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) Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Legislation
Draft Version of Financial Stability Improvement Act of 2009
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.… Continue Reading
Financial Services Committee Approves Creation of Consumer Financial Protection Agency
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 administrations financial overhaul plan would create a new federal regulator with broad powers to police large swaths… Continue Reading
EPA OIG: The Clean Water Act after 37 Years: Recommitting to the Protection of the Nation's Waters
The Clean Water Act after 37 Years: Recommitting to the Protection of the Nations 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. “Steps taken by EPA and others under the Clean Water Act have resulted in… Continue Reading
New DOD Authorization Calls For Increased Civilian and Reduced Contractor Workforce
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;… Continue Reading
Campaign to Make Our Food Safe
Make Our Food Safe: “Every year, 76 million Americans are sickened from consuming contaminated food and 5,000 of these people die. Thats 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… Continue Reading
Patriot Act Reauthorization Bill Passed by Senate Committee
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… Continue Reading
Preliminary Analysis of the Chairman's Mark for the America's Healthy Future Act, as Amended
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 “According to CBO and JCTs assessment, enacting the Chairmans mark, as amended, would result in a net reduction in federal budget deficits of $81 billion over the 20102019 period…” Continue Reading
Report: Ten Riskiest Foods Regulated by the FDA
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. “Leafy greens, eggs, and tuna are on the top of a list of the 10 riskiest foods regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Those and seven other… Continue Reading
Recovery.gov Website Upgrade Includes New Mapping Features
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… Continue Reading
Recent CRS Reports: Congress and Twitter, Wildfire Fuels, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Older Workers, Climate Change
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… Continue Reading
DOJ Limits Use of State Secrets Privilege
EPIC: “…the Department of Justice announced a new policy that limits the governments 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… Continue Reading
