Portal:Congresspedia/New additions/Archive/2007

October - December 2007

 * President Bush threatened to cancel thousands of earmarks in the 2007 omnibus spending package.


 * [[Image:Tomtancredo.jpg|75px|right]] Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) was expected to announce abandoning his presidential campaign on December 20, 2007. Update: Tancredo did end his candidacy and endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.


 * The House passed the $555 billion budget package, including $70 billion in unrestricted Iraq funding, sending it home for the year.


 * The House passed and President Bush signed the revised CLEAN Energy Act of 2007.


 * Congress overwhelmingly passed a bill that strengthened the Freedom of Information Act and penalizes government agencies that fail to surrender public documents on time.


 * Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said in a letter to Minority Leader Mitch McConnel (R-Ky.) that he objected to the technical corrections bill reversing the changed language in the Coconut Road earmark if it did not also call for a "full and open investigation" into the change.


 * Sen. Harry Reid pulled the RESTORE Act from consideration following objections by Sens. Chris Dodd and Russ Feingold.


 * [[Image:juliacarson.jpg|75px|right]] Rep. Julia Carson (D-Ind) died in her home on December 15, 2007 of lung cancer.


 * By a vote of 86-8 the Senate passed a revised version of the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 that included an increase in fuel efficiency standards but not the tax package for wind and solar power projects.


 * By a vote of 12-7, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved contempt citations against former presidential adviser Karl Rove and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten.


 * President Bush vetoed the SCHIP expansion bill for the second time.


 * House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he would not appoint new Republicans to the House page board until reforms were made to the program.


 * [[Image:Daveobey.jpg|75px|right|caption|[[Dave Obey]]]] Rep. Dave Obey withdrew a spending package for the federal government yesterday, and will instead introduce a budget bill with no earmarks or funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.


 * Rep. Jim McCrery (R-La.) announced he would not seek reelection in 2008, citing his inability to chair the House Ways and Means Committee because of the 2006 elections and the time spent away form his family.


 * [[Image:Lamaralexander.jpg|75px|right|caption|[[Lamar Alexander]]]]Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn) won a bid to become Senate Chairman of the GOP Conference, defeating Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) by a vote of 31-16.


 * The House passed a new version of the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007, mandating increased fuel efficiency standards and funds for renewable energy research, while the Senate failed a cloture vote on the measure.


 * Reps. Ginny Brown Waite (R-Fla.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) resigned from the board that governs the House page program, alleging the House clerk failed to inform them properly about page infractions.


 * The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved the America's Climate Security Act of 2007 by an 11-8 margin.


 * Russell James Caso Jr., one-time chief of staff to former Rep. Curt Weldon, reached a plea agreement with prosecutors regarding his role in falsifying financial disclosure records.


 * The U.S. Senate approved the Peru-United States Free Trade Agreement by a 77-18 margin.


 * [[Image:Tomtancredo.jpg|75px|right|caption|[[Dennis Hastert]]]]Rep. Tom Tancredo, an outspoken critic of illegal immigration, hired a contractor that employed illegal immigrants when remodeling his Littleton, Colo. home in 2001.


 * Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) formally rejected White House claims of executive privilege in the U.S. attorney firings scandal, forcing a vote on contempt citations.


 * The office of House Minorty Leader John Boehner announced that former Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) died at the age of 83.


 * House Transportation Committee Ranking Member John Mica said he expected Congress to reverse the Coconut Road earmark before the December recess.


 * [[Image:Dennishastert.jpg|75px|right|caption|[[Dennis Hastert]]]]Former Speaker Dennis Hastert announced his immediate resignation, ending more than 20 years of service in the House of Representatives.


 * Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.) reached a plea agreement with prosecutors over an alleged assault that occured August 19 at Dulles International Airport.


 * Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) is expected to announce he will resign at the end of the year.


 * Rep. Julia Carson (D-Ind.) revealed on November 25, 2007 that she had terminal lung cancer. Update: Carson also announced she would not seek re-election.


 * [[Image:jobonner.jpg|75px|right|caption|[[Jo Bonner]]]]Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) has decided to run for reelection.


 * Following the defeat of the Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act, Pentagon officials announced that up to 200,000 contractor and civilian jobs were at risk because normal operating funds would have to be used to pay for the Iraq War.


 * Former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore (R) announced his candidacy for the retiring Sen. John Warner's (R-Va.) seat, setting up a campaign against another former governor Mark Warner (D).


 * Democrats in Congress plan to present an onmibus spending package to President Bush by December 14. The package will include the remaining 11 appropriations bills, and carry a discretionary price tag $11 billion over Bush's recommendation.


 * Sens. Ted Stevens and Daniel Inouye secured hundreds of millions of dollars in earmarks in the FY 2008 Defense Department authorization bill.


 * Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-N.J.) announced he would not run for re-election in 2008.


 * Senate Republicans blocked the Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act from getting the 60 votes needed for passage in a 53-45 vote in favor.


 * The 55 to 42 vote fell short of the 60-vote majority needed for the Democrats to break the Senate deadlock which put the five-year $286 billion farm bill at a standstill.


 * Federal prosecutors accused Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) of soliciting bribes in two alleged schemes not previously disclosed.


 * A $20 million earmark for a ferry inserted in the 2008 Defense appropriations bill by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) could be a boon to those close to the senator by rising their undeveloped land value.


 * The House failed to override President Bush's veto of the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill by 277-141.


 * The House passed the Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act, appropriating a quarter of the nearly $200 billion President Bush requested for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and setting a withdrawal date from Iraq.


 * Two Members of Congress, Jim Saxton (R-N.J.) and Barbara Cubin (R-Wyo.), have announced they would not run for re-election in 2008.


 * President Bush marked the sixth veto of his presidency by rejecting the health-labor bill.


 * Despite a rift among the Democratic caucus, the House approved the Peru-United States Free Trade Agreement by a 285-132 margin.


 * After mulling the decision for more than a month, Rep. Tom Udall confirmed he will seek the Senate seat held by retiring New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici.


 * With the approval of six democrats, one independent, and a united Republican caucus, the senate confirmed Michael Mukasey as attorney general with a 53-40 vote.


 * The Senate, agreeing with the House, voted 79-14 to override President Bush's veto of the Water Resources Development Act, the first override of a Bush veto.


 * A provision in House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel's tax overhaul plan concerning U.S. Virgin Islands I.R.S. audits could benefit many of his top donors.


 * Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) drafted a compromise amendment on telecom immunity to the new FISA bill that would make the federal government the defendant, instead of the companies, in about 40 pending cases.


 * By a 235-184 vote, the House of Representatives approved the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (U.S.), which would extend worker protections to gay men, lesbians and bisexuals.


 * The House voted 361-54 to override a veto by President Bush for the first time, acting to save the $23.2 billion Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).


 * House and Senate conferees agreed on a $459 billion Defense Department appropriations bill.


 * Brent Wilkes was convicted on all 13 counts of corruption in the Duke Cunningham scandal while preparing for a separate case concerning corruption with former CIA executive director Kyle “Dusty” Foggo.


 * The chairs of the Senate and House education committees signaled that the No Child Left Behind Act would not be reauthorized in 2007 because of time constraints.


 * Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee John Conyers (D-Mich.) filed a contempt resolution with the House clerk against the White House regarding the documents and testimony of Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolten.


 * The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which authorizes funding for a variety of projects, including beach restoration, clean water and flood control programs, passed both chambers of Congress, but was vetoed by President Bush. However, Democratic leaders promised to quickly override this veto.


 * Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced on November 2, 2007, that they have decided to side with the White House in voting to send the nomination of Michael Mukasey as attorney general to the Senate floor.


 * A bipartisan group of senators failed to reach a deal on revised SCHIP legislation, setting up a second veto by President Bush.


 * A story in The Washington Post explained the history and status of contractor Concurrent Technologies with respect to Rep. John Murtha.


 * The Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act of 2007 faced another challenge with Sen. John Ensign's (R-Nev.) request for a so-called "irrelevant" amendment.


 * The heads of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and ranking member Arlen Specter (R-Penn.), expressed reluctance in granting immunity to telcommuncations companies involved in the warrantless surveillance program after getting access to requested documents.


 * The Republican leadership backed off from pressuring Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) to resign by stripping over 20 spending projects he sponsored.


 * The House passed the Trade and Global Assistance Act of 2007, updating the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, despite a White House veto threat.


 * With his $10,000 donation, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) was one of four members of Congress to show support and give money to Rep. John Doolittle’s (R-Calif.) legal defense fund.


 * Rep. Mike McNulty (D-N.Y.) announced his retirement from the House on October 29, 2007, becoming the first Democrat to announce his retirement from Congress this cycle.


 * Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.), seeking Sen. Pete Domenici's seat in 2008, lied to a television reporter about moving a file containing information about her family. She moved the file while serving as New Mexico's secretary of Children, Youth & Families in 1993. (Posted by User:Jsegura525)


 * Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) pushed $25 million in earmarked federal funds for a British defense contractor that is under criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for bribery.


 * Sen. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), who is seeking the presidential bid, announced his decision to retire at the end of the 110th Congress after the Colorado Rockies' lost the World Series last night.


 * Senate Democrats wanted to investigate the circumstances involved in the editing of CDC Director Julie L. Gerberding's written testimony to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on "climate change and public health."


 * The White House told Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and ranking member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) that they could see relevant documents before considering the plan to overhaul FISA


 * Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) unveiled a proposal that would overhaul taxes, shifting tax income from the middle and upper-middle-class taxpayers to high-income individuals.


 * The House again approved a $35 billion State Children Health Insurance Program(SCHIP) expansion, after Democrats revised the bill to address concerns raised by Republicans.


 * Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) officially announced that he would not run for retiring Sen. John Warner's (R-Va.) seat, citing the state Republican Party's decision to select a nominee by convention.


 * The Senate Judiciary Committee marked up a bill introduced by Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) that strengthened anti-corruption laws.


 * After "tinkering" with the recently-vetoed State Children Health Insurance Program(SCHIP) expansion, Democrats will bring the revised bill to the House floor for a vote on Thursday.


 * It was reported that Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) may be rethinking his bid for Sen. John Warner's (R-Va.) seat and may announce his own retirement within days.


 * Democrats, still keeping their “10 million children” goal in mind, planned to finally pass the State Children Health Insurance Program(SCHIP) legislation by addressing effective talking points raised by President Bush and House Republicans.


 * Gov. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) announced a special election on Dec. 11 for Rep. Jo Ann Davis' seat.


 * Since March, executives of AT&T and Verizon contributed more than $42,000 to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), as the companies lobbied the committee for immunity in the RESTORE Act.


 * Although, the House failed on October 17, 2007, to override President Bush’s veto of legislation that would have expanded the State Children Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), a letter was sent to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) asking her to reintroduce legislation with a few alterations.


 * Rep. Bobby Jindal (R-La.) won the Louisiana governorship on October 20, 2007, winning 53 percent of the vote, avoiding a runoff election with nearest competitor Sen. Walter J. Boasso (D) who received 18 percent of the vote.


 * The Senate Intelligence Committee approved a biapartisan bill governing foreign intelligence surveillance that granted retroactive immunity to telecom companies that participated in warrantless wiretapping, meant to replace the August-passed Protect America Act of 2007.


 * It was revealed Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fl.) wrote a letter to the local university president in support of the Coconut Road interchange, despite saying he was not involved and knew nothing of the earmark inserted into the 2005 transportation bill.


 * Republican aides said Former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) would resign before his term ends in January 2009, likely causing an election in early 2008.


 * With a 51-46 lead over Republican Jim Ogonowski, on October 16, 2007, Democrat Niki Tsongas won the Massachusetts special election replacing Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.).


 * Verizon told congressional investigators it has provided customers' telephone records to federal authorities in emergency cases without court orders hundreds of times since 2005.


 * A spokesman for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) said she would not run for re-election and may leave before the current term ends in 2012 to run for Texas governor.


 * The Congressional Research Service issued a memo outlining the possible constitutional violations that occur in a situation like the current transportation earmark controversy.


 * On October 15, 2007, Rep. David Hobson (R-Ohio) became the third Ohio Republican to announce he would not seek reelection at the end of his current term.


 * On Oct. 11, 2007, Sen. Chuck Schumer (R-N.Y.) attempted to reintroduce repeatedly rejected legislation to temporarily lift the portfolio caps on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.


 * Republican sources confirmed on Oct. 11 that Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Ohio) would announce his retirement imminently. Ohio Democrat John Boccieri is running for the seat.


 * The House Committee on Foreign Affairs passed a nonbinding resolution on Oct. 10 affirming the Armenian genocide against the objections of President Bush and numerous former secretaries of state and defense who warned that it could seriously harm U.S.-Turkey relations.


 * A special election will decide the successor to Rep. Jo Ann Davis's (R-Va.) seat.


 * At the trial of alleged corrupt contractor Brent Wilkes, a Department of Defense contracting official said he received three phone calls from convicted former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham on behalf of Wilkes.


 * Rep. Steny Hoyer introduced the RESTORE Act to amend FISA on Oct. 9, 2007 as a replacement for the August-passed Protect America Act (PAA).


 * An Alabama lawyer told investigators for the House Committee on the Judiciary that former Gov. Don Siegelman (D-Ala.) conceded the 2002 election, in part, after Alabama Republicans promised to end a federal investigation of his administration.


 * In a Time report, allegations of bribery against Sen. Jeff Sessions went uninvestigated while a Democratic governor was prosecuted using the same source.


 * Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-Va.) died at her home on Saturday October 6 from breast cancer.


 * Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) said on October 4, 2007 that he would finish out his term, despite a ruling against his bid to withdraw his guilty plea in the Minnesota airport sex sting scandal.


 * Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) will reportedly run for Sen. Pete Domenici's (R-N.M.) New Mexico Senate seat that opened up when Domenici announced his resignation on October 4, 2007.


 * President Bush vetoed the SCHIP expansion bill and House Democrats delayed the override vote until October 18 in the hopes that a grass-roots campaign and television and radio advertisements would win over the roughly 15 Republicans needed to override it.


 * A firm involved in Rep. William Jefferson's (D-La.) bribery case was awarded a $450,000 government grant as part of the alleged scheme.


 * It was expected Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) would announce his not seeking re-election for a seventh term due in large part to health issues on October 4, 2007.


 * House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) threatened to hold up $190 billion in supplemental Iraq War funding unless the president acceded to demands for an exit strategy and simultaneously proposed a war surtax.


 * Brent Wilkes' lawyer withdrew 12 House member subpoenas after a federal judge said he was prepared to quash them in bribery trial.


 * Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) was admitted to Virginia’s Inova Fairfax Hospital for atrial fibrillation, a heart condition, on October 2, 2007.


 * Sen.Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) blocked a new widely-accepted firearms law, which he believed to be a costly bill that could potentially put individual's Second Amendment rights in danger.


 * A watchdog group called for the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to launch an investigation into how a Florida earmark in the 2005 Transportation Bill was changed between being passed by Congress and signed by the President.


 * Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas) raised $50,000 for his new PAC, nearly all of it from the staff and clients of the PMA Group, whose clients later received millions of dollars in earmarks.


 * Due to a 1981 court ruling stating that the Senate Ethics Committee investigators fall within the legal definition of federal law enforcement agencies, it is clear that the panel had access to legally obtain wiretap evidence against Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK).


 * Prosecutors' subpoena for Sen. John Doolittle (R-Ca) demanding 11 years-worth of records raised constitutional issues on the separation of powers.


 * It was revealed that Brent Wilkes' lawyers had issued subpoenas to several senators and administration figures in addition to twelve representatives.


 * Defense Secretary Robert Gates asked the Senate Appropriations Committee for an additional $42.3 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.


 * Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho) began his court challenge and said that he would remain in office "for now."


 * The House voted overwhelmingly to condemn MoveOn.org's "General Betray Us" advertisement.


 * Rep. Terry Everett (R-Ala.) announced that he would not seek reelection at the end of the term.


 * Senator Ensign tried to explain his objections to Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act of 2007 after saying that he objected to moving the bill forward and was working to change its language.


 * The House passed the revised SCHIP expansion bill in a vote of 265-159, short of the majority required to override an expected Presidential veto.


 * Sen. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.) officially confirmed his retirement on September 21, 2007 and claimed that spending time with his family was his first priority.
 * Lawyers from the DOJ sought to overturn a court ruling protecting papers seized in the May 2006 raid of Rep. William Jefferson's (D-La.) office.


 * It was revealed that the FBI recorded conversations between Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and VECO executive Bill Allen.


 * Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) warned that Congress might have to stay in session into December if progress was not made on passing appropriations bills.


 * Fighting off allegations of secret land deals in Guatemala, Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.) will not seek reelection in 2008.


 * Sources in the Republican party stated that Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns (R) would resign and run for Senate in Nebraska.
 * Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho)made an unexpected return to the Capitol 12 days before his likely resignation.


 * The District of Columbia Fair and Equal Voting Rights Act was filibustered in the Senate, falling just three votes short of the required sixty votes for cloture.


 * A deadline for an ethics committee investigation into Rep. Bob Filner's (D-Calif.) assault charges passed, though it was unclear as to whether an investigatory subcommittee was formed or not.


 * Former CEO Bill Allen admitted that although there was not a lot of material, the labor used in Ted Stevens's (R-AK) home renovation came from Veco employees.

August - September 2007

 * Many Senate Democrats, including Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who had strongly opposed other possible nominees, approved of the White House's choice for a new attorney general, Michael Mukasey. (The Politico story)
 * Rudolph W. Giuliani said that he is asking The New York Times for the “same heavily discounted rate they gave MoveOn.org” for his campaign to run an ad in the paper.(The Hill story)
 * Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner (D) announced that he would run for Sen. John Warner's Senate seat after he retires at the end of his term. (The Hill story)
 * Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced that he would fight to prevent Ted Olson from becoming the next attorney general. (Kansas City Star story)
 * A lie detector test revealed that the extramarital relations with a New Orleans prostitute that David Vitter (R-LA) once denied appeared to be true.(Hill'' story)
 * General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker answered questions from the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the Senate Committee on Armed Services on the situation in Iraq. (The New York Times story)
 * House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) introduced a resolution to condemn MoveOn.org's advertisement questioning the credibility of General Petraeus's testimony. (Hill'' story)
 * The Democratic leadership in the House delayed the contempt vote for Harriet Miers and Josh Bolten over their refusal to comply with subpoenas relating to the U.S. attorney firings controversy. (The Politico story)
 * Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) announced that he would not seek a third term in the Senate, nor would he run for President. (The Hill story)
 * General David Petraeus testified before the House Armed Services Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, claiming major progress since the beginning of the troop surge in Iraq. (Washington Post story)
 * House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) disagreed on the appropriate actions needed to be taken in the 'stolen vote' dilemma.(Hill'' story)
 * Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) announced his plans to seek reelection despite the ongoing investigation into his relations with Jack Abramoff. (Talking Points Memo story)
 * Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) condemned Senate GOP leaders for the treatment of Sen. Larry Craig. (The Hill story)
 * Republican members of the House Transportation Committee considered returning the funds questionably earmarked by Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) to make additions to Coconut Road to their original purpose, widening I-75. (TPM Muckraker story)
 * Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) returned to the Senate for the first time since his brain hemorrhage. (The AP story)
 * After the release of the GAO report on progress in Iraq, which stated that only three of eighteen benchmarks had been met, Democrats in Congress used the report as evidence of flawed policy, while Republicans sought to discredit the report. (TPM Election Central story)
 * Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) reconsidered his decision to resign after receiving legal counsel. (The Hill story)
 * Democrat Niki Tsongas and Republican Jim Ogonowski won their respective party primaries and will face off on October 16 to fill the seat left vacant after Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) retired. (The Hill story)
 * Rep. Paul Gillmor (R-Ohio) was found dead of an apparent heart attack in his apartment. (The Hill story)
 * Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) announced that he would resign effective September 30. (The Hill story)
 * Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) agreed to step down from his committee positions for the duration of the Ethics Committee investigation into his arrest. (The Politico story)
 * Following his first public appearance since his brain hemorrhage, Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) stated that he planned to seek reelection in 2008.(ABC News story)
 * Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) made his first public appearance since his nearly fatal brain hemorrhage in December. (The Hill story)
 * Republican Senate leaders issued a joint statement urging the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate Sen. Larry Craig's (R-Idaho) recent lewd behavior charges. (Washington Post story)
 * Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) stated that he regretted pleading guilty to lewd behavior charges, and that he had done nothing wrong. (The Hill story)
 * A new report revealed that Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was arrested for lewd behavior in a men's public restroom in early June. (Roll Call story)
 * It was expected that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales would announce his resignation on August 27, 2007. (The Hill story)
 * After returning from a four day trip to the Middle East, Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) called on President Bush to begin a troop withdrawal from Iraq by Christmas 2007.(Washington Post story)
 * In the face of a federal investigation, Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) announced he would not seek reelection in 2008. (The Politico story)
 * As expected, Democrat Laura Richardson swept the special election to fill the House seat left vacant after the death of Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-Calif.). (CQ story)
 * The White House announced new rules for SCHIP that would limit eligibility to families making above 250 percent of the poverty line. (New York Times story)
 * The White House ignored the August 20 Senate Judiciary Committee deadline for documents relating to the warrantless wiretapping program. (The Hill story)
 * Rep. Bob Filner was charged with assault and battery, a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by a $2,500 fine and up to one year in prison, following an incident at Dulles airport.(The Hill story)
 * Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) officially announced he would not seek reelection in 2008. (The Hill story)
 * Rep. Don Young's (R-Alaska) questionable $10 million Coconut Road earmark was sent back by the Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization in a vote of 10-3. (TPM Muckraker story)
 * F.B.I. Director Robert Mueller turned over notes to the House Judiciary Committee describing a March 2004 visit by Alberto Gonzales to then Attorney General John Aschroft to get approval for the warrantless surveillance program. (The Hill story)
 * Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) announced that he would not seek reelection in 2008, sparking speculation as to what his political future might be. (Roll Call story)
 * In its investigation of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), the F.B.I. began looking into a suspicious $170 million contract secured for Veco. (TPM Muckraker story)
 * Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio) was expected to announce that she will not seek reelection in 2008. (The Hill story)
 * Before the recess, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) blocked a Darfur divestment bill overwhelmingly passed in the House. (The Hill story)
 * It was expected that Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), former Speaker of the House, would not seek reelection in 2008. (CQ story)
 * A report recently revealed that one of Don Young's (R-Alaska) 2005 earmarks was changed after being passed by Congress but before being signed by the President to direct funds specifically to Coconut Road in Florida. (Naples News story)
 * A note found after the F.B.I. raid on Ted Stevens's (R-Alaska) home revealed that he may have gotten a deal on the renovation costs. (TPM Muckraker story)
 * House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) announced his intention to introduce nationwide bridge repair legislation once Congress reconvenes in September. (CQ story)
 * Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) set a new deadline for the White House to provide documents relating to the N.S.A. warrantless surveillance program. (The Hill story)
 * It was revealed that Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) secured $6 million in earmarks that could have benefited a questionable real estate purchase, which the Senator recently sold back amid controversy. (TPM Muckraker story)
 * President George W. Bush authorized funds to repair a collapsed bridge in Minneapolis following its tragic collapse in early August. (CQ story)
 * Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) announced his intention to return to his home state for the first time since suffering a brain aneurysm on Dec. 13, 2006. (Roll Call story)
 * Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), reversing an earlier decision, returned all illegal campaign contributions he received from the seafood industry. (TPM Muckraker story)
 * The House passed an amendment to the FY 2008 DoD appropriations bill that would undo an implemented recommendation of the 9/11 commission to disclose the total intelligence budget to the general public. (CQ story)
 * Just before the August congressional recess, the House passed comprehensive energy legislation, which would be funded through increased taxation on oil and gas companies.(CQ story)
 * The House passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act in a vote of 394-13, which would fund the DoD for fiscal year 2008, but would not address funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. (CQ story)
 * The House Ethics Committee temporarily suspended its investigation into Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) after concerns expressed by the Justice Department that it might interfere with the F.B.I.'s criminal investigation into the matter. (Roll Call story)
 * After House and Senate Democrats reluctantly allowed the FISA bill to pass, President Bush signed it into law, extending the powers of the warrantless surveillance program. (The New York Times story)
 * It was revealed that House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.) secured the most earmarked spending in the FY2008 Defense appropriations bill.(The Hill story)
 * Following the deadly collapse of a bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) moved to provide $250 million in emergency appropriations to help the Twin Cities recover from the tragedy.(The Hill story)
 * Despite strong GOP criticism, the Senate passed the revised ethics package (S.1) in an overwhelming 83-14 vote, sending the bill to the White House for presidential approval.(The Hill story)
 * Attorney General Alberto Gonzales issued a letter to clarify his testimony on the warrantless surveillance programs, though Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, rejected the letter. (The Hill story)
 * Ignoring a presidential veto threat, the House passed a reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP), which would increase its funding by $47 billion, in a 225-204 vote.(Washington Post story)
 * House Democrats introduced a resolution to start an impeachment inquiry into Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and his connection to the U.S. attorney firings controversy. (TPM Muckraker story)
 * The House passed the revised ethics package (S.1) in an overwhelming 411-8 vote.(Washington Post story)
 * Congressional Democrats unveiled a revised ethics package they claim to be the strongest ethics reform in decades, amid Republican objections to changes in earmark transparency language.(The Hill story)
 * Sen. Arlen Specter, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, gave the Bush administration until noon on July 31 to issue a letter clarifying Gonzales's congressional testimony. (The Hill story)
 * The FBI and the IRS raided the home of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) in a continuation of the probe into the relationship between Stevens and VECO Corp. (The Hill story)
 * Reps. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) and Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) announced their intent to block an arms deal negotiated with Saudi Arabia by the Bush Administration, objecting to Saudi Arabia's tacit approval of terrorism.(The Hill story)
 * Chairman Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) announced that the House Science and Technology Committee will investigate how NASA tends to its astronauts' medical and mental health, following the release of a NASA report detailing flaws in the space agency's astronaut oversight.(The Hill story)
 * President Bush called on Congress to pass reforms of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in order to ease restrictions on secret surveillance of terrorist suspects.(The Hill story)
 * The House passed the Farm Bill Extension Act in a vote of 231-191, a margin short of that required to override a veto that President Bush has threatened. (AP story)
 * The White House issued a veto threat to the Farm Bill Extension Act, objecting to a proposed increase in nutrition programs that would be funded by closing tax loopholes for U.S.-based foreign companies. (Washington Post story)
 * White House aid Karl Rove was to be subpoenaed over his involvement in the U.S. attorney firings scandal. (CNN story)
 * In light of a questionable land deal with real estate developer Bob Penney, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) announced that she would sell back her Kenai riverfront property for its purchase price. (TPM Muckraker story)
 * Democratic Senators on the Judiciary Committee called for an immediate perjury investigation into Gonzales' testimony on warrantless surveillance programs. (Roll Call story)
 * Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) stated that he would not seek reelection in 2008. (The Hill story)
 * The Senate unanimously passed the Wounded Warriors Act with an included 3.5 percent pay increase. (The Hill story)
 * After a special election to replace Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-Ga.), who died in February, Paul Broun (R-Ga.) was sworn in by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as the representative of Georgia's 10th Congressional district.(CQ story)
 * Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) threatened Attorney General Alberto Gonzales with a perjury investigation if he did not revise his statements on meetings that may or may not have been on warrantless surveillance programs. (TPM Muckraker story)
 * House leadership pushed the contempt votes for Josh Bolten and Harriet Miers to the fall, putting priority on passing important appropriations bills. (Roll Call story)
 * The House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to hold Josh Bolten and Harriet Miers in contempt of Congress. (The Hill story)
 * Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testified again before the Senate Judiciary Committee, facing heavy criticism and accusations of perjury.(Washington Post story)
 * Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) is under federal criminal investigation for his connections with VECO, an oil field-services firm made famous for its shady campaign funding practices. (TPM Muckraker story)
 * Nine hopefuls for the Democratic presidential nomination faced questions from YouTube viewers in a debate at the Citadel. (The Hill story)
 * The House passed an ethics bill by voice vote that would ban lawmakers from paying their spouses for campaign work. (Washington Post story)
 * The close proximity of a campaign fundraiser for Jim Whitehead and a $63,000 party thrown for the supporters of recently deceased Sen. Charlie Norwood raised questions as to how Norwood's campaign funds were being used. (AP story)
 * House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers (D-Mich.) announced that his panel will vote on contempt citations against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers after each refused to comply with subpoenas to testify regarding the U.S. attorney firings controversy. (Politico story)
 * The House worked to expand children's health care coverage in the face of a veto threat from President Bush. (''New York Times story)
 * Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.) offered resolutions to censure President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and others, for misleading the public prior to and poorly conducting the Iraq war, and for domestic actions such as a warrantless surveillance program. (AP story)
 * Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) had an angry altercation with and allegedly swore at a Capitol police officer. (CNN Political Ticker story)
 * The Department of Energy denied a claim by Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) that it supported a $1 million earmark to create a group to further research oil pipeline technology.(The Hill story)
 * The Common Ground Coalition, a group founded by Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) to help form bipartisan legislation sought the help of the Bipartisan Policy Center to hold meetings on contentious issues.(The Hill story)
 * A watchdog group filed a complaint with the Senate ethics committee to investigate if Rep. David Vitter's (R-La.) behavior warranted official discipline proceedings. (The Hill story)
 * Rep. Don Young (R-Ala.) launched threats at Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) after Garrett introduced legislation that would have cut funding to programs in Alaska. (The Hill story)