Congresspedia's "Congress in the News" updates, Sept. 6-13, 2006
Share this
Former House leaders, including Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), announced they will file an amicus brief arguing that the FBI search of Rep. William Jefferson’s (D-La.) office was unconstitutional. (Roll Call story)
A Texas appeals court is considering reinstating a conspiracy charge against former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) that was dropped by a state district court in 2005. (Associated Press story)
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), ranking member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, sent a letter to the director of the National Security Agency questioning the properness of a note sent to committee Chairman Pat Roberts with a list of administration-approved talking points in the debate over warrantless wiretapping. (Washington Post story)
The inability of House Intelligence Committee leaders to come to an agreement over subpoenaing ex-Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.) is threatening to prevent the bipartisan resolution of an investigation into his illegal activities while a member of the committee. (AP story)
Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Fla.), who is challenging Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) for his Senate seat, announced that Florida Governor Jeb Bush would campaign with her during the next two months, despite the fact that Bush has made no such commitment. (Orlando Sentinel story)
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) plans to release information that he has gathered concerning earmarked funds to colleges and universities since 2000. (Roll Call story)
The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service says that this year’s defense budget included 2,847 earmarks worth $9.4 billion, nearly five times as many as in 1994, when Republicans won control of Congress. (Bloomberg.com story)
A Kentucky businessman who admitted to paying $400,000 in bribes to Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison. (Times-Picayune story)
Federal investigators interviewed Rep. Katherine Harris’ (R-Fla.) former campaign manager as part of an ongoing federal investigation into her relationship with convicted defense contractor Mitchell Wade. (St. Petersburg Times story)
Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) has helped direct $50 million in earmarks to a firm owned by a longtime friend and campaign contributor. (Bloomberg.com story)
A declassified report by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence found no evidence that Saddam Hussein had a relationship with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi or his Al-Qaida associates. (TPM Muckraker story)
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) has helped secure over $11 million in earmarks for projects benefiting clients of a lobbyist who is advising her reelection campaign and currently owes her money. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer story)
The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations postponed a scheduled vote on the nomination of John R. Bolton to be the U.S. representative to the United Nations. (Congressional Quarterly story)
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) cancelled a vote on a bill which would authorize the Bush Administration’s wiretapping program, citing "obstructionism" by opponents such as Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.). (AP story)
Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) has received $18,000 from VECO Corp., an Alaskan oil services firm currently under federal investigation. Unlike GOP Senate candidate Mike McGavick, who also accepted contributions from the company, he is refusing to return the money. (Recordnet.com story)
Senate Republicans prevented a Democratic-sponsored resolution calling for President Bush to replace Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld from coming to the floor. (LA Times story)
Rep. John Sweeney (R-N.Y.) was sharply criticized by Democratic state officials for his ties to the boating industry. (Poughkeepsie Journal story)
A spokeswoman for Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) admitted that the senator’s reelection campaign has encouraged interested parties to help the Green Party secure a candidate on the November ballot. (TPM Muckraker story)
Printer-friendly version
