TheWeekInCongress (June 4-8, 2007)

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It was yet another busy week on Capitol Hill, as many high-profile issues were debated and considered in both the House and Senate. The House took up stem cell research and aid for Afghanistan, while the Senate was largely occupied with immigration. For an in-depth look at the bills 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 debated a comprehensive immigration bill, though a cloture motion to bring it to the floor failed (45-50) Thursday night after the parties could not agree on a list of amendments which would be considered.
• The House passed a bill, previously approved by the Senate, which would end the current ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. President Bush is expected to veto the measure.
• The House passed a bill which would provide $1.6 billion per year over the following three years to assist development, economic, and security programs in Afghanistan.
• The Senate took steps towards consideration of the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007, a bill previously passed by the House. It would force oil and gas companies to renegotiate past royalty agreements, and commit the additional revenue to investments into alternative sources of energy.
• The House passed a bill which would authorize higher education curriculum development and graduate training in advanced energy and environmentally-friendly building technologies.