BUDGET
Just looking through the budget preview a number of concerns pop up. On page 127 assumes $190 million in savings over 10 years by expanding availability of family planning services under Medicaid. Savings? Isn’t that what got Speaker Pelosi (D-Calif.) in trouble?
Additionally President Obama goes after charitable giving by taxing those who are give most to charities. More on the budget in today’s Update.
Omnibust
The problems with the Omnibust still exist. In addition, a staffer for Senator DeMint (R-SC) has started compiling nifty Google maps that allow you to follow the earmarks. Here is one and here is another. Good work and neat stuff
FAIRNESS DOCTRINE
The Senate voted Thursday in favor of an amendment to the District of Columbia voting-rights bill that would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reinstating the so-called Fairness Doctrine, which critics say would decimate conservative talk radio. The Senate passed the measure 87-11. Unfortunately the Senate then preceded to vote along party lines to adopt an amendment to the same bill sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) that directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to “promote diversity in communication media ownership and to ensure that broadcast station licenses are used in the public interest.” This broad federal involvement could have an even more chilling effect on free speech then the Fairness Doctrine.
The DC Voting rights bill passed the Senate 61 – 37
HEARINGS
Dawn Johnson had her hearing on Tuesday – nothing significant to report, unsure when Committee vote will take place. Elena Kagan, of Massachusetts, to be Solicitor General of the United States, Thomas John Perrelli, of Virginia, to be Associate Attorney General, will have a Committee vote on March 5, Thursday.
The Senate Judiciary Committee sent David Ogden’s nomination for deputy attorney general to the full Senate for a vote. The committee voted 14-5 to endorse Ogden for the No. 2 position at the Department of Justice. All the Democrats and Senator Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) voted in favor of Ogden’s nomination – apparently having no problem with porn or underage girls being treated like adults.
Those opposing Ogden were Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.).
Senator Hatch nailed it I think: “Mr. Ogden has consistently taken very liberal positions over a long period of time on issues that are very important to me, . . . The pattern here is so consistent and the record is so long that it does give me pause.”
GAY BRIEFING
The LGBT Equality Caucus had a briefing this morning for Hill staffers. The topics were “hate crimes targeting LGBT persons, employment discrimination, the military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, domestic partnership benefits and related tax issues, transgender issues, immigration issues, LGBT health disparities, HIV/AIDS issues, and international human rights issues.”