Published 17 Oct, 2011 The House is in recess this week, leaving the Senate to begin tackling appropriations. During the week their plan is to focus on a small packing of departments they believe they can find consensus on. Senate HELP is holding a subcommittee hearing on the effects of the recession on older Americans,…Read More…

Published 12 Oct, 2011 The Senate voted on two contentious issues Tuesday evening a bill condemning currency manipulation by the Chinese government which passed and the President’s jobs bill, the American Jobs Act which failed. Important business continues in the upper chamber Wednesday when the three pending free trade agreements—Panama, South Korea, and Colombia—will likely…Read More…

Published 07 Sep, 2011 Congress returns to session this week after the August recess. The “supercommittee” tasked with bringing the deficit into control has scheduled its organizational meeting for Thursday (9/8) morning, the same day President Obama will unveil his jobs plan to a joint session of Congress. The Senate Committee on the Environment and…Read More…

Published 08 Aug, 2011 Following a tumultuous week of early recess that ended in an emergency FAA extension, both chambers of Congress are out of session until the evening of September 7. While back in their home districts, many will be meeting with constituents and hosting town hall meetings. Stay tuned for more news regarding…Read More…

Published 01 Aug, 2011 Everyone’s attention will be tuned to the deal reached to extend the nation’s debt ceiling this week. After several weeks of partisan stand-offs and failed attempts at compromise, President Obama and leaders from both parties have agreed to a plan that will get America through the 2012 elections before having to…Read More…

Published 28 Jul, 2011 With the federal government rapidly approaching the debt ceiling, most of Congressional leadership’s time has been dedicated to negotiation a way to avoid default. After weeks of failed compromises and false starts, Senate Majority Leader Reid unveiled his plan to raise the limit by $2.7 trillion through a combination of deep…Read More…

Published 06 Jul, 2011 Senate leadership chose to forgo their planned July 4 vacation this week, placing both chambers in session this week. In the House, the Defense Appropriations will be brought to the floor, while the Senate debates a resolution on the US’s involvement in Libya. Senate Republicans boycotted the mark-ups of the three…Read More…

Published 27 Jun, 2011 The House recessed for the July 4 holiday without holding the mock mark-ups of the three trade agreements they had threatened, to show their displeasure with the Administration for not sending them for Congressional approval. In session this week, the Senate has several noncontroversial nomination hearings to go through, thanks to…Read More…

Published 28 Mar, 2012 If certain groups have their way with the Surface Transportation Bill workers could be faced with the elimination of pensions Business lobbyists are trying to get language implemented into the Surface Transportation Bill (or any highway measure the House passes) to receive relief from pension funding requirements. They claim pension funding…Read More…

Published 21 Mar, 2012 Edward Wytkind, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), offers the following statement in response to the House FY 2013 budget resolution released by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI): “The Ryan budget resolution released today is the worst for transportation that we have ever seen. “It not only turns…Read More…