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January 29 - February 09, 2007
Latest Congressional Action
- The House by a 400 to 3 vote approved a bill to help gasoline stations handle bio-fuels. A motion to recommit the bill to expand it to cover more alterative fuels including coal-based liquids was barely rejected 207 to 200.
- The House cleared a bill for President Bush's signature that extends through July 31 the authorization for the Small Business Administration that expired on Feb. 2. Congress will now focus on a longer-term reauthorization. SBA's programs have not been disrupted by the temporary lapse.
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that a compromise has been reached on creating a new House select committee on climate change which will be chaired by Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts. The committee will hold hearings and recommend legislation but not have authority to approve bills. Virginia Rep. Rick Boucher told the coal industry that the passage of legislation limiting greenhouse gas emissions (cap and trade) is "inevitable."
- By a 94 to 3 vote, the Senate passed legislation that raises the federal minimum wage $2.10 over two years to $7.25 an hour. The bill also contains a package of small business tax breaks and tax increases to pay for that package. The House on Jan.10 passed a clean bill that just raises the wage. Negotiations are needed to resolve the differences. The Chamber opposes both the House bill and the Senate bill because the wage hike would be permanent while the tax breaks would be temporary.
- By a 286 to 140 vote, the House passed the $463.5 billion FY-2006 Continuing Resolution that will keep most government agencies funded until FY-2007 begins July 1. The Defense and Homeland Security Departments already have regular appropriations in place for the rest of the fiscal year. The current CR expires Feb. 15. The basic formula in the new CR continues most spending at FY-2006 levels but education, veterans' health care, health research and some other Democratic priorities would get funding increases.
Source:
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Southeast Regional Office. Moore Hallmark, Regional
Executive Director.
501 Village Trace, Suite 201, Bldg. 9A Atlanta, GA 30067
P: (770) 951-8864 F: (770) 956-1216
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