Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus had hoped to be unveiling a bill around now, but instead is looking for ways to fill a gaping funding hole on the order of $300 billion or so over the next 10 years. That’s because Majority Leader Harry Reid has told him that his original plan to tax [...]
A tricky question for those who are drafting the legislation.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is meeting with Finance Committee ranking member Charles Grassley and other key Republicans at 12:30 EDT. Time is running out against a self-imposed deadline to pass health care legislation by the August recess. Reid’s message, I am told, will be that Democrats are getting impatient with the mixed signals that [...]
TIME’s Sophia Yan was there in the Senate Chamber today for the swearing in of Democrat #60. She reports: Former-comedian-turned-Senator Al Franken was officially sworn into office this afternoon to a packed Senate gallery, 246 days after Election Day. “It was Al who told me that the third year of his campaign would be best,” [...]
The constitution doesn’t require much participation from the American people. It protects their rights — free speech, to bear arms, a fair trial, etc – but it doesn’t even make voting mandatory. The one action it does require is for citizens to stand up and get counted, which is why every 10 years the census [...]
Yes, there are other races going on outside of the presidential campaign. Here’s a rolling package that will update daily of the top congressional races (I did the Warner/Gilmore race which is not exactly a nail biter but is the Dems most likely pick up in the Senate). And for the trifecta: will Schumer get [...]
A senior Democrat House aide in a position to know tells me they are still short on GOP votes on the bailout, er, rescue plan. Unless more names of Republicans committed to switching their votes are produced by tomorrow the vote will be postponed till the weekend to give Bush and the GOP more time [...]
Looks like the Senate got sick of waiting for the House to get its act together. From Harry Reid’s office: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tonight announced a unanimous consent agreement to move forward on legislation to stabilize the economy, provide middle class tax relief, create jobs, and invest in alternative energy. Tomorrow evening, the [...]
