TheWeekInCongress (March 26-30, 2007)
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Capitol Hill dominated the news this past week, as Congress continued to move towards sending a bill to President Bush’s desk calling for an end to the controversial Iraq War. For a thorough look at congressional action on this issue and several others debated and considered since Monday, we again turn to Robert McElroy’s TheWeekInCongress. Follow the headlines below to the Congresspedia articles covering the respective issues, which in turn link to and heavily rely on McElroy's analyses.
- The Senate passed a $122 billion supplemental appropriations bill which would require President Bush to begin removing U.S. combat troops from Iraq this year and recommend a complete withdrawal by March 31, 2008. This followed passage of a similar bill in the House last week which would require President Bush to remove U.S. combat troops from Iraq by September 1, 2008.
- The House passed two bills extending federal assistance to citizens and businesses affected by Hurricane Katrina and its aftereffects.
- Both the House and Senate passed non-binding resolutions setting targets for revenue and spending for the fiscal year (FY) 2008 federal budget. Both budgets call for allowing at least some tax cuts passed (and heavily supported by President Bush) in 2001 to expire.
- The House passed two transportation bills. One requires the secretary of the Transportation Security Administration to establish a national strategy for rail and public transportation security, while the other modifies numerous transportation projects approved by Congress in 2005.
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Capitol Hill veterans to launch independent, Internet news.....
Majority Accountability Project to report on activities of House majority
The Majority Accountability Project (MAP), an independent, internet-based news and research service, will make its debut on April 23 at www.majorityap.com. Founded by two Capitol Hill veterans, MAP will be an on-line clearinghouse of information on the House Majority, and conduct its own investigative stories available to the public, a thriving on-line community and traditional media.
“Last year, and even now, dozens of organizations, blogs and internet-based groups were engaged in comprehensive research on the Republican House majority - poring over legislation, travel vouchers, FEC statements, and financial disclosures – quickly disseminating that information throughout the nation and, quite often, driving a great deal of the mainstream media coverage,” said Michael Brady, MAP President and co-founder. “We think this majority needs that same level of scrutiny.”
MAP will be the premiere information resource on the House Majority, and conduct its own investigative stories not being done by the mainstream media, or the liberal-dominated Internet news services. MAP will compile and maintain comprehensive reports on members of the Majority, such as house votes, campaign financing, district activities, policy positions and public statements.
“MAP will immediately fill a huge void in internet strategy and activism,” said Mike Giuliani, another MAP co-founder and its Secretary-Treasurer. “While the Democrats boast of a large number of blogs and on-line organizations already in existence, conservatives do not have an on-line news organization to match that impact. This Majority and its candidates made a lot of pledges and promises to get elected, and the public has a right to know whether they are being kept.”
Brady and Giuliani say their research is already paying off, and that MAPs first week will feature a host of stories not available anywhere.
“We want the public to know the types of things this majority is doing that aren’t being talked about,” they said, “and we want the mainstream media to see our research and information as a resource for them as well.”
Prior to founding MAP, Brady served as Director of Strategic Communications for the
National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), and was a longtime aide to U.S. Representative Tom Reynolds, holding positions as Chief of Staff and Communications Director. He spent a decade with the New York State Assembly, and was a longtime political analyst for WKBW-TV, the ABC affiliate in Buffalo, NY.
Giuliani most recently served as Chief of Staff to former U.S. Representative Sue Kelly. He has over fifteen years of experience in politics, campaigns, fundraising, and public policy that includes stints as Director of Major Donor Events for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and overseeing the committee’s events at the 1996 Republican National Convention.
The design, development, and overall online strategy of MajorityAP.com will be delivered through a limited partnership with the David All Group, LLC (DAG) and CaseySoftware, LLC. David All, president of DAG, is a veteran of both Capitol Hill and campaigns, and heads up the nation’s premiere conservative Web 2.0 consultancy. CaseySoftware - led by Keith Casey - is an Information Technology Services company thoroughly enmeshed in the Open Source community.
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