User:John Benton

I am an intern at the Sunlight Foundation, focusing specifically on Congresspedia.org. I'm a 2007 graduate of Connecticut College, where I majored in East Asian Studies and Government, and am currently living in Washington D.C., though my hometown is Larchmont, New York.

Along with making regular front page headline updates and keeping various legislative information up to date, I have focused on the following legislation pages:
 * Higher Education Access Act of 2007
 * REAL ID Act of 2005
 * International Nuclear Fuel for Peace and Nonproliferation Act of 2007
 * Network neutrality legislation

Bob Filner Assault
On Sunday, Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.) joined the ranks of the ever-growing group of members of Congress under investigation after allegedly assaulting an airport employee at Dulles airport.

Unlike the other members under investigation, almost all of whom are being scrutinized for shady connections with lobbyists, corruption, and general ethics violations, Filner is the only one being looked at for an old fashioned violent crime, though his office denied the allegations, stating “...the story that has appeared in the press is factually incorrect-and the charges are ridiculous.”

According to witnesses, Filner became upset after his luggage was misplaced and had pushed aside an airport employee's arm as he made his way into an restricted baggage area, yelling "You can't stop me." After the incident, the employee decided to file the assault charges.

The story was only one of many recent instances where members of Congress seemed to expect special treatment, as Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) diverted National Guard resources to salvage personal items during Hurricane Katrina, and Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) snapped at a fellow legislator for looking to cut some of what Young called "my money" out of a bloated spending bill. All representatives in question seemed to forget that as elected officials, they are always under public scrutiny, and though they wield considerable power, they cannot get away with behaving like spoiled children.

In a recent development, Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.) bought Filner a DVD of Anger Management, starting Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson.

Executive privilege in the U.S. attorney firing controversy
After months of grappling with officials in the Justice Department as well as Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the Senate Judiciary Committee set its sights on the White House in May of 2007. On May 2nd, the Senate Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena for all e-mails from Karl Rove relating to the U.S. attorney firings, though the Justice Department ignored the request, giving no explanation as to why the emails would not be provided. Following the missed deadline, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued a warning that he would subpoena the White House, which he argued at that time, had provided no documents on a voluntary basis.

On June 13, after receiving more information from the Justice Department revealing the White House's involvement in the firings, and after still being ignored by the White House, the Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena for former White House political director Sara Taylor and former White House counsel Harriet Miers.

On June 28, the day the White House was due to provide subpoenaed documents, White House counsel Fred Fielding announced President Bush's first claim of executive privilege relating to the investigation. He wrote, "I write at the direction of the President to advise and inform you that the President has decided to assert executive privilege and therefore the White House will not be making any production in response to these subpoenas for documents." The next day House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Patrick Leahy wrote a response asking the President to "relinquish or expand on his broad claim of executive privilege" or face a contempt of Congress motion.

On July 11, Sara Taylor testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, revealing some new information, though repeatedly withholding information based on the executive privilege claim. After her testimony, it was announced that Harriet Miers would not appear before the House Judiciary Committee, as it was argued that her testimony would be protected under executive privilege. Representatives John Conyers and Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) responded to the claim, arguing “We are aware of absolutely no court decision that supports the notion that a former White House official has the option of refusing to even appear in response to a Congressional subpoena... To the contrary, the courts have made clear that no present or former government official — even the president — is above the law and may completely disregard a legal directive such as the Committee’s subpoena... A refusal to appear before the Subcommittee tomorrow could subject Ms. Miers to contempt proceedings.” Following the refusal, the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law voted that White House claims to immunity and executive privilege were invalid.

On August 1, the White House claimed executive privilege again on the testimony of Karl Rove and Scott Jennings. Just as it occurred with Harriet Miers and Sara Taylor, Karl Rove did not appear before a Congressional Judiciary Committee, while Jennings did. In Jennings's testimony on August 2, however, he refused to answer many of the most basic questions, such as his role in the selection of U.S. attorney nominees.

Candidates by state
User:John_Benton/Candidates_by_state

Current Headlines

 * The House voted overwhemingly to condemn MoveOn.org's "General Betray Us" advertisement. (The Hill story)
 * Rep. Terry Everett (R-Ala.) announced that he would not seek reelection at the end of the term. (The Hill story)
 * 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. (Roll Call story)
 * 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. (The Hill story)
 * It was revealed that the FBI recorded conversations between Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and VECO executive Bill Allen. (The AP story)
 * 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. (The Hill story)
 * Fighting off allegations of secret land deals in Guatemala, Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.) will not seek reelection in 2008. (Roll Call story)
 * Sources in the Republican party stated that Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns (R) would resign and run for Senate in Nebraska. (The Hill story)
 * 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. (Roll Call story)
 * 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. (Roll Call story)
 * 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)
 * 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)
 * 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)
 * 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)


 * 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)


 * 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) agreed to step down from his committee positions for the duration of the Ethics Committee investigation into his arrest. (The Politico story)


 * Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) made his first public appearance after a 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)


 * Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.), in the face of federal investigations, 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)


 * 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 edited 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' (R-Alaska) home revealed that he may have gotten a deal on the renovation costs. (TPM Muckraker 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)


 * President George W. Bush authorized funds to repair a collapsed bridge in Minneapolis following its tragic collapse in early August. (CQ 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)


 * 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#Ethics_investigation_put_on_hold (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)


 * 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)


 * 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)


 * 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)


 * The House passed the Farm Bill Extension Act in a vote of 231-191, short the number required to override a veto that the White House 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)


 * Democratic Senators on the Judiciary Committee called for an 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)


 * 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)


 * Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) was 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 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)


 * 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)


 * 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)


 * The runoff election for the replacement of Rep. Charlie Norwood appeared to be an upset, though a recount is expected. (The Politico story)


 * Bob Penney, who was involved in the corruption scandal with Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Ala.), also was involved in a land deal with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Ala.). (TPM Muckraker story)


 * A watchdog group reported that senators have failed to claim responsibility for at least $7.5 billion worth of projects approved by the Appropriations Committee. (The Hill story)


 * The Senate passed an amendment, 87-1, to the FY 2008 Defense Department authorization bill to double the $50 million dollar bounty on Osama bin Laden. (CQ story)


 * The House passed the Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act, which would significantly reduce U.S. troop presence in Iraq by April 1, 2008, in a vote of 223-201. (The Hill story)


 * Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) made plans to introduce legislation to require that violent television programming be shown only after 10 p.m..(The Hill story)


 * Sens. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), high ranking members in the Senate Committee on Appropriations, took home almost one-third of the total dollar value of earmarks in the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill. (CQ story)


 * Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) secured an earmark in the Interior-Environment spending bill that would provide funds for a major air-pollution reduction program in two heavily polluted areas of California.(CQ story)


 * The Senate GOP Conference gave Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) the seat on the Senate Finance Committee that emptied due to the death of Sen. Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.). (Roll Call story)


 * In a response to President George W. Bush's recent commutation of "Scooter" Libby's prison sentence, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) requested that White House lawyers testify in Congress to clarify the decision. (The Hill story)


 * As Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) were preparing start up talks on a ethics and lobbying reform package, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) called in a last minute block.(Call'' story)


 * The Federal Trade Commission issued a report denying the importance of network neutrality regulation.(Raw Story'' story)


 * The White House asserted executive privilege in response to the subpoena relating to  the U.S. attorney firings controversy and will not supply the requested documents. (Post'' story)


 * In its continuing investigation of the warrantless surveillance program, the Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed the White House, the Justice Department, and Vice President Dick Cheney for copies of internal documents about the program's legality and agreements with telecommunications companies that participated in the program. (Hill'' story)


 * The Employee Free Choice Act stalled in the Senate after a failed cloture vote of 51-48, divided closely along party lines. (The LA Times story)


 * Senate Republicans, led by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), stalled a major lobbying overhaul bill by attempting to add a "poison pill" amendment to the Senate Campaign Disparity Act of 2007.(The Sunlight Foundation story)


 * In a response to the Senate cloture vote on the comprehensive immigration bill, House Republicans prepared a resolution to express their disapproval of the bill. (The Hill story)


 * In a vote of 64-35, the Senate passed a cloture motion calling an end to debate on the comprehensive immigration bill. (The Hill story)


 * In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court struck down a part of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, which was created to prohibit soft-money-funded election advertisements disguised as issue ads. (ABC News story)


 * The Senate prepared to consider the comprehensive immigration bill again, but it was unclear if it would make it to a vote on final passage. (Roll Call story)


 * The House passed the legislative branch appropriations bill in a vote of 216 to 176, granting more than $3.1 billion to run the House of Representatives and nine legislative branch agencies during FY2008. (Roll Call story)


 * House defense appropriators considered adding language to the FY 2008 Defense Department authorization bill that would shut down the Guantanamo Bay prison. (The Hill story)


 * House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) threatened the White House with a contempt of Congress motion if it did not respond to subpoenas for information relating to the U.S. attorney firings controversy.(The Hill story)


 * Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) threatened to have the Senate work through the July 4 recess if progress was not made on the comprehensive immigration and energy bills.(The Hill story)


 * The Senate will consider energy, labor, and immigration packages this week as the House will continue debate over spending bills this week, after finally resolving a partisan conflict over earmarks that took up most of last week.


 * On the energy package, the Senate must still consider three of the most contentious amendments:


 * 1) A bill that includes elevating the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards from 25 to 35 MPG on passenger cars and light trucks by 2020
 * 2) A bill that would require utilities to produce 15 percent of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020.
 * 3) A bill that would add loan guarantees to enhance private investment in coal-to-liquids plants if sufficient carbon emissions can be captured and stored.


 * On immigration, the Senate will consider a long list of amendments. The most substantial amendment would provide more than $4 billion for border security and employment verification initiatives. It would also tighten language in various titles and levy additional penalties on immigrants who violate the law.


 * On labor, the Senate will take a vote on the Employee Free Choice Act, a labor-backed "card-check" bill that would make it easier for workers to form unions. Unions argue that the card-check process keeps reluctant employers from stalling when workers seek a union. Lobbyists predict that a cloture vote on the card-check bill will fail, but that it will at least win a majority.

Insert non-formatted text here Insert non-formatted text here
 * The House will try to speed along the appropriations process this week, most likely aiming to pass the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and State-Foreign Operations bills, after finally resolving a partisan procedural standoff over earmarks that took up most of last week. As part of the agreement, Democratic leaders will move to adopt a rule that allows members to raise a point of order against appropriations conference reports should there be any earmarks included that were not in either the House or Senate version.

Culture Policy


Economic Policy


Education Policy


Energy and Environmental Policy


Food and Agriculture Policy


Infrastructure and Transportation Policy


Labor, Immigration and Retirement Policy


National Security and Foreign Policy


Rights, Liberties and Courts Policy


Science and Technology Policy


Social Policy


Transportation and Infrastructure Policy




Portal Headlines
Labor, Immigration and Retirement Policy
 * The Senate's efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation looked destined for failure after a vote in the Senate to end debate on the legislation and move to a final vote did not pass on Jun. 28.


 * The Employee Free Choice Act stalled in the Senate on Jun. 26 after a failed cloture vote of 51-48, divided closely along party lines.


 * President Bush promised on Jun. 11 to lobby Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill to revive the failed comprehensive immigration bill upon his return from a visit to Europe.


 * Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said on Jun. 7 that he was willing to return to the failed comprehensive immigration bill if Senate Republicans can agree to a limited number of amendments and a limited time for debate.


 * The Senate's efforts to reach a "grand compromise" on comprehensive immigration legislation collapsed on Jun. 7 as a move to cut off debate on the bill fell 15 votes short. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) declared the Senate was done with addressing immigration "for the time being."


 * An amendment to the comprehensive immigration bill sponsored by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) failed in a 42-54 vote on Jun. 7. The amendment would demand that existing border security and immigration laws be enforced and included building a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.


 * The Senate passed an amendment to the comprehensive immigration bill in a vote of 56-41 on Jun. 6. The amendment, offered by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), would save American taxpayers up to $24 billion in the 10 years by preventing the earned income tax credit from being claimed by Y temporary workers or illegal aliens.


 * The Senate passed an amendment to the comprehensive immigration bill on Jun. 6 in a vote of 64-33. The amendment was sponsored by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and would declare English the official language of the United States.


 * The House passed the Employee Free Choice Act on Mar. 1, in a 241-185 vote that was largely divided along party lines. The bill would further protect workers against management threats as well as create an easier process for creating new unions.


 * The Senate voted on an amendment on Jan. 24 that would effectively remove the federal minimum wage. The amendment's sponsor was Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) and failed in a 28-69 vote.


 * The house passed the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 in a vote of 315-116 on Jan. 10. The bill was sponsored by Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) and would increase the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25.

Economic Policy
 * The president's "fast track" authority to negotiate trade agreements, established under the Trade Act of 2002, is set to expire on July 1. No significant efforts have been made to extend it, despite calls of several trade interest groups.


 * Arguing that they had fulfilled a promise to the electorate by raising the minimum wage, on Jun. 27 Democratic lawmakers in the House voted to raise congressional salaries for the following year by 2.7 percent.


 * Senators Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced a bill on Jun. 14 that would close a tax loophole exempting certain publicly traded partnerships from a level of taxation.


 * The Senate Finance Committee unveiled legislation on Jun. 14 that would force the Treasury Department to acknowledge China's manipulation of its currency, the yuan.


 * On Apr. 25, the House passed the Small Business Lending Improvements Act of 2007, sponsored by Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.). The bill was aimed at improving small business access to capital programs of the Small Business Administration.


 * Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) introduced the Tariff Relief Assistance for Developing Economies (TRADE) Act of 2007 on Feb. 15. The bill would designate certain developing countries to receive duty-free trade with the United States for certain products.


 * Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) introduced the Free Trade with Cuba Act on Jan. 22. The act would end the trade embargo held with Cuba since 1962.


 * Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) introduced a bill on Jan 11. which would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to reduce the federal sales tax deduction, the child credit, and also repeal the estate tax.


 * Rep. John Linder (R-Ga.) introduced the Fair Tax Act of 2007 on Jan. 4. The bill would abolish the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), repeal the federal income tax, enact a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the states, and lastly, repeal the estate tax.


 * President George W. Bush signed CAFTA into law on Aug. 2, 2005, which established a free trade zone between the United States, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua as well as setting up a separate trade agreement with the Dominican Republic.

Science and Technology Policy (U.S.)
 * The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, which would lift the restriction on new federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, was presented to President George W. Bush on Jun. 12. He has promised to veto the legislation, and it has not received the supermajority needed to override a veto.


 * The House passed the Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act of 2007, sponsored by Rep. David Wu (R-Ore.) on May 3, which would provide funding for research in manufacturing technology advancements.


 * The House passed a bill in a vote of 399-17 on May 2. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Brian Baird (D-Wash.), would authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2008, 2009, and 2010 for the National Science Foundation.


 * The House passed the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act, sponsored by Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) on Apr. 24. This bill would prevent insurance companies from denying coverage or raising rates for a person found to have a potential genetic condition or genetic predisposition towards a disease or disorder.


 * Rep. David Wu (R-Ore.) introduced the Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act of 2007 on Apr. 17 which would provide funding for research in manufacturing technology advancements.


 * Rep. Brian Baird (D-Wash.) introduced the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2007 on Apr. 17 to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2008, 2009, and 2010 for the National Science Foundation.


 * On Apr. 11, the Senate passed the HOPE Act in a vote of 70-28. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), aimed to provide $5 billion over 10 years for stem cell research that does not involve "crossing the ethical line of using taxpayer dollars for the destruction of human embryos."


 * The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions approved the Genetic Non-Discrimination Act by a vote of 19-2 on Jan. 31. The act would prevent insurance companies from denying coverage or raising rates for a person found to have a potential genetic condition or genetic predisposition towards a disease or disorder.


 * In a 253-174 vote, The House passed The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 on Jan. 11, which was sponsored by Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), lifting the restriction on new federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research implemented by President George W. Bush in 2001. Though the bill was passed, it did not reach a veto-proof majority.

Health Policy


 * The Senate passed a bill on May 9 which was sponsored by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) in a vote of 93-1 that would improve food safety operations.


 * The Senate passed, in a vote of 49-40-11, a bill on May 7 that was sponsored by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.). The bill would require the FDA to certify the safety of imported drugs.


 * A bill sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) passed in a vote of 63-28 on May 3. This bill would allow drug importation from certain foreign countries.


 * The Senate rejected a bill sponsored by Sen. Wayne Allard (R- Colo) in a vote of 41-53-6 on May 2. The bill would have removed provisions for limiting market exclusivity for companies that test products on children.


 * In an Apr. 18 vote of 55-42, the Senate denied a motion to invoke cloture for the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007, which would require the federal government to negotiate with drug companies of the price of drugs for Medicare participants.


 * The Supreme Court upheld the legality of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 on Apr. 18.


 * Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Tom Davis (R-Va.) introduced The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act on Feb. 15, which would prevent tobacco advertising targeted at minors as well as reduce hazardous materials in tobacco products labeled "reduced risk" or "low-tar."


 * The House passed the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007 on Jan. 12, which was sponsored by Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), with a vote of 255-170. The bill would require the federal government to negotiate with drug companies over the price of drugs for Medicare participants.


 * President George W. Bush signed NASPER into law on Aug. 11, 2005, which gives states grant money to create scheduled drug tracking databases, allowing to hospitals and law enforcement to collect data on people receiving controlled substances.

Energy and Environment
 * The Senate passed a comprehensive energy bill, an amended version of the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 (H.R.6), originally passed in the House, in a vote of 65-27 on Jun. 21.


 * The Senate's efforts to pass comprehensive energy legislation stalled on Jun. 14 following disagreements about renewable energy standards.


 * In a 408-8 vote on Jun. 6, the House passed the H-Prize Act of 2007, establishing a series of cash rewards for innovation in hydrogen energy technology.


 * Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) introduced the Clean Water Restoration Act of 2007 on May 22, which would expand the areas protected under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.


 * Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) introduced a comprehensive energy bill on May 17. The bill intended to improve energy independence and security, increase production of clean renewable fuels, protect consumers from price gouging, increase the energy efficiency of products, buildings and vehicles, promote research on greenhouse gas management, and improve the energy performance of the federal government.


 * The House passed the International Solid Waste Importation and Management Act of 2007 on Apr. 24, which would grant individual states the power to enact laws restricting the receipt and disposal of hazardous waste from Canada within their borders.


 * On Mar. 9, the House passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) that would authorize appropriations to states for dealing with water pollution.


 * The House passed a bill on Mar. 8, sponsored by Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.), that would provide grants aimed at developing alternative water source projects.


 * The House passed a bill on Mar. 7, sponsored by Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), which would reauthorize federal grants to municipalities and states to control sanitary sewer overflows.


 * Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) introduced the Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act on Feb. 14, which would keep information public on 3,500 facilities that release harmful chemicals.


 * The House passed the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 on Jan 18., sponsored by Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), in a vote of 264-163.