Constitutional Law

CapHill Round-Up: 3/16/09

The breakneck pace on Capitol Hill has hit the brakes, according to Politico, which may make room in the news cycle for President Obama to persuade Congress of his agenda through a concentrated messaging effort and employing Organizing for America, born out of his presidential campaign.

IN the HOUSE

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is ramping up pressure on policymakers, urging consideration of immigration reform with the support of the Speaker of the House.

Meanwhile, a number of suspended bills – primarily renaming post offices after local military heroes – are on the schedule for the House this week. According to Congress Matters, this 'means there may be no solution in sight for the DC Voting Rights Act,' which was an issue restored to the House after the Senate passed an amended version of the bill weakening D.C. gun safety laws.

The House is also set to consider what The Caucus calls 'one of the largest expansions of national and community service in years.' The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act (GIVE) would increase positions within AmeriCorps from 75,000 to 250,000 and would raise the educational award to match the amount of a Pell Grant. GIVE has the support of President Obama, who returned to civil rights work and community organizing in Chicago after law school, eschewing a possible Supreme Court clerkship.

IN the SENATE

On all legislation before the Senate, the necessity of support from centrists continues. Looking ahead, health care reform hinges on a bi-partisan group of nine senators called the 'Board of Directors' who hold senior positions in key committees.

This week, the Senate takes up the Omnibus Public Lands Act again – not to be confused with the recently passed Omnibus Appropriations Bill (OAB). The bill, which would have vastly expanded reserved wilderness, was recently passed by the Senate before being amended to weaken gun safety laws then voted down by the House. Now the Senate is considering procedures to immunize the bill from such House amendments, such as gutting another bill already passed by the House and inserting the text of the OAB, thereby avoiding the procedural pitfalls that killed it in the House last week.

Additionally, the Senate Judiciary Committee will consider President Obama's nomination for Assistant Attorney General to the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). The nomination of former ACS Board Member Dawn Johnson to head the OLC has already received hearings before the Committee and may be advanced to the full Senate at a Committee meeting on Thursday.

Full post as published by ACS Blog on March 16, 2009 (boomark / email).