TheWeekInCongress (May 14-18, 2007)

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Both the House and Senate tackled a busy legislative schedule this past week, as issues such as the Iraq War, defense spending, and the federal budget were addressed. For an in-depth look at the legislation considered in Congress since Monday, we again turn to Robert McElroy’s TheWeekInCongress. His site is a great resource for citizens wishing to keep track of what their members are up to in Washington, and we urge you to check it out. 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 bill, previously approved by the House, which would provide funding for U.S. military operations in Iraq through July of this year, at which point Congress would consider further spending (to last through September) based on Iraq's ability to meet certain benchmarks.
• The Senate, after amending a version previously passed by the House, approved a bill which would authorize water-related projects to be carried out by the Army Corps of Engineers.
• A bipartisan group of senators reached a compromise on comprehensive immigration legislation. Debate on the measure will begin on Monday, May 21st.
• The House and Senate passed an identical budget resolution for fiscal year (FY) 2008. The budget is not binding, but rather sets parameters for Congress to follow when considering appropriations measures throughout the year.
• The House passed a $640 billion bill which would fund the Defense Department and its activities for fiscal year (FY) 2008.