$700 Billion where did it Go?
Show me the TARP Money, [link] Troubled Asset Relief Program. Wouldn't you like to vote on this... Now you can. And your vote will be sent to your representatives, let them know your views and how you feel on issues like this.
Economic Stimulus Bill
CTN posted a special feature comparing the texts of the bill drafts line by line. You can see the evolution of the plan from September 25 to October 1.
HR 1424, the final economic stimulus bill, can be found in the upcomming bills section. In an effort to speed the parliamentary process up, the Senate co-oped a previous unenacted bill, variously titled the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007 and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008. They replaced the entire text of the bill with the stimulus bill using an amendment. Two votes took place in the Senate, first to pass the amendment and then to pass the amended bill: the votes, both on Oct. 1, came out the same. Because the House had previously passed the bill in its prior life as a mental health bill, the House had, well, already passed the bill. But since the Senate had made changes following the House’s approval, the House was required to agree to the Senate amendment, which it did on Oct. 3. The same day the President signed the bill and it became law.
Prior to the Senate’s action, the House attempted a bill of its own. Actually, it attempted to co-opt a bill as well in order to speed-up the parliamentary process. It wanted to co-opt H.R. 3997, Defenders of Freedom Tax Relief Act of 2007. The House voted on an amendment to replace the text of that bill with their stimulus bill, but the vote failed, leaving the bill unchanged.
2009's Most Viewed Congressmen
Ken Salazar (D-CO) has been chosen by President-elect Barack Obama as his nominee for Interior Department Secretary, reports the Denver Post. Salazar's nomination to head the Interior Department, which oversees most federally owned land and sets policy for energy extraction, would likely lead to a reversal of several controversial Interior Department rulings from the Bush Administration, including the decision to open up the Roan Plateau, in his home state, for oil drilling.
Republican Rep. Ray LaHood (IL) will be nominated for Secretary of the Department of Transportation by President-elect Barack Obama, reports the Washington Post. He is the second Republican so far that Obama will have chosen for his cabinet. As Transportation Secretary, LaHood will play a major role in implementing the transportation infrastucture-heavy stimulus package that the incoming Obama Administration is planning.