - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Oversight Challenges Facing the Department of Transportation

Public Law 111–5, 111th Congress, 123 STAT. 115, Feb. 17, 2009 [H.R. 1] American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. 407 pages, PDF

News release: "The U.S. Census Bureau today submitted to Congress its proposed recovery plan to create jobs, strengthen the economy and conduct a successful 2010 Census. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Census Bureau was provided $1 billion....Under the proposal, the Census Bureau will invest $250 million in partnership and outreach efforts to minority communities and hard-to-reach populations. This effort is intended to promote participation in the census, which will improve accuracy and facilitate enumeration operations in 2010. The remaining $750 million will be committed to support early 2010 Census operations that will reduce operational and programmatic risks at a critical stage of the census process. More than $300 billion in federal funds are distributed every year based on census results. This funding supports vital local services like health care, schools, law enforcement, transportation and social services.

News release: "The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced plans to make $1 billion available for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program. Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the new resources will be allocated to states across the country. States will distribute the new funding to community groups that help Americans through tough economic times...Under the Recovery Act, organizations receiving CSBG funding must use the resources to help get our economy back on track. Funds must be used to reduce poverty, revitalize low-income communities, and assist low-income families become self-sufficient. Eligible entities use funds to provide services and activities addressing employment, education, housing, nutrition, and emergency services to combat the central causes of poverty...The $1 billion in new funds under the Recovery Act is in addition to CSBG's regular annual operating budget of approximately $700 million. See a state-by-state description of CSBG Recovery Act funding here."

"When President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law on February 17, 2009, it marked the beginning of a 45-day window for each state to claim the funds allocated to it by the act. In order to receive funds from the ARRA, governors have 45 days to certify that they will first of all "request and use" funds from the ARRA and second of all use them to create jobs and promote economic growth. If a governor does not accept funds allocated to his or her state before that window expires, the state's legislature then has the option of certifying those two conditions itself."

News release: "Organizations representing booksellers, librarians, publishers, and writers today launched the latest phase in their five-year campaign to restore the reader privacy safeguards that were stripped away by the USA Patriot Act. Since 2003, the Department of Justice has used its expanded power under the Patriot Act to issue more than 200 secret search orders under Section 215 and more than 190,000 National Security Letters (NSLs). Despite several efforts to reform the Patriot Act, the FBI can still search any records it believes are "relevant" to a terrorism investigation, including the records of people who are not suspected of criminal conduct."

Metro Potential in ARRA: An Early Assessment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, The Brookings Institution, March 30, 2009

News release: "The Federal Communications Commission today begins the process of developing a national broadband plan that will seek to ensure that every American has access to broadband capability. In the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 – known as the stimulus package – Congress charged the Commission with creating a national broadband plan. In a Notice of Inquiry adopted [April 8, 2009], the Commission begins a proceeding to create that national broadband plan, seeking input from all stakeholders: consumers, industry, large and small businesses, non-profits, the disabilities
community, governments at the federal, state, local and tribal levels, and all other interested parties. The Commission must deliver the plan to Congress by Feb. 17, 2010. It will provide a roadmap toward achieving the goal of ensuring that all Americans reap the benefits of broadband."

CDT: "A cybersecurity bill introduced April 01, 2009 in the Senate would give the federal government extraordinary power over private sector Internet services, applications and software. The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 would, for example, give the President unfettered power to shut down Internet traffic in emergencies or disconnect any critical infrastructure system or network on national security grounds. The bill would grant the Commerce Department the ability to override all privacy laws to access any information about Internet usage in connection with a new role in tracking cybersecurity threats. The bill, introduced by Sens. John Rockefeller and Olympia Snowe, would also give the government unprecedented control over computer software and Internet services, threatening innovation, freedom and privacy. CDT President and CEO Leslie Harris said, "The cybersecurity threat is real, but such a drastic federal intervention in private communications technology and networks could harm both security and privacy."

News release: "Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Monday called for new legislation granting additional tools to address systemically significant financial institutions that fall outside of the existing resolution regime under the FDIC. A draft bill will be sent to Congress this week...The legislative proposal would fill a significant void in the current financial services regulatory structure and is one piece of a comprehensive regulatory reform strategy that will mitigate systemic risk, enhance consumer and investor protection, while eliminating gaps in the regulatory structure."

"GPO is releasing the Public Printer's Letter to President Obama regarding transparency and open Government. The letter offers GPO's support in helping to implement the President's initiative leveraging the Federal Digital System (FDsys). Five goals with accompanying actions were provided that GPO is prepared to undertake to help implement the President's initiative."

News release: "The U.S. Department of Labor has issued policy guidance to grantees of the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) for the implementation of an additional $118,800,000 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). This critical investment is designed to increase services and training for unemployed, low-income seniors, and to invigorate and advance prosperity in the communities where they live."

Follow up to March 19, 2009 - New Attorney General Guidelines on FOIA Released - CJR: "In a bit of Congressional commemoration, Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont and John Cornyn, his Texan Republican colleague, have introduced S. 612, new legislation that would require any new b(3) exemptions to specifically reference the Freedom of Information Act, so that these exemptions would be easier to spot. The senators have frequently collaborated on legislation designed to improve FOIA, and this is the third consecutive Sunshine Week in which Cornyn and Leahy have introduced this legislation. In 2007, it passed the Senate unanimously...Because the law only applies to future b(3) exemptions that Congress might write, it does nothing to address those already in the US Code. Like Title 7, Chapter 77, Sec 4608, Subsection G, Paragraph 1, which protects certain information about honeybee handlers, or Title 7, Chapter 80, Section 4908, Subsection c, which does something similar for watermelon producers and handlers submitting information quantifying the size of their business in order to participate in the National Watermelon Promotion Board."

News release: "During the House Financial Services Subcommittee meeting today, American International Group’s Impact on the Global Economy: Before, During, and After Federal Intervention, Rep. Barney Frank discussed the AIG employee contracts."

• 2008 Employee Retention Plan
  
• Confirmation and Acknowledgement
  
• Schedule to the Master Agreement
  
• Related postings on AIG and on the financial system

News release: "Vice President Joe Biden announced today that the Department of Health and Human Services will award $100 million in Recovery Act funding to provide meals to tens of thousands of low-income older Americans in need. The funding is expected to provide nearly 14 million meals nationwide...The [American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009] provides $65 million for congregate nutrition services provided at senior centers and other community sites, $32 million for home delivered nutrition services delivered to frail elders at home and $3 million for Native American nutrition programs. The funding will be awarded to 56 states and territories and 246 tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations. States will award the funds to organizations that provide nutrition services in their communities."

Joint Committee on Taxation: JCX-20-09 (March 09, 2009) List Of Expiring Federal Tax Provisions 2008-2020

askSam: "This database contains a complete text of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 also known as the Stimulus Bill or Bailout Bill. It was formerly referred to as the Economic Stimulus Act. This database is fully searchable by division, title, section, and keyword. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ("Stimulus Bill", Pub.L. 111-5, H.R. 1, S. 1) is an Act of Congress enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on February 17, 2009."

News release: "The American Civil Liberties Union released a comprehensive report today examining widespread abuses that have occurred under the USA Patriot Act, a law that was rushed through Congress just 45 days after September 11. In the almost eight years since the passage of the controversial national security law, the Patriot Act has led to egregious government misconduct."

Mother Jones: "By slipping a simple, three-sentence provision into the gargantuan spending bill passed by the House of Representatives last week, a congressman from Silicon Valley is trying to nudge Congress into the 21st Century. Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) placed a measure in the bill directing Congress and its affiliated organs—including the Library of Congress and the Government Printing Office—to make its data available to the public in raw form. This will enable members of the public and watchdog groups to craft websites and databases showcasing government data that are more user-friendly than the government's own."

Follow up to related postings on presidential signing statements, today's memo from the White House:

ARRA 101: "Completing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was a long and arduous process for the Obama Administration and the new Congress. Now that President Obama has signed the bill into law, our nation can begin the journey of restoring our economic stability through the programs and initiatives this law will make possible.

Throughout the process of creating this law, the library community demonstrated a steadfast commitment to the American public by working to inform our leaders in Washington about the programs and services libraries across the country are providing to help America get back to work, such as assistance with resume building and online job searching as well as free classes to teach the public 21st century job skills.

With many opportunities available to libraries through the stimulus bill, the library community must continue our efforts to educate our elected officials on the benefits of investing in libraries – focusing now on the state level."

"March 6, 2009, the Congressional Oversight Panel released its March Oversight Report, The Foreclosure Crisis: Working Toward a Solution.

• Information Technology: Census Bureau Testing of 2010 Decennial Systems Can Be Strengthened, GAO-09-262, March 05, 2009
• Information Technology: Census Bureau Testing of 2010 Decennial Systems Can Be Strengthened, GAO-09-414T, March 05, 2009
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: GAO's Role in Helping to Ensure Accountability and Transparency, GAO-09-453T, March 05, 2009
• 2010 Census: Little Time Remains to Address Operational Challenges, GAO-09-408T, March 05, 2009
• Environmental Protection Agency: Major Management Challenges, GAO-09-434, March 04, 2009
• Climate Change: Observations on the Potential Role of Carbon Offsets in Climate Change Legislation, GAO-09-456T, March 05, 2009
• NASA: Projects Need More Disciplined Oversight and Management to Address Key Challenges, GAO-09-436T, March 05, 2009
• Systemic Risk: Regulatory Oversight and Recent Initiatives to Address Risk Posed by Credit Default Swaps, GAO-09-397T, March 05, 2009
• DOD Business Transformation: Status of DOD's Actions on Previous Recommendations for the Defense Travel System, GAO-09-416T, March 05, 2009

OECD: "Every year, the 8th of March marks a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women - and offers an occasion to present the work of the Development Centre in the area of gender equality."

Estimated Macroeconomic Impacts of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, March 2, 2009. Letter to the Honorable Charles E. Grassley. Difference Between Potential GDP in CBO’s Baseline and Actual GDP Without and With the Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pct. difference in 4th qtr. of each yr.)

• DOE Information Related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
• EPA Information Related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act)
• National Conference of State Legislatures Summary on Human Services Provisions
• Recovery.gov: State Recovery Sites and State Certifications and Agency Recovery Sites - "Many state websites [and different agencies and departments] now have their own recovery web pages that help explain how they are spending funds allocated by the Recovery Act...keep in mind, many more pages will come online – with much more information – in the weeks and months ahead, so check back [on these sites referenced above] often for updates."
• Related postings on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
• Related postings on financial system

Workforce Management: "Employers would be prohibited from making hiring, firing and other personnel decisions on the basis of workers’ genetic predisposition to a disease under rules to be proposed this week by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The proposals, which are open for public comment over the next two months, also would bar employers from deliberately acquiring genetic information from employees and job applicants...In addition, employers would be restricted from disclosing genetic information about workers and applicants. Violators would be subject to compensatory and punitive damages under some circumstances."

• Meeting of February 25, 2009 - on Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Implementation of Title II of the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008, Statement of Christopher J. Kuczynski, J.D., LL.M., Assistant Legal Counsel, ADA Policy Division
  
• Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) - H.R.493, Became Public Law No: 110-233 on May 21, 2008

"U.S. home prices posted record declines in the fourth quarter of 2008 according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s House Price Index (HPI). The FHFA seasonally-adjusted purchase-only house price index, based on data from home sales, was 3.4 percent lower on a seasonally-adjusted basis in the fourth quarter than in the third quarter. This decline was greater than the 2.0 percent decline in the third quarter and the largest in the purchase-only index’s 18-year history. Over the past year, seasonally-adjusted prices fell 8.2 percent from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the fourth quarter of 2008."

• See also 2009 Conforming Loan Limits Increased by American Recovery and Investment Act: "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which was signed into law on Tuesday, increased the maximum conforming loan limit for mortgages originated in 2009. The increase affects 250 counties across the United States. For these areas, identified in the attached table, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loan limits will return to their late-2008 levels, which were up to $729,750 for one-unit properties in the continental United States. Loan limits in other areas are not changed by the legislation."
  
• Related postings on financial system

Where is your money going? "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act targets investments towards key areas that will save or create good jobs immediately, while also laying the groundwork for long-term economic growth. The charts and numbers below give you an idea of where the money is going. Over the upcoming months, we will provide more information on the distribution of funding by Federal agencies. In order to give small businesses and Americans across the country a chance to apply for recovery dollars to create and save jobs, some funding may not be distributed until this summer. New information on the allocation of funds will be posted on Recovery.gov as it becomes available."

Annex – U.S.- Canada clean energy dialogue, 19 February 2009, Ottawa, Ontario: "...The United States and Canada are collaborating on energy research related to advanced biofuels, clean engines, and energy efficiency. In order to address the energy and environmental challenges that we face together, the two nations agreed to expand collaboration in these and other key areas of energy science and technology...The United States will draw from the $3.4 billion for carbon capture and sequestration demonstrations in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Canada’s Economic Action Plan establishes a $1 billion Clean Energy Fund which builds on Canada’s previous investments in carbon capture and sequestration."

See this White House webpage which in turn links to the final version, published in the Congressional Record version (PDF) - The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, inclusive of an online "form on the right to leave your comments, thoughts, and ideas." Required data: email address and name. Comments are limited to 5,000 characters.

Follow up to February 4, 2009 posting, Treasury Announces New Restrictions On Executive Compensation , from ProPublica, Stimulus Bill Limits TARP Exec Pay: "...tucked into the 1,071-page bill [H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009] is a twelve-page section that goes much further than any limits imposed by the Bush administration or even contemplated by the Obama administration" [on executive compensation and corporate governance].

The Stimulus Plan: A Detailed List of Spending by Michael Grabell and Christopher Weaver, ProPublica: "The appropriations section of the bill details spending in excess of $311 billion for programs ranging from Pell grants for college students to clean water in central Utah to nearly $100 billion in new transportation and infrastructure projects. Here’s our earlier chart comparing the differences between the House, Senate, and conference versions of the bills."

Via THOMAS: HR1: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (stimulus bill)

White House: "Today President Obama is celebrating the passage [Senate approved HR 1 by a 60-to-38 vote, House approved the compromise bill by a 246-to 183 vote] of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as a "major milestone on our road to recovery," while still emphasizing that we have many miles yet to go...President Obama acknowledges that some people are skeptical about the plan given how Washington has performed in the past, which is why he's encouraging people to check back at Recovery.gov -- the site where, once the plan is in action, you'll be able to track the funds."

The Legislative Source Book of the Law Librarians' Society of Washington, DC (LLSDC) now has a 1.5 MB file, in PDF, of the complete Conference Report, H. Rep. 111-16, to H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which has been taken and combined from five Congressional Record (50 page) files on GPO Access (210 pages all together). [thanks to Rick McKinney]

H.R. 1, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, February 13, 2009. Cost estimate for the conference agreement for H.R. 1: "Combining both spending and revenue effects, CBO estimates that enacting the conference agreement for H.R. 1 would increase federal budget deficits by $185 billion over the remaining months of fiscal year 2009, by $399 billion in 2010, by $134 billion in 2011, and by $787 billion over the 2009-2019 period."

February 11, 2009 - The Need for Increased Fraud Enforcement in the Wake of the Economic Downturn, John S. Pistole, Deputy Director, FBI, Before the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

WSJ: "Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's revamp of the $700 billion financial-sector bailout is likely to rely on a broad range of tools, from injecting additional capital into banks and helping homeowners avoid foreclosure to expanding the roles of the Federal Reserve, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., according to people familiar with the matter."

AP: "A comparison of the $827 billion economic recovery plan drafted by Senate Democrats and moderate Republicans with an $820 billion version passed by the House. Additional debt costs would add about $350 billion or more over 10 years. Many provisions expire in two years."

EEOC: "On January 29, 2009, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 (“Act”), which supersedes the Supreme Court’s decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Inc., 550 U.S. 618 (2007). Ledbetter had required a compensation discrimination charge to be filed within 180 days of a discriminatory pay-setting decision (or 300 days in jurisdictions that have a local or state law prohibiting the same form of compensation discrimination). The Act restores the pre-Ledbetter position of the EEOC that each paycheck that delivers discriminatory compensation is a wrong actionable under the federal EEO statutes, regardless of when the discrimination began. As noted in the Act, it recognizes the “reality of wage discrimination” and restores “bedrock principles of American law.”

"GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys) is an advanced digital system that will enable GPO to manage Government information in a digital form. FDsys will enable GPO to manage information from all three branches of the U.S. Government. As a state-of-the-art digital content management system, FDsys will contain information gathered through three methods:

• Files submitted by Congress and Federal agencies;
  
• Information gathered from Federal agencies’ web sites (often referred to as “harvesting” information);
  
• Digital files created by scanning previously printed publications."
  
• See the Advanced Search page to specify specific dates and collections.

Estimated Macroeconomic Effects of the Inouye-Baucus Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 1, February 4, 2009, Letter to the Honorable Judd Gregg.

"The White House today released additional state-specific details on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. The recovery plan will create and save jobs in the near future while addressing long-neglected needs that are critical to laying the foundation for a strong economic future. Nationwide, Obama’s plan will create or save 3-4 million jobs over the next two years. Additionally, 95% of American workers will get a tax cut and tens of billions will be invested in roads, bridges, mass transit, flood control, and clean water projects."

Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Modernizing the U.S. Financial Regulatory System, February 4, 2009. Witnesses - Paul A. Volcker, Chair of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board and former Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; and Mr. Gene L. Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General of the United States.

Statement of John F. Bovenzi, Deputy to the Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on Promoting Bank Liquidity and Lending Through Deposit Insurance, Hope for Homeowners, and Other Enhancements before the Committee on Financial Services; U.S. House of Representatives, February 3, 2009.

Estimated Budget Effects Of The Revenue Provisions Contained In Titles I And III Of S. 350, The “American Recovery And Reinvestment Tax Act Of 2009,” As Reported By The Committee On Finance

"The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, adopted by the House this week, includes strong privacy provisions ("Subtitle D - Privacy") for the proposed medical health network. Among the key provisions: a ban on the sale of health information, audit trails, encryption, rights of access, improved enforcement mechanisms, and support for advocacy groups to participate in the regulatory process. Patient Privacy Rights has expressed support for the legislation. A similar bill, S. 336, is pending in the Senate. Senator Leahy has called for strong safeguards to protect America's health privacy. For more information, see EPIC's page on Medical Privacy."

Supplemental appropriations for job creation and preservation infrastructure investment, energy efficiency/science, assistance to the unemployed, and State/local fiscal stabilization: H.R. 1 - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (680 pages, PDF)

"House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) sent a letter today to the TARP Special Inspector General praising him for his work in providing greater transparency for the TARP Program. Frank’s letter...is in response to a letter from Inspector General Barofsky, where the IG stated, “Specifically, we [Treasury Special Inspector General] will be sending a request to all entities that have received TARP money to date asking them to account for their use of the TARP funds and to describe their efforts to comply with applicable executive compensation restrictions.”

Follow up to postings on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, this CBO report released today: H.R. 1, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,Cost estimate for the bill as introduced in the House of Representatives on January 26, 2009

News release includes detailed summary: "Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) today unveiled an original Chairman’s Mark of economic recovery provisions for inclusion in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, including $275 billion in tax cuts and investments that will create jobs in fields like green energy, highways, and health care, and provide relief for working families and businesses. The plan, which the Finance Committee will formally consider next week, also contains approximately $180 billion in additional investments to help Americans who have lost their jobs to keep their health care coverage and find new work, and to inject cash into struggling state economies..."

• Original Chairman’s Mark of Senate Finance Committee Tax Provisions for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Title I (Tax Relief, Trade Adjustment Assistance, and Other Provisions)
  
• Original Chairman’s Mark of Additional Senate Finance Committee Provisions for the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009, Titles II – V (Unemployment Insurance, Health, and Other Provisions)
  
• Related postings on financial system

"After successful beta testing, GPO has integrated Authenticated Congressional Bills into the live Congressional Bills application on GPO Access at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/bills/index.html. Users of this application will notice digital signatures on bills from the 110th and 111th Congresses."

"GPO's Federal Digital System (FDsys) provides public access to government information submitted by Congress and Federal agencies and preserved as technology changes. The migration of information from GPO Access into FDsys will be complete in mid-2009. The migration is occurring on a collection-by-collection basis. Collections currently available on FDsys are: Compilation of Presidential Documents (1993 to Present); Congressional Bills (103rd Congress to Present); Congressional Documents (104th Congress to Present); Congressional Hearings (105th Congress to Present); Congressional Record (1994 to Present); Congressional Reports (104th Congress to Present); Federal Register (1994 to Present); Public and Private Laws (104th Congress to Present)."

H.R. 2, Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009, January 13, 2009. Cost estimate for the bill as transmitted to CBO by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on January 13, 2009.

Squeezed! Caught between Unemployment Benefts And Health Care Costs, January 2009, by Families USA Foundation.

News release: "Rep. Dave Obey (D-WI), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI), incoming Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced three significant changes to further increase transparency and reduce funding levels for earmarks, building on reforms brought about in the last Congress...new reforms to begin with the 2010 bills include:

• Posting Requests Online: To offer more opportunity for public scrutiny of member requests, members will be required to post information on their earmark requests on their Web sites at the time the request is made explaining the purpose of the earmark and why it is a valuable use of taxpayer funds.
  
• Early Public Disclosure: To increase public scrutiny of committee decisions, earmark disclosure tables will be made publically available the same day as the House or Senate Subcommittee rather than Full Committee reports their bill or 24
  hours before Full Committee consideration of appropriations legislation that has not been marked up by a Senate Subcommittee.
  
• Further Cuts: Earmarks will be further reduced to 50% of the 2006 level for non-project-based accounts." [Note: "President-elect Barack Obama said today in a meeting with members of his budget team that he will ban earmarks from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that will soon go before Congress. The President-elect also said he expects his administration to inherit a budget deficit of up to $1 trillion."]

News release: "California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. has filed suit in federal court to block an “audacious attempt” by the Bush Administration to gut provisions in the Endangered Species Act mandating scientific review of federal agency decisions that may threaten endangered species and their habitat...The new regulations, initially proposed by the Departments of the Interior and Commerce in August 2008 and made final on December 16, largely eliminate a requirement in the Endangered Species Act that mandates scientific review of federal agency decisions that might affect endangered and threatened species and their habitats...The changes allow federal agencies to undertake or permit mining, logging, and other commercial activities on federal land and other areas without obtaining review or comment from federal wildlife biologists on the environmental effects of such activities."

• December 12, 2008 - U.S.-Iraq Withdrawal/Status of Forces Agreement: Issues for Congressional Oversight
• December 11, 2008 - The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Final Part B Regulations
• December 08, 2008 - Chrysler Corporation Loan Guarantee Act of 1979: Background, Provisions, and Cost
• December 03, 2008 - Financial Market Turmoil and U.S. Macroeconomic Performance
• December 03, 2008 - U.S. Motor Vehicle Industry: Federal Financial Assistance and Restructuring
• December 02, 2008 - Immigration-Related Worksite Enforcement: Performance Measures

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Call for Action: Enabling Healthcare Reform Using Information Technology "outlines specific priorities and recommendations for the Obama Administration and 111th Congress to harness IT's power to reform healthcare and stimulate the U.S. economy."

• HIMSS Recommendations to Obama Administration and 111th Congress
  
• Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Adoption Model for Hospitals and Expected Benefits for Each Stage
  
• EMR Soft Return on Investment
  
• EMR Hard Return on Investment
  
• Frequently Asked Questions about Health Information Technology
  
• HIT legislation in the 110th Congress

POGO letter to Congressional Oversight Committee leaders concerning certain financial companies seeking backdoor access to TARP funds: "The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is a non-partisan, non-profit government watchdog that works to achieve a federal government that is effective, accountable, open, and honest. In our continuing scrutiny of the Troubled Asset Relief Program's (TARP) implementation, we have identified a disturbing trend. As you know, the TARP was created for the express purpose of buttressing the financial system by assisting institutions in danger of going under. In the language of the statute, the TARP was meant to "provide authority for the Federal Government to purchase and insure certain types of troubled assets for the purposes of providing stability to and preventing disruption in the economy and financial system and protecting taxpayers." ...It has come to our attention that a number of insurance companies are attempting to qualify for TARP funds by purchasing banks. We found eight financial institutions engaging in such practices..."

Follow up to previous postings on auto industry, today's White House press release: "...the only way to avoid a collapse of the U.S. auto industry is for the executive branch to step in. The American people want the auto companies to succeed, and so do I. So today, I'm announcing that the federal government will grant loans to auto companies under conditions similar to those Congress considered last week...These loans will provide help in two ways. First, they will give automakers three months to put in place plans to restructure into viable companies -- which we believe they are capable of doing. Second, if restructuring cannot be accomplished outside of bankruptcy, the loans will provide time for companies to make the legal and financial preparations necessary for an orderly Chapter 11 process that offers a better prospect of long-term success -- and gives consumers confidence that they can continue to buy American cars."

Treasury Releases Term Sheet for Automotive Plan: Washington - The U.S. Treasury Department today released the term sheet and appendices for the Administration's plan for stabilizing the automotive industry.

• Chrysler Term Sheet and Appendix
  
• General Motors Term Sheet and Appendix
  
• New York Times: Bush Approves $17.4 Billion Auto Bailout

Follow-up to previous postings on the auto industry, this CRS report, U.S. Motor Vehicle Industry: Federal Financial Assistance and Restructuring, December 3, 2008: "The three domestically owned U.S. manufacturers of cars and light trucks are requesting federal financial assistance in the form of “bridge loans” to assure their ability to continue in business. The companies, General Motors (GM), Ford and Chrysler (collectively known as the “Detroit 3”), have directly appealed to Congress for aid in a series of hearings that began in November 2008. The companies have been affected by a long-term decline in U.S. market share, the impact of a general decline in U.S. motor vehicle sales in 2008 that has impacted all producers, and the effects of a severe constriction of credit, resulting from problems in U.S. and global financial markets. The rise in gasoline prices to more than $4.00 a gallon in July 2008 caused a significant fall in vehicle use and miles driven, and a structural shift in motor vehicle consumption patterns. The subsequent decline in gas prices in Fall 2008 has not led to increased consumer spending on autos and light trucks, in spite of numerous incentives by American and foreign-owned motor vehicle companies."

"Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James L. Oberstar wrote to President-elect Obama regarding their investigation into the drastic deterioration of the Clean Water Act enforcement program. New internal documents obtained by the Committees show that hundreds of Clean Water Act violations have not been pursued with enforcement actions. Dozens of existing enforcement cases have become informal responses, have had civil penalties reduced, and have experienced significant delays. Many violations are not even being detected because of the substantial reduction in investigations. Violations involving oil spills make up nearly half of the Clean Water Act violations that have been detected but are not being addressed."

• Letter to President-elect Obama
  
• Memo: Decline of Clean Water Act Enforcement Program
  
• Supporting Documents

"A comparison of legislative resources available on GPO Access and other Government and non-Government Web sites was recently completed. Eight Web sites were selected for in-depth analysis including GPO Access, THOMAS, House.gov, Senate.gov, CQ.com, HeinOnline, Lexis-Nexis Congressional, and Westlaw. The report specifically evaluates the availability of legislative resources on all of the databases examined, the scope of the resources on each database, the source of those resources (i.e., whether they house their own content or link to other Web sites for it), and additional legislative resources or features exclusive to comparable Web sites. The 2008 comparison report and previous reports are available as follows:

• Executive Summary
• Chart - Comparison of Legislative Resources: Scope of GPO Access and Government Web Sites
• Chart - Comparison of Legislative Resources: Scope of GPO Access and Non-Government Web Sites."

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a final rule to provide an administrative reporting exemption for releases to the air from animal waste at farms of any hazardous substance at or above the reportable quantity for those hazardous substances. EPA is saying that these reports are unnecessary because there is no reasonable expectation that a Federal response would be made as a result of such reports. The final rule reduces the burden of complying with Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and to a limited extent, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) reporting requirements on the regulated community."

Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act - H.R. 7321 passed authorizing financial assistance to eligible automobile manufacturers, and for other purposes.

In following posting today, Interior Publishes Final Changes to Endangered Species Act Regs, this news release: "The announcement by the Interior Department of a new rule eliminating Congress’s authority to prevent new mining on public lands escalated concerns about the Bush administration's last ditch efforts to push through major regulatory rule changes to energy and environmental policies. From global warming to water quality to endangered species to clean air, the Bush administration is pushing harder than ever to advance its anti-environmental agenda by rescinding, changing, or issuing rules, with negative consequences for our natural resources, environment, and America’s energy policy. A panel of environmental and regulatory experts will discuss the ramifications of these last-minute rulemakings at a hearing before Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming."

Follow up to related postings on "midnight regulations," this news release and report: "In 2001, the Bush administration began its radical, anti-environmental agenda by rescinding, changing, or issuing rules that degraded America’s environment. From refusing to reduce the arsenic levels in drinking water, to opening wilderness areas to new roads, to rejecting the Kyoto Protocol after promising to cut emissions, early actions merely presaged later damaging activities on global warming, clean air laws, and myriad other environmental and energy issues."

"The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming has prepared the following report on what administrative actions the Bush administration could take in the final days of its second term": Past is Prologue: For Energy and the Environment, the Bush Administration’s Last 100 Days Could Rival the First 100, A Majority Staff Report.

Mr. Frank of Massachusetts introduced the following bill on December 10, 2008: Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act (1) to immediately provide authority and facilities to restore liquidity and stability to the domestic automobile industry in the United States; and (2) to ensure that such authority and such facilities are used in a manner that—(A) results in a viable and competitive domestic automobile industry that minimizes adverse effects on the environment; (B) enhances the ability and the capacity of the domestic automobile industry to pursue the timely and aggressive production of energy efficient advanced technology vehicles;(C) preserves and promotes the jobs of American workers employed directly by the domestic automobile industry and in related industries; (D) safeguards the ability of the domestic automobile industry to provide retirement and health care benefits for the industry’s retirees and their dependents; and (E) stimulates manufacturing and sales of automobiles produced by automobile manufacturers in the United States."

DOJ OIG: Review of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), Evaluation and Inspections Report I-2009-001, December 2008: "...we found that information in the national sex offender registries is incomplete and inaccurate and therefore the registries are not reliable tools for law enforcement and the public. For example, we found that registries were missing records, did not always identify known fugitives, and did not always contain sufficient information to enable law enforcement and the public to accurately identify sex offenders."

Follow up on previous postings concerning the auto industry bailout, today's draft bill - Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act, December 8, 2008: "The purposes of this Act are —(1) to immediately provide authority and facili16 ties to restore liquidity and stability to the domestic automobile industry in the United States; and (2) to ensure that such authority and such facilities are used in a manner that - (A) stimulates manufacturing and sales of automobiles produced by automobile manufacturers in the United States; (B) enhances the ability and the capacity of the domestic automobile industry to pursue the timely and aggressive production of energy efficient advanced technology vehicles; (C) preserves and promotes the jobs of 355,000 workers in the United States directly employed by the automobile industry and an additional 4,500,000 workers in the United States employed in related industries; (D) safeguards the ability of the domestic automobile industry to provide retirement and health care benefits for 1,000,000 retirees and their dependents; and (E) results in a viable and competitive domestic automobile industry that minimizes adverse effects on the environment..."

"The Commission will consider whether to adopt final rule amendments and whether to propose new rule amendments that will impose additional requirements on nationally recognized statistical rating organizations in order to address concerns raised about the policies and procedures for, transparency of, and potential conflicts of interest relating to ratings of residential mortgage-backed securities backed by subprime mortgage loans and collateralized debt obligations linked to subprime loans."

The regulatory program established by the Credit Rating Agency Reform Act allows the Commission to promulgate rules regarding public disclosure; recordkeeping and financial reporting; and substantive requirements designed to ensure that NRSROs conduct their activities with integrity and impartiality. The rules being considered today are meant to supplement previous rules implemented by the Commission under the Credit Rating Agency Reform Act in June 2007.

"State Responses to Immigration: A Database of All State Legislation is a free, searchable data tool designed to generate information about all immigration-related bills and resolutions introduced in state legislatures. Classified by state, region, subject area, legislative type, and bill status, this is the only database that allows users to find out, for example, the status of enforcement initiatives introduced in their state, compare the number of bills regulating employment, or evaluate the passage rate of health-related bills across the nation.

State Responses to Immigration is a joint project of the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) and a research team at the New York University School of Law (NYU). We encourage you to read about the methodology we employed to gather and classify immigration-related legislation before using the tool.

We have posted the 2007 legislation and will add data for 2008, in addition to 2001-2006 data, in the coming months. Note: The database assigns a bill's status based on its status as of December 31 of the given year."

News release: "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army are issuing revised guidance to ensure America's wetlands, streams and other waters are better protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The guidance clarifies the geographic scope of jurisdiction under the CWA."

"Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director James B. Lockhart today submitted to Congress the first report as a Federal Property Manager (FPM) detailing actions FHFA is taking to prevent unnecessary foreclosures. Section 110 of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) directs Federal Property Managers to develop and implement plans to maximize assistance for homeowners and encourage servicers of underlying mortgages to take advantage of programs to minimize foreclosures."

"GPO's Authentication initiative focuses on the primary objective of assuring users that the information made available by GPO is official and authentic and that trust relationships exist between all participants in electronic transactions. In furthering GPO's mission to provide permanent public access to authentic U.S. Government publications, GPO is working to afford users further assurance that files are unchanged since GPO authenticated them.

The Beta release of an Authenticated Congressional Bills application provides digitally signed and certified Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files for a sample set of Congressional Bills from the 110th Congress. GPO has signed and certified the House and Senate bills PDF files within this application as part of GPO's initiative to reassure users that the online documents are official and authentic."

President Bush Signs H.R. 6867 Into Law: On Friday, November 21, 2008, the President signed into law: H.R. 6867, the "Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008," which extends Emergency Unemployment Compensation to 20 weeks, and creates a second tier of 13 weeks of compensation for individuals in States with high unemployment rates.

• The U.S. Financial Crisis: The Global Dimension with Implications for U.S. Policy, November 18, 2008
• Reporting Requirements in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, updated November 13, 2008
• The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act and Current Financial Turmoil: Issues and Analysis, October 31, 2008
• Emergency Economic Stabilization Act: Preliminary Analysis of Oversight Provisions, October 31, 2008
• The Global Financial Crisis: The Role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), October 30, 2008
• Related postings on financial system

• Approaches to Mitigate Freight Congestion, GAO-09-163R, November 20, 2008
• Department of Homeland Security: Billions Invested in Major Programs Lack Appropriate Oversight, GAO-09-29, November 18, 2008
• Contract Management: DOD Developed Draft Guidance for Operational Contract Support but Has Not Met All Legislative Requirements, GAO-09-114R, November 20, 2008
• Health Information Technology: More Detailed Plans Needed for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Redesigned BioSense Program, GAO-09-100, November 20, 2008
• International Environmental Oversight: U.S. Agencies Follow Certain Procedures Required by Law, but Have Limited Impact, GAO-09-99, November 20, 2008

• News release: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Appropriation Committee Chairman Robert C. Byrd today unveiled a $100.3 billion economic recovery package that will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, support a struggling auto industry and help families hurting in this flagging economy."
• Reid Byrd Economic Recovery Package Explanatory Statement: "In response to higher unemployment, rising food costs, higher energy costs, State budgets in crisis, and increased dependence on foreign oil, President-Elect Obama has called for a second stimulus bill to jump start the economy and help Americans recover from the recession. It is time to deliver to Main Street."
• Text of Reid Byrd Economic Recovery Package: H.R. 7110 - Making supplemental appropriations for job creation and preservation, infrastructure investment, and economic and energy assistance for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes."
• Related postings on financial system

Interim Assistant Secretary Neel Kashkari, November 19, 2008: "...The EESA is not an economic stimulus plan, nor is it an economic growth plan. It was designed to stabilize the financial system. Today, the LIBOR-OIS spread has fallen 238 basis points from its peak to 100 basis points. We believe the combined actions of Treasury, the Federal Reserve and FDIC have stabilized the financial system and prevented a financial collapse. Nonetheless, the current crisis took years to build up and will take time to work through, and we still face some real economic challenges."

• Credit Indicators
  
• Related postings on financial system

S. 3689, Economic Recovery Act of 2008 - November 18, 2008 - Cost estimate for the bill as introduced on November 17, 2008.

Senate Banking Committee Hearing: Oversight of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act: Examining Financial Institution Use of Funding Under the Capital Purchase Program, November 13, 2008

• Opening Statement of Chairman Christopher J. Dodd, “Oversight of the EESA: Examining Financial Institution Use of Funding Under the Capital Purchase Program” - "...five trillion dollars have been committed in several forms, including: the guarantee of all non-interest bearing deposit accounts at federally insured banks and thrifts...The Fed alone has committed up to one trillion in tax dollars so far to the recovery effort...I think I speak for many members of the Committee and the Senate in saying that we want to see more progress from our friends in the financial sector – more progress in foreclosure mitigation, in affordable lending, and in curbing excessive compensation."
  • Washington Post: Bailout Lacks Oversight Despite Billions Pledged - "In the six weeks since lawmakers approved the Treasury's massive bailout of financial firms, the government has poured money into the country's largest banks, recruited smaller banks into the program and repeatedly widened its scope to cover yet other types of businesses, from insurers to consumer lenders...Yet for all this activity, no formal action has been taken to fill the independent oversight posts established by Congress when it approved the bailout to prevent corruption and government waste."
  • Treasury news release: "Today's story in the Washington Post leaves out critical steps taken by Treasury to ensure that there is strong oversight in place as the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act is implemented."
  • Reuters, Commentary: TARP and Fed facilities unravel - "The twin pillars of the rescue program are the multiplicity of liquidity and lending programs being offered by the Federal Reserve and the Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Both programs are now in deep trouble. In fact the various rescue packages risk becoming a textbook example of how poorly designed programs can fail to achieve their objectives."
  • Joint Letter of Concern to Secretary Paulson After His Announcement to the Change Intent of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, November 13, 2008
  • Related postings on financial system

Follow up to previous postings on calls for a government bail- out of the auto industry, today Speaker Pelosi stated: "I have asked Chairman Barney Frank of the House Financial Services Committee to work with House and Senate leaders, and with the Bush Administration, to craft legislation to provide emergency and limited financial assistance to the automobile industry under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (EESA)."

• WSJ: Democrats Plot Detroit Rescue
  
• New York Times: "The struggling auto industry was thrust into the middle of a political standoff between the White House and Democrats on Monday as President-elect Barack Obama urged President Bush in a meeting at the White House to support immediate emergency aid."
  
• New York Times: Democrats Seek Help for Automakers

News release: "The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced the conforming loan limit will remain $417,000 for 2009 for most areas in the U.S. but specified higher limits in certain cities and counties. The conforming loan limit is the maximum size of loans that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can purchase in 2009. According to provisions of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA), the national loan limit is set based on changes in average home prices over the previous year, but cannot decline from year to year. Loan limits for two-, three-, and four-unit properties in 2009 will remain at 2008 levels as well: $533,850, $645,300, and $801,950 respectively, for homes in the continental U.S."

Presidential Transition Team website: "The Presidential Transition Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-293) authorizes the General Services Administration (GSA) to develop a transition directory in consultation with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The Act provides that the transition directory "shall be a compilation of Federal publications and materials with supplementary materials developed by the Administrator that provides information on the officers, organization, and statutory and administrative authorities, functions, duties, responsibilities, and mission of each department and agency." Senate Report 106-348 clarifies that the directory is intended to "assist in navigating the many responsibilities that fall on a new administration" that is "confronted by an overwhelming amount of material."

Follow up to November 7, 2008 posting - Is a Government Bail-Out In GM's Future? - this November 8 press release: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi today sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson calling on him to review the feasibility of using the authority given under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (EESA) of 2008 to provide temporary assistance to the automobile industry during this financial crisis. Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi added: “Were you to determine that the automobile industry is eligible for assistance under EESA, we would urge you to impose strong conditions on such assistance in order to protect taxpayers and maximize the potential for the industry's recovery.”

News release: "The Commission has approved the Report to Congress Under the Do Not Call Improvement Act of 2007 (2007 DNCIA) [Pub. L. No. 110-187, 122 Stat. 633 (2008)], signed into law on February 15, 2008. The report, which is mandated under the 2007 DNCIA, contains information on the Commission’s efforts to improve the accuracy of the National Do Not Call Registry. The report details the efforts that the FTC has taken in the nine months since the 2007 DNCIA was signed into law and describes the new procedure that will be used to remove disconnected and reassigned numbers from the National Registry."

"The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) today announced that the maximum insurance benefit for participants in underfunded pension plans terminating in 2009 is $54,000 per year for those who retire at age 65, up from $51,750 for 2008. The amount is higher for those who retire later and lower for those who retire earlier or elect survivor benefits (see chart). If a pension plan terminates in 2009 but a participant does not begin collecting benefits until a future year, the 2009 maximum insurance limits still apply. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 provides that the maximum benefit payable is determined by the legal limits in force on the date of the plan sponsor's bankruptcy and not on the date of plan termination."

The DOJ's Single-Firm Conduct Report: Promoting Consumer Welfare Through Clearer Standards for Section 2 of the Sherman Act, October 2008

Telework Legislation Pending in the 110th Congress: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Provisions, October 20, 2008

News release: "Consistent with Section 601 of the "Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007," Public Law 110-53, the Director of National Intelligence is disclosing to the public the aggregate amount of funds appropriated by Congress to the National Intelligence Program (NIP) for fiscal year 2008 not later than 30 days after the end of the fiscal year. The aggregate amount appropriated to the NIP for fiscal year 2008 was $47.5 Billion."

OTS 08-051 - OTS Issues New Examination Procedures on Identity Theft Red Flags and Address Discrepancies: "This Regulatory Bulletin transmits revised Examination Handbook Section 341, Information Technology Risks and Controls, and revised Examination Handbook Section 1300, Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The revised Handbook Sections contain new guid-ance and examination procedures for the final rules on Identity Theft Red Flags and Address Discrepancies, which implement Sections 114 and 315 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Trans-actions Act (FACT Act) of 2003. This bulletin rescinds RB 37-15 dated April 20, 2006."

• M-09-03, Guidance on implementing P.L. No. 110-329 in accordance with Executive Order 13457 on “Protecting American Taxpayers From Government Spending on Wasteful Earmarks” (October 23, 2008)
• M-09-02, Information Technology Management Structure and Governance Framework: "Organizational Structure and Reporting Relationships of IT Executives and Senior Managers - A. The Department or Agency has a designated executive-level Chief Information Officer (CIO) reporting to the head of the organization, with formal and full responsibility for all requirements set forth in promulgating statutes, regulations and guidance of Public Law 104-106, “Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996,” Public Law 107-347, “E-Government Act of 2002,” Title 44 U.S. Code Section 3506 “Federal Agency Responsibilities,” Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 39, “Acquisition of Information Technology,” and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, “Transmittal Memorandum #4, Management of Federal Information Resources.” (October 21, 2008)
• M-09-01, Spectrum Relocation Fund Guidance (SRF) (October 14, 2008): "The SRF was created in 2004 to streamline the process through which Federal agencies can recover the costs associated with relocating their radio communications systems from certain spectrum bands, which were authorized to be auctioned for commercial purposes. This process allows for the consolidation of Federal spectrum use, with budgetary benefit resulting from spectrum auction proceeds, economic benefit resulting from new consumer wireless services, and agency benefit through the procurement of new communications systems."

The Food Stamp Program And Older Americans Fact Sheet, Jean C. Accius, AARP Public Policy Institute, October 2008: "Approximately 2 million older individuals (of whom 1.6 million live alone) received food stamps in 2006."

Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the Executive Office of the President - Federal R&D Agenda for Net Zero Energy, High-Performance Green Buildings, October 22, 2008.

"On the eve of the 36th anniversary of the enactment of the Clean Water Act (October 18), Rep. James L. Oberstar, Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, released the report, Stagnant Waters - the Legacy of the Bush Administration on the Clean Water Act, on the status of the nation’s waters under the Bush Administration. This landmark environmental statute, which established a national commitment to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters, has been undermined and weakened by the Bush administration, and many Federal clean water protections have been eliminated in the past eight years."

News release: "The President's Working Group on Financial Markets made a statement Tuesday on a series of comprehensive actions to strengthen public confidence in our financial institutions and restore functioning of our credit markets."

• Statement by Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. on Actions to Protect the U.S. Economy
  
• Joint Statement by Treasury, Federal Reserve and FDIC
  
• Treasury Announces TARP Capital Purchase Program Description
  
• Treasury Announces Executive Compensation Rules Under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act
  
• Related postings on financial system

Interim Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability Neel Kashkari Remarks before the Institute of International Bankers, October 13, 2008

The Open House Project: "Fulfilling one of the recommendations of the Open House Project report, The Library of Congress has published on their THOMAS web page directions for creating permanent links."

Follow up to September 17, 2008 posting, Congress Passes ADA Amendments Act, this America.gov article, Protections for America’s Disabled Workers Expanded Under New Law: "A new law restores workplace protections for the disabled that had eroded as a result of several Supreme Court decisions issued since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990. The ADA Amendments Act of 2008, passed by Congress and signed by President Bush on September 25, clarifies and broadens the definition of disability and expands the population eligible for protection under the ADA. The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with physical and mental disabilities in such areas as employment, public accommodations and transportation. It mandates that employers make "reasonable accommodations" for disabled individuals unless those accommodations impose an "undue hardship" on the employer."

The Economic Bailout: An Analysis of the Economic Emergency Stabilization Act, Katalina M. Bianco, J.D., John M. Pachkowski, J.D., CCH - Wolters Kluwer Law & Business

Congressional Reports: Browse - "To browse a current catalog of congressional reports available on GPO Access, click on the link for the appropriate Congress and session below. Catalogs are available for the 110th Congress. Links are included with each congressional report listed in the catalog, which retrieve the text of the corresponding document as an ASCII text or PDF file. If a congressional report is not listed in the catalog, it is not available electronically via GPO Access at this time."

Monday's House vote was followed today by an altogether different outcome. The Senate passed the financial bailout plan, H.R. 1424, as amended, the Economic Stabilization, Energy and Business Tax Extenders, AMT, and Mental Health Parity, 74-25. The House will vote again on Friday, October 3.

• From statement of Sen. Dodd: "The legislation that the Senate passed tonight is the product of thoughtful and deliberate bipartisan cooperation, and is a vast improvement over the blank check that the Administration sought just days ago. The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act will not only provide stability and confidence to our financial markets, but also will help American families who are struggling to make ends meet. The legislation gives the Treasury Secretary the authority to respond quickly and forcibly to the current crisis, while creating strong protections for American taxpayers, helping to preserve the American dream of homeownership, and cracking down on excessive compensation for corporate executives who made bad decisions."
  
• Related postings on financial system

• RollCall.com: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) set up a vote on a Wall Street rescue plan for Wednesday night. The $700 billion package to buy up troubled mortgages will include tax-extender legislation and a $150,000 increase on the amount of deposits the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. insures. Don Stewart, spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), sent out an alert saying the measure would be subject to a filibuster-proof, 60-vote threshold."
• New York Times: Senate to Vote Wednesday on Bailout Plan: "The Senate tax bill would cost more than $100 billion and extend and expand many individual and business tax breaks, including tax credits for the production and use of renewable energy sources, like solar energy and wind power. The bill would also extend the business tax credit for research and development, expand the child tax credit, protect millions of families from the alternative minimum tax, and provide tax relief to victims of recent floods, tornadoes and severe storms."
• Related postings on financial system
• And for additional perspective, Economics Blog Directory & Ranking

Cost Estimate on Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, September 28, 2008, Letter to the Honorable Barney Frank: "The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has reviewed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, as released by the House Committee on Financial Services on September 28, 2008. The legislation would, among other provisions, create a Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), under which the Secretary of the Treasury would be authorized to purchase, insure, hold, and sell a wide variety of financial instruments, particularly those that are based on or related to residential or commercial mortgages issued prior to March 14, 2008. Under the legislation, the authority to enter into agreements to purchase such troubled assets would initially be set to expire on December 31, 2009, but could be extended through two years from the date of enactment upon certification by the Secretary that such an extension is necessary."

Legislative Text of FY 2009 Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009, September 24, 2008 [357 pages, PDF]

"The Federal Reserve Board on Monday announced the approval of a policy statement on equity investments in banks and bank holding companies. The policy statement provides additional guidance on the Board's position on minority equity investments in banks and bank holding companies that generally do not constitute "control" for purposes of the Bank Holding Company Act."

• September 18, 2008 - Royalty Relief for U.S. Deepwater Oil and Gas Leases
• September 18, 2008 - Reauthorization of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC): Opportunity to Reexamine the Congressionally Mandated Antitrust Exemption for Ocean Liner Carriers?
• September 16, 2008 - Japan's Political Turmoil in 2008: Background and Implications for the United States
• September 16, 2008 - Outer Continental Shelf Leasing: Side-by-Side Comparison of Five Legislative Proposals
• September 15, 2008 - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in Conservatorship
• September 15, 2008 - Older Workers: Employment and Retirement Trends

From the CRS summary of S. 3406, passed by the Senate on September 11, 2008: "ADA Amendments Act of 2008 - (Sec. 4) Amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) to redefine the term "disability," including by defining "major life activities" and "being regarded as having such an impairment."

Sets forth rules of construction regarding the definition of "disability," including that: (1) such term shall be construed in favor of broad coverage of individuals under the Act; (2) an impairment that substantially limits one major life activity need not limit other major life activities in order to be a disability; (3) an impairment that is episodic or in remission is a disability if it would substantially limit a major life activity when active; and (4) the determination of whether an impairment substantially limits a major life activity shall be made without regard to the ameliorative effects of specified mitigating measures.

(Sec. 5) Prohibits employment discrimination against a qualified individual on the basis of disability. (Current law prohibits employment discrimination against a qualified individual with a disability because of the disability.)..."

House Committee on Education and Labor: "The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was intended to “provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.” Just as other civil rights laws prohibit entities from basing decisions on characteristics like race or sex, Congress wanted the ADA to stop employers from making decisions based on disability. Unfortunately, four U.S. Supreme Court decisions have narrowed the definition of disability so much that people with serious conditions such as epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, cancer, diabetes, and cerebral palsy have been determined to not meet the definition of disability under the ADA. The result: In 2004, plaintiffs lost 97% of ADA employment discrimination claims that went to trial, often due to the interpretation of definition of disability. People who are not hired or are fired because an employer mistakenly believes they cannot perform the job – or because the employer does not want “people like that” in the workplace – have been denied protection from employment discrimination due to these court decisions. This was not the intent of the ADA."

Giving a Voice to Open Source Stakeholders: A Survey of State, Local and Tribal Law Enforcement, Majority Staff Report, September 2008.

Finance leaders seek to extend wind, solar, other incentives America's energy, economic future: "Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today unveiled energy tax legislation that they intend to bring to the Senate for consideration this month. The Finance tax measures seek to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil and create good-paying, homegrown, clean energy jobs by providing credits and incentives to facilitate independent energy solutions. These include the production and use of wind and solar energy, biofuels, and carbon sequestration technologies. Provisions in the bill improve transportation and domestic fuel security, as well as conservation and energy efficiency. The cost of the package is offset in part with reductions in tax breaks for major oil and gas companies. The tax offsets in the package are used entirely for tax relief."

"Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) announced the release of a report prepared by the Majority Staffs of the Committees on Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs. The report, entitled Wasted Lessons of 9/11: How the Bush Administration Has Ignored the Law and Squandered Its Opportunities to Make our Country Safer, examines the Administration’s performance on the requirements in H.R. 1, the Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 2007. This comprehensive homeland security legislation was signed into law on August 3, 2007. The report surveys many of the key provisions and finds that little, incomplete, or no progress has been made on many of the key requirements of the law."

News release: "The Justice Department today announced that on Sept. 9, 2008, it will monitor the primary elections in New York (Manhattan), Kings (Brooklyn), and Queens Counties, N.Y., to ensure compliance with federal voting rights statutes, and specifically the minority language provisions of the Voting Rights Act."

News release: "U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters today directed the Federal Highway Administration to take immediate steps to protect the solvency of the highway account of the Highway Trust Fund and called on Congress to act quickly to finally address this long-predicted problem...The Secretary said the legislation was needed now because Congress had failed to heed over three years of warnings from the President and the Department about the long-predicted highway trust fund shortfall. She added that the recent and sudden decline in American driving and the resulting decline in gas tax revenue during the summer had accelerated the predicted shortfall."

USDOJ: "Enhanced 911 systems would accommodate calls from Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled phones under rules proposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Electronic 911 (e-911) calls are routed to about 6,000 call centers nationwide (known as public safety answering points) using various technical protocols to identify the caller's location and the appropriate answering point to handle the call. FCC published a notice of proposed rulemaking on August 25, 2008 with the goal of ensuring that voice-over-IP (VOIP) service providers have access to the capabilities they need to provide 911 and e-911 services. FCC officials say the proposed rule is part of their effort to comply with provisions of the New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008, which became law on July 23, 2008."

GPO Access: "To browse the current catalog of Congressional Committee Prints - available from 110th Congress, 1st Session (2007-2008) forward, click here. Links are included with each Congressional Committee print listed in the catalog, which retrieve the text of the corresponding document as an ASCII text or PDF file."

Via FAS - CRS: Journalists’ Privilege: Overview of the Law and Legislation in the 109th and 110th Congresses, Updated July 29, 2008

"In Branzburg v. Hayes, 408 U.S. 665, 679-680 (1972), the Supreme Court wrote journalists claim “that to gather news it is often necessary to agree either not to identify the source of information published or to publish only part of the facts revealed, or both; that if the reporter is nevertheless forced to reveal these confidences to a grand jury the source so identified and other confidential sources of other reporters will be measurably deterred from furnishing publishable information, all to the detriment of the free flow of information protected by the First Amendment.” The Court held, nonetheless, that the First Amendment did not provide even a qualified privilege for journalists to refuse “to appear and testify before state or federal grand juries.” The only situation it mentioned in which the First Amendment would allow a reporter to refuse to testify was in the case of “grand jury investigations … instituted or conducted other than in good faith…Official harassment of the press undertaken not for purposes of law enforcement but to disrupt a reporter’s relationship with his news sources would have no justification.”

Though the Supreme Court concluded that the First Amendment does not provide a journalists’ privilege in grand jury proceedings, 49 states have adopted a journalists’ privilege in various types of proceedings; 33 have done so by statute, and 16 by court decision. Journalists have no privilege in federal proceedings. On July 6, 2005, a federal district court in Washington, DC, found Judith Miller of the New York Times in contempt of court for refusing to cooperate in a grand jury investigation relating to the leak of the identity of an undercover CIA agent. The court ordered Ms. Miller to serve time in jail. Ms. Miller spent 85 days in jail. She secured her release only after her informant, I. Lewis Libby, gave her permission to reveal his identity."

• Senate Lobbying Contributions Database
• House Lobbying Contributions Database
• "The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 requires lobbying registrants and individual lobbyists to file a semi-annual report of certain contributions, along with a certification that the filer understands the gift and travel rules of both the House and the Senate. These reports are due by July 30th (for the January through June reporting period) and by January 30th (for the July through December reporting period) or the next business day should either of those days fall on a weekend or holiday. Registrants, and each of their lobbyists, who were active for all or part of the semi-annual reporting period must file separate reports detailing certain FECA contributions, honorary contributions, presidential library contributions, and payments for event costs."

News release: "The U.S. House of Representatives today approved the Conference Report on H.R. 4040 the “Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act” under suspension of the rules...“This conference report represents the most significant overhaul of U.S. consumer product safety laws since the creation of the Consumer Product Safety Commission,” said House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell.

• Read the Final Conference Report
  
• Read the the joint explanatory statement for H.R. 4040

Commentary: Immunity for Telecom Eavesdropping - Beth Wellington's commentary tracks the legislative path of retroactive immunity for telecom eavesdropping. Published July 30, 2008.

"Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, announced today that the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense has marked-up the Fiscal Year 2009 Defense Appropriations Bill. The $487.7 billion bill is $4 billion below the President’s budget request and $28.4 billion above the Fiscal Year 2008 enacted level."

Follow up to Senate Passes American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008, from the White House July 30, 2008 as the President signed the bill: "The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, which authorizes the Department of the Treasury to purchase obligations of housing Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs); reforms the regulatory supervision of the housing GSEs; provides reform of the Federal Housing Administration; provides homeownership assistance and reforms to mitigate recent increases in foreclosures; and contains housing-related tax incentives and other tax provisions."

The text of the Conference Report for H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (183 pages, PDF).

Follow up to July 23, 2008 posting on the House passage of H.R. 3221, on July 26 the Senate passed the bill, which now goes to the President for signature.

New York Times: "The House approved far-reaching government assistance on Wednesday for the nation’s housing market, including broad authority for the Treasury Department to protect the nation’s two largest mortgage finance companies from collapse."

• House Committee on Financial Services, H.R. 3221, the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008, and Detailed Summary of H.R. 3221
  
• Press release
  
• Roll Call Vote
  
• Related postings on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

H.R. 6331, Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, July 23, 2008 - Direct spending and revenues effects estimate for the bill enacted as Public Law 110-275 on July 15, 2008

• Aviation Security: Transportation Security Administration May Face Resource and Other Challenges in Developing a System to Screen All Cargo Transported on Passenger Aircraft, GAO-08-959T, July 15, 2008
• Broadcasting to Cuba: Weaknesses in Contracting Practices Reduced Visibility into Selected Award Decisions, GAO-08-764, July 11, 2008
• Department of Labor: Case Studies from Ongoing Work Show Examples in Which Wage and Hour Division Did Not Adequately Pursue Labor Violations, GAO-08-973T, July 15, 2008
• Emergency Management: GAO Responses to Post-hearing Questions for the Record, GAO-08-1003R, July 15, 2008
• Fair Labor Standards Act: Better Use of Available Resources and Consistent Reporting Could Improve Compliance, GAO-08-962T, July 15, 2008
• Financial Management: FBI Has Designed and Implemented Stronger Internal Controls over Sentinel Contractor Invoice Review and Equipment Purchases, but Additional Actions Are Needed, GAO-08-716R, July 15, 2008
• Force Structure: Preliminary Observations on the Progress and Challenges Associated with Establishing the U.S. Africa Command, GAO-08-947T, July 15, 2008
• Los Alamos National Laboratory: Long-Term Strategies Needed to Improve Security and Management Oversight, GAO-08-694, June 13, 2008
• National Airspace System: DOT and FAA Actions Will Likely Have a Limited Effect on Reducing Delays during Summer 2008 Travel Season, GAO-08-934T, July 15, 2008

"EPIC testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee [hearing: Passport Files: Privacy Protection Needed For All Americans], urging new protections for passport information privacy. The hearing, held at a time of increased information collection and dissemination by the government, addressed an Inspector General report [Review of Controls and Notification for Access to Passport Records in the Department of State’s Passport Information Electronic Records System (PIERS)]on data breaches at the State Department. EPIC's testimony recommended implementing the privacy protections of S. 495, the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2007; limiting employee and contractor disclosures; increasing accounting requirements; and creating an independent privacy agency. In a FOIA request filed today, EPIC demanded the release of the complete Inspector General report, substantial portions of which have been withheld from the public."

On June 20, 2008 the House passed H.R. 6304, the FISA Amendments Act of 2008. Today the Senate passed the bill. Related commentary and articles as follows:

• ACLU: Senate Passes Unconstitutional Spying Bill And Grants Sweeping Immunity To Phone Companies
  
• New York Times: Senate Approves Bill to Broaden Wiretap Powers
  
• WSJ Law Blog: "As the WSJ reports, the bill renews the legal backing for the federal government’s warrantless surveillance program, allowing the National Security Agency to listen in to Americans’ phone calls to people abroad and read emails sent to people overseas. It would also provide effective legal immunity for the telephone companies who agreed to government requests to access their customers’ phones and emails."
  
• Closing Statement Of Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Senate Consideration Of The FISA Amendments: "The bill, if adopted without amendment, seems intended to result in the dismissal of ongoing cases against the telecommunications carriers that participated in the warrantless wiretapping program, without allowing a court ever to review whether the program itself was legal. "

Bill Summary - H.R. 5811: The Electronic Message Preservation Act. Rep. Henry A. Waxman, Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Committee on Oversight: "Rep. Henry A. Waxman, Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay, and Rep. Paul W. Hodes released a new GAO report that finds that senior federal officials are failing to comply with requirements to preserve e-mail records. On Wednesday, the House is expected to consider legislation (H.R. 5811) to modernize the Federal Records Act and the Presidential Records Act to ensure the preservation of these important federal records.

The new GAO report, Federal Records: National Archives and Selected Agencies Need to Strengthen E-Mail Management, finds:

• All four of the agencies examined — the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Federal Trade Commission — are relying on outdated and unreliable “print and file” systems for preserving e-mail records.
  
• Senior agency officials did not fully comply with key requirements for preserving e-mail records. GAO reviewed the practices of 15 senior agency officials in the four agencies and found that a majority of these officials failed to manage their e-mail records in accordance with regulatory requirements. E-mails were not retained in adequate recordkeeping systems, making the e-mail records easier to lose, harder to find, and vulnerable to deletion or other tampering. Inadequate oversight and training within agencies contributed to the inconsistent compliance with preservation requirements..."

News release: "The Miller Center's National War Powers Commission, co-chaired by former Secretaries of State James A. Baker, III and Warren Christopher, today recommended that Congress repeal the War Powers Resolution of 1973 and substitute a new statute that would provide for more meaningful consultation between the president and Congress on matters of war.

In a report released today after 13 months of study, the Commission concluded that the War Powers Resolution of 1973 has failed to promote cooperation between the two branches of government and recommended that Congress pass a new statute – the War Powers Consultation Act of 2009 – that would establish a clear process on decisions to go to war. The Miller Center impaneled the National War Powers Commission in February 2007. This bipartisan commission met seven times, interviewing more than 40 witnesses about the respective war powers of the president and Congress."

• National War Powers Commission Final Report
• Web Appendices to Report
• Commission at a Glance
• Commission Biographies
• Press Coverage

2008 Data Mining Letter Report (PDF, 46 pages): "This is the third report by the Privacy Office to Congress on data mining. This letter report identifies the data mining activities deployed or under development within DHS, as defined by the Data Mining Reporting Act, and describes the framework the Department will use to report on such activities in the future pursuant to Section 804 of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, entitled, The Federal Agency Data Mining Reporting Act of 2007 (Data Mining Reporting Act)."

News release: "The Department of Justice today announced the final guidelines for Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The Guidelines provide necessary tools for states, the District of Columbia, territories and certain federally recognized Indian tribes to incorporate SORNA minimum requirements into their sex offender registration and notification programs...Today's final guidelines provide direction and assistance to all jurisdictions in their efforts to meet the minimum standards of the Adam Walsh Act. Since the enactment of the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act in 1994, all states, the District of Columbia and two territories currently have some form of a sex offender registration and notification program. On July 27, 2006, President Bush signed into law the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act which dramatically enhanced the effectiveness of current programs by establishing a new comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification throughout the United States."

• Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) site.
  
• National Guidelines for Sex Offender Registration and Notification

News release: "After more than a year of intensive study, the U.S. Copyright Office issued its report on whether to maintain, modify or eliminate Sections 111, 119 and 122 of the Copyright Act. It will serve as the basis for discussion for possible changes to the statutory licenses. Section 109 of the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act (SHVERA) of 2004 requires the Copyright Office to examine and compare the statutory licensing systems for the cable and satellite television industries under Sections 111, 119 and 122 of the Copyright Act and recommend any necessary legislative changes no later than June 30, 2008."

"Chairman Henry A. Waxman and 18 other committee chairs introduced legislation to strengthen the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and restore GAO’s authority to pursue litigation if documents are improperly withheld from the agency. One key provision of the Government Accountability Office Improvement Act of 2008 (H.R. 6388) repudiates the district court decision in Walker v. Cheney and reaffirms GAO’s authority to go to court when agencies or the White House refuse to provide access to records. Other provisions of this bill give GAO authority to interview federal employees and administer oaths. The bill also affirms GAO’s right to obtain records from three agencies that have sometimes thwarted GAO oversight by denying access to documents: the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Federal Trade Commission."

"The United States Statutes at Large, typically referred to as the Statutes at Large, is the permanent collection of all laws and resolutions enacted during each session of Congress. The Statutes at Large is prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Every public and private law passed by Congress is published in the Statutes at Large, in order of the date it was enacted into law. 109th Congress, 2nd Session (2006), Volume 120 Only."

Measuring Stability & Security in Iraq — (06/16/2008): "The following reports to Congress are submitted pursuant to the section entitled “Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq” of House Conference Report 109-72 accompanying H.R. 1268, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005, Public Law 109-13."

• June 16, 2008 - Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA): What Is It, and How Might One Be Utilized In Iraq?
• June 16, 2008 - Boumediene v. Bush: Guantanamo Detainees' Right to Habeas Corpus
• June 11, 2008 - Telework Legislation Pending in the 110th Congress: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Provisions
• June 10, 2008 - Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-76: Implications for the Future
• June 10, 2008 - Potential Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress
• June 09, 2008 - U.S.-Russian Civilian Nuclear Cooperation Agreement: Issues for Congress
• May 28, 2008 - Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments
• June 5, 2008 - Coast Guard Deepwater Program: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress
• June 6, 2008 - The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: History, Perspectives, and Issues

News release: "Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman John “Jay” Rockefeller (WV), Senate Intelligence Committee Vice-Chair Kit Bond (MO), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD), and House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (MO) announced today that a bipartisan compromise has been agreed to that will modernize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The FISA Amendments Act, H.R. 6304 (114 pages, PDF), will increase the nation’s security by strengthening the ability of the intelligence community to conduct lawful surveillance of terrorists, as well as protect constitutional rights by requiring warrants before the government can surveil any American."

Do Data Breach Disclosure Laws Reduce Identity Theft? Sasha Romanosky, Rahul Telang, Alessandro Acquisti, Heinz School of Public Policy and Management, Carnegie Mellon University

• Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008 June 9, 2008: Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on May 20, 2008. "This legislation would make a number of changes in federal housing policy...[It would] establish a single regulator—the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)— for government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) involved in the home mortgage market. GSEs are privately owned, Congressionally chartered financial institutions created to enhance the availability of mortgage credit. The GSEs that would be regulated by FHFA include the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), and the Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBs)."
• Resource Implications of the Navy's Fiscal Year 2009 Shipbuilding Plan, June 9, 2008. Letter to the Honorable Gene Taylor, Chairman, Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Committee on Armed Services: "Executing the Navy’s most recent 30-year shipbuilding plan would cost an average of about $27 billion a year (in 2009 dollars), or more than double the $12.6 billion a year that the Navy has spent, on average, since 2003."

• Text of the Committee Report to Accompany the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act, H.R. 6063, Science & Technology Committee Report: 110-702 (191 pages, PDF)
• Text of the Bill as Ordered Reported
• H.R. 6063, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008, June 6, 2008 - Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Science and Technology on June 4, 2008

Commentary: Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007 - Beth Wellington focuses on the issue of pay inequity through an exploration of the positions taken by the administration, Congress, the Supreme Court and various journalists.

The Government Domain: Plain Language in Government Communications: Peggy Garvin demonstrates the impact of the Plain Language in Government Communications Act of 2008 on the accessibility of content posted on e-government websites. — Published May 20, 2008

Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 Removes Enron Loophole and
Reforms Electronic Energy Markets, James Hamilton, J.D., LL.M., CCH Principal Analyst.

H. Sterling Burnett and D. Sean Shurtleff, Capping CO2 Emissions, Boosting Energy Costs, National Center for Policy Analysis, Brief Analysis No. 617, May 13, 2008.

H.R. 3548: Plain Language in Government Communications Act of 2008 - To enhance citizen access to Government information and services by establishing plain language as the standard style for Government documents issued to the public, and for other purposes. [UsabilityNews.com via Darlene Fichter]

"NIST announces the release of the public draft of Special Publication 800-66 Revision 1, An Introductory Resource Guide to Implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule (Draft). This Special Publication (SP), which discusses security considerations and resources that may provide value when implementing the requirements of the HIPAA Security Rule, was written to help educate readers about information security terms used in the HIPAA Security Rule and to improve understanding of the meaning of the security standards set out in the Security Rule, direct readers to helpful information in other NIST publications on individual topics the HIPAA Security Rule addresses, and aid readers in understanding the security concepts discussed in the HIPAA Security Rule. This publication does not supplement, replace, or supersede the HIPAA Security Rule itself. Comments on Draft SP 800-66 Revision 1 will be accepted through June 13, 2008."

• May 2008 Petroleum Marketing Monthly With Data for February 2008 (04/30/2008): "Monthly price and volume statistics on crude oil and petroleum products at a national, regional and state level."
• April 2008 Natural Gas Monthly With Data for February 2008 (04/30/2008): "Natural and supplemental gas production, supply, consumption, disposition, storage, imports, exports, and prices in the United States.
• State-Level Energy Production Annual Time Series Through 2005 (04/30/2008): "State-level energy production annual time series are now available in the State Energy Data System (SEDS). Included are: coal, crude oil, and natural gas production estimates in physical units and British thermal units (Btu); total energy production estimates in Btu comprising fossil fuel production, renewable energy production, and nuclear electric power generation; rankings of production by State; and comparisons of State-level production and consumption. Time series cover 1960-2005 except for natural gas and total production, which span 1970-2005. Data are provided in tables of PDF and Excel format, as well as in a comma-separated data file. Detailed documentation of data sources and estimation methodologies is also provided."
• Energy Market and Economic Impacts of S.2191, the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2007 (04/30/2008): "This report responds to a request from Senators Lieberman and Warner for an analysis of S.2191, the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2007. S.2191 is a complex bill regulating emissions of greenhouse gases through market-based mechanisms, energy efficiency programs, and economic incentives. This analysis focuses on the impacts of the greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program established under Title I of S. 2191.

National Conference of State Legislatures: "This report, Overview of State Legislation Related to Immigrants and Immigration, January - March 2008, provides a first look at introduced legislation in 2008 and presents selected examples of enacted laws relating to immigrants and refugees. This process of legislative tracking and reporting is based on a comprehensive and inclusive methodology and captures all state legislation in which immigrants – whether authorized or unauthorized, temporary migrants, aliens and refugees – are affected.

As of March 31, 2008, at least 1,106 bills have been considered in 44 states this year. Twenty-six states have enacted 44 laws and adopted 38 resolutions or memorials.

This level of activity is comparable to last year, when 1,169 bills and resolutions had been introduced (as of April 13, 2007). At this time last year, 18 states had enacted 57 laws related to immigrants and immigration. State legislatures had also adopted at least 19 resolutions and memorials.

States continue to address both enforcement and integration issues related to immigrants. As in recent years, the top three areas of interest are law enforcement, employment, and identification documents."

"The Center for Democracy and Technology applauds the Senate's passage of HR 493, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2007 (GINA) by unanimous consent. The House is expected to quickly pass the measure. The bill represents a significant step forward in protecting health privacy because it prohibits the use of genetic information by employers when making hiring decisions or by health insurers when making coverage decisions or adjusting premiums. Under GINA, employers and insurers also would not be allowed to impose genetic testing requirements. CDT is urging the President to quickly sign the bill into law."

• Senate Report 110-048 - Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act og 2007
  
• House Reports: 110-28 Part 1, 110-28 Part 2, 110-28 Part 3, 110-28 Part 4
  
• EPIC Genetic Privacy Resource page

The Orphan Works Act of 2008 (HR 5889 and S 2913) "attempts to create a system where new creators can use old works without fear of massive lawsuits, provided that a good faith effort has been made to find out if the work in question is copyrighted." [Link]

• Public Knowledge resource guide to Orphan Works and related posting.
  
• beSpacific postings on orphan works

News release: "On April 22, 2008, Secretary Spellings announced proposed regulations to strengthen and clarify No Child Left Behind. The proposed regulations focus on improved accountability and transparency, uniform and disaggregated graduation rates, and improved parental notification for supplemental educational services and public school choice. Below are documents that were released at the announcement.

• Fact sheets - Accountability, assessments and transparency; Public school choice and supplemental educational services
  
• Proposed Regulations for Title I: Summary PDF | Detailed summary PDF |Federal Register notice inviting comments

H.R. 5613, Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008, April 22, 2008: "Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on April 16, 2008."

News release: "In response to the nationwide economic downturn caused by the housing and credit crisis, members of the House Financial Services Committee today introduced legislation to combat the unprecedented rise in foreclosures, and the associated impact on cities and states. The legislation first announced by Chairman Barney Frank in March, will be divided into two measures: H.R. 5830, the FHA Housing and Homeowner Retention Act, to expand the FHA program to help refinance at-risk borrowers into viable mortgages and also requires the Federal Reserve Board to conduct a study on the need for an auction or bulk refinancing mechanism. The second measure, H.R. 5818, the Neighborhood Stabilization Act of 2008, introduced by Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity Chairwoman Maxine Waters, will provide loans and grants to states and cities to deal with problems associated with large numbers of foreclosures in neighborhoods across the country." [graphic from AP on proposed plan to help homeowners]

"Consistent with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), as amended by the Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National Government Act of 2007, and Executive Order 13392, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has undertaken and completed a review of its public FOIA regulations that govern certain aspects of its processing of FOIA requests. As a result of this review, the Agency proposes to revise its FOIA regulations to more clearly reflect the current CIA organizational structure, record system configuration, and FOIA policies and practices and to eliminate ambiguous, redundant and obsolete regulatory provisions. As required by the FOIA, the Agency is providing an opportunity for interested persons to submit comments on these proposed regulations." [Federal Register: April 17, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 75)] [Proposed Rules][Page 20882-20884]

CRS Report: International Violence Against Women: U.S. Response and Policy Issues, March 31, 2008

• Cost Estimate for S. 2191, America's Climate Security Act of 2007, April 10, 2008: Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on December 5, 2007.
• Cost Estimate for S. 2191, America's Climate Security Act of 2007, with an amendment, April 10, 2008: Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on December 5, 2007, with a proposed amendment transmitted to CBO on April 9, 2008

110th CONGRESS, 2d Session, S. RES. 501: Honoring the sacrifice of the members of the United States Armed Forces who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

• The Personal Information Trainer, by Stuart Basefsky
• Criminal Law Resources: Fingerprint Evidence Challenges, by Ken Strutin
• The Social Networking Titans: Facebook and MySpace, by Deborah Ginsberg and Meg Kribble
• Update to Choosing Law Librarianship: Thoughts for People Contemplating a Career Move, by Mary Whisner
• Living With the Asus Eee PC, by Conrad J. Jacoby
• Competitive Intelligence - A Selective Resource Guide, by Sabrina I. Pacifici, completely revised and updated.
• Doing Legal Research in Canada - revised and updated, by Ted Tjaden
• The Tao of Law Librarianship: If the Books Go, Will They Still Want Us? by Connie Crosby
• E-Discovery Update: Minimizing E-Mail Archive Data Conversion Issues, by Conrad J. Jacoby
• Reference from Coast to Coast: Making A Federal Case Out of It, by Jan Bissett and Margi Heinen
• FOIA Facts: Increasing the Quality of FOIA Releases, by Scott A. Hodes
• The Government Domain: Rich Resources from the Librarians of the Fed, by Peggy Garvin
• LLRX Book Review by Heather A. Phillips - Jerome Neu’s Sticks and Stones: The Philosophy of Insults
• Commentary: Waterboarding, Congress and the President, by Beth Wellington

News release: "Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today released the 2008 Congressional Pig Book, the latest installment in an 18-year exposé of pork-barrel spending...In fiscal year 2008, Congress stuffed 11,610 projects (the second highest total ever) worth $17.2 billion into the 12 appropriations bills. That is a 337 percent increase over the 2,658 projects in fiscal year 2007, and a 30 percent increase over the $13.2 billion total in fiscal year 2007. Alaska led the nation with $556 in pork per capita ($380 million total), followed by Hawaii with $221 ($283 million) and North Dakota with $208 ($133 million). CAGW has identified $271 billion in total pork since 1991."

A Review of CBO's Activities in 2007 Under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, March 2008.

News release: "The Commission has issued a staff report highlighting the challenges of consumer protection in the face of emerging and evolving technologies in the next ten years. The report summarizes the proceedings of the FTC’s three-day public hearings, “Protecting Consumers in the Next Tech-ade,” and which will inform its consumer protection efforts in the next decade. TThe report explains the FTC will work to prevent Internet fraud by using its new powers under the U.S. SAFE WEB Act to coordinate and cooperate more closely with foreign consumer protection officials, ensure that consumer-producers who engage in activities to market and advertise products for consideration do so within the confines of laws prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices in trade, and develop new strategies and to harness the power of technology to deliver timely and effective consumer education messages."

Follow up to State Department Acknowledges Unauthorized Access to Passport Records of Presidential Candidates, today's news release: "Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) today urged the Attorney General to take immediate action to investigate reported breaches of the passport files of the three presidential candidates at the State Department. Attorney General Michael Mukasey stated last week that the Justice Department would await the outcome of an internal investigation at the State Department before taking action.

“We both strongly believe that our government has a duty to protect the private information of its citizens,” wrote Leahy and Specter. “The Justice Department should not wait to be handed ‘a box full of evidence,’ as you said at your recent briefing, before determining whether Federal laws were broken.”

See also Personal Data Privacy and Security Act and Summary of the Leahy-Specter data privacy legislation.

"Change Congress is a movement to build support for basic reform in how our government functions. Using our tools, both candidates and citizens can pledge their support for basic changes to reduce the distorting influence of money in Washington. Our community will link candidates committed to a reform with volunteers and contributors who support it."

Department of Justice Office of Inspector General: A Review of the FBI’s Use of National Security Letters: Assessment of Corrective Actions and Examination of NSL Usage in 2006, March 2008, Unclassified, (187 pages, PDF)

Department of Justice Office of Inspector General: A Review of the FBI’s Use of Section 215 Orders for Business Records in 2006, March 2008, Unclassified (99 pages, PDF)

Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq, March 2008 Report to Congress, In accordance with the Department of Defense Appropriations Act 2008 (Section 9010, Public Law 109-289)...submitted pursuant to the section entitled “Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq” of House Conference Report 109-72 accompanying H.R. 1268, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005, Public Law 109-13.

News release: "To increase the public trust in Congress, the House has just passed H.Res. 895, to strengthen congressional ethics enforcement with a new Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE)...The office would be led by a panel of six board members appointed jointly by the House Speaker and the Minority Leader...The commission would screen ethics allegations made against House members and pass matters along to the House Ethics Committee for their review. The OCE has the responsibility to make findings of fact regarding a potential ethics matter and to recommend to the House Ethics Committee whether the matter should be the subject of a further inquiry by the Ethics Committee. The OCE shall not offer conclusions regarding the validity of the allegations or the guilt or innocence of the person subject to the review – such matters are solely under the purview of the Ethics Committee."

"The Privacy Act of 1974 is in need of improvements to ensure its relevance into the future, CDT Deputy Director Ari Schwartz said in testimony before a congressional panel today. The Act’s limitations are particularly apparent with regard to government use of commercially compiled personal information, Schwartz told the Information Policy, Census, and National Archives Subcommittee. Commercial information plays a key role in important government functions, like law enforcement and national security. However, agencies relying on that data should have clear guidelines on its use. The role Privacy Impact Assessments play in protecting privacy is essential. Two bills help bolster PIAs: S.2341 lays out "best practices" guidelines and HR 4791 requires PIAs for government use of commercial databases. CDT believes Congress should create a Commission to review the Act and suggest possible reforms. March 11, 2008."

House Democratic Majority Leader/AP: "Locked in a standoff with the White House, House Democrats on Tuesday maintained their refusal to shield from civil lawsuits telecommunications companies that helped the government eavesdrop on their customers without a secret court's permission. But they offered the companies an olive branch: the chance to use classified government documents to defend themselves in court. House Democratic leaders unveiled a bill that they hoped would bridge the gap between the electronic surveillance bill passed by the Senate last month and a rival version the House approved last fall. Both bills are attempts to update the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the law that dictates when the government needs court permission to conduct electronic eavesdropping inside the United States. The law has taken on particular importance in the global effort to thwart terrorists since the 2001 attacks on the United States.

• Director of National Intelligence, March 11, 2008: "We understand that the leadership of the House of Representatives intends to introduce a new bill related to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA). Based on initial summaries of what the proposal contains, we are concerned that the proposal would not provide the Intelligence Community the critical tools needed to protect the country. The Senate already has passed a bipartisan bill that would give our intelligence professionals the tools they need to keep America safe. The bipartisan bill was carefully crafted to ensure important intelligence operations were not harmed by new legislation."


• ACLU - New FISA Compromise Is an Improvement, Still Raises Concerns: "While we still have concerns about aspects of the new House FISA bill, the American Civil Liberties Union is encouraged by the new draft – particularly the language on state secrets, which would allow the cases to go forward while allowing the telecommunications companies to assert any defenses. We commend House leadership for keeping the courthouse door open. And in particular, we applaud the House for refusing to adopt the overreaching FISA Amendments Act, which would give the executive branch carte blanche to wiretap on US soil and grant complete retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that facilitated years of illegal surveillance. We are also heartened by the role retained by the FISA court in overseeing the program as well as the two-year sunset on the legislation."

House Concurrent Resolution on the Budget - FY09: H. CON. RES. 312 accompanied by House Report 110-543. Revising the cong. budget for the U.S. Gov't for FY08, establishing the cong. budget for the U.S. Gov't for FY09, and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2010 - 2013.

National Marine Sanctuary Program Protects Certain Resources, But Further Actions Could Increase Protection - Inspection: IPE-18591, February 2008 (72 pages, PDF)

Overview of the Program and House Staff Resources, Section 1, chapter 1 of 2, January 10, 2008

Center for Democracy and Technology: "For five years, the E-Government Act has promoted improvements in the federal government's use of information technology. The Act has improved the public's access to government information resources as well as creating protections for personal information. The 2002 Act expired in 2007, and a 2007 E-Government Reauthorization Act (S. 2321) passed out of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee and should be sent to the Senate floor soon."

"The C-SPAN Congressional Chronicle is an index to the C-SPAN video recordings of the House and Senate floor proceedings. The video recordings are matched with the text of the Congressional Record as soon as the Record is available. It only includes members who appeared on the floor to deliver or insert their remarks. The text included here is what the member submitted. Each appearance has a video link where users can watch and listen to the actual remarks."

Hearing on Cracked Justice – Addressing the Unfairness in Cocaine Sentencing, House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, February 26, 2008.

News release: "A bi-partisan group of Senators from the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee led by U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), Bill Nelson (D-Florida) and the Committee’s Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), introduced today bi-partisan legislation aimed at ending the deceptive practice known as phishing. The Anti-Phishing Consumer Protection Act of 2008 would prohibit phishing – the deceptive solicitation of a consumer’s personal information through the use of emails, instant messages, and misleading websites that trick recipients into divulging their information for the purpose of identity theft. The legislation would also prohibit related abuses, such as the practice of using fraudulent or misleading domain names, by defining them as deceptive practices under the FTC Act."

Statement of FCC Commissioner Copps in Response to the D.C. Circuit's Decision Vacating the FCC's Denial and Dismissal of the Gulf Coast Migratory Birds Petition: "For years, I have been disappointed with the FCC’s failure to get serious about its environmental responsibilities. Now the D.C. Circuit has affirmed something this agency should have acknowledged a long time ago: that the National Environmental Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act require the FCC to take a hard look at the effects of communications towers on migratory birds."

• "In the wake of the staggering recall of 143 million pounds of beef—the largest in the nation's history by far—The Humane Society of the United States is calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Congress to take immediate steps to strengthen federal humane handling procedures and to enact more stringent laws to prevent a recurrence of the gross abuses documented at a southern California slaughter plant...The HSUS also called on USDA to change its policy and prohibit the slaughter of all—not just some—downed cows. As well, the organization is asserting that this case further underscores the need for Congress to enact pending farm animal welfare legislation -- the Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act and the Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act – with no further delay. The beef recall came in response to The Humane Society of the United States' investigation documenting crippled cows being tormented at a Southern California slaughter plant. The abuse occurred even though USDA had a number of inspectors at the slaughter plant."

National Wildlife Federation: "For thirty years the federal Clean Water Act broadly protected waters in the nation and across the Southwest. It sought, with a great deal of success, to safeguard important waters from pollution and destruction. Historically, it applied to waters from the Rio Grande to playa lakes. However, now the protections of the Act are being whittled away. Two recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (2001) and Rapanos v. United States (2006), have placed protections of many of the nation’s waters, such as intermittent and ephemeral streams and so-called “isolated” wetlands, in doubt. While these Supreme Court decisions have not overturned any of the current regulations that broadly protect waters, they have created significant legal
confusion over the scope of the Act’s protections....the Southwest has a disproportionate number of waters that are at-risk of losing federal protection because of agency guidance. In all Southwest states, the percentage of streams that are at risk because they do not flow year round is much higher than the national average, which is already an alarming 59 percent of all stream miles. For instance, in Arizona approximately 96 percent of streams are at risk of losing federal protections. Similarly, many of the region’s most important wetlands are either geographically “isolated” or associated with streams that may no longer be protected. In conjunction with state laws that often provide little or no protection for these at-risk resources, a prolonged drought affecting much of the region, and climate change impacts add unprecedented stress to waters in the area, making the threat to waters in the Southwest more severe than it has been in a generation."

Fact Sheet: Examples of How the Economic Growth Act of 2008 [H.R. 5109] will Benefit Americans, February 13, 2008

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate for H.R. 5140, Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, February 11, 2008: "H.R. 5140 would provide a tax rebate to individual tax filers who satisfy specific income requirements and special depreciation allowances to businesses. In addition, the act would raise the loan limit for the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA’s) single-family program. The Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimate that H.R. 5140 would:

• Decrease revenues by $114 billion in 2008 and by a net amount of $82 billion over the 2008-2018 period; and


• Increase direct spending by $38 billion in 2008 and $42 billion over the 2008-2009 period.

Press release: "The California State Senate passed a bill Friday that would allow prosecution for identity theft cases in the county where the victim resides. State Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, co-authored Senate Bill 612 and praised fellow senators Friday for voting 40-0 in favor of the legislation. Current law permits prosecution in the county where the theft occurred, or where the information was illegally used, even when both locations are hundreds of miles from the victim’s home, according to Simitian’s office." Simitian also sponsored Senate Bill 364, that passed by a vote of 30-7.