Congresspedia Review: This Week in Congress (Nov. 29 - Dec. 5, 2008)

Share this

By Congresspedia assistant editor Avelino Maestas

CEOs representing the American auto-making industry were in Washington last week testifying before relevant House and Senate committees, as they seek billions of dollars in federal loans. The other main piece of business on the hill was figuring out which anonymous senator was blockading the appointment of an inspector general to oversee the $700 billion financial industry bailout. In the states, however, undecided congressional races in Georgia and California were settled, with Louisiana (two seats), Ohio and Minnesota left to go.

Automakers returned to Congress last week to renew calls for a bailout of the domestic car-production industry. Leaders of the “big three” car companies are now seeking $34 billion in loans and assistance, up from the $25 billion they asked for last month. The CEOs argued that their failure amid a recession would cascade across the American job market, with support industries (such as parts suppliers) and local dealerships also affected.

Citizen muckrakers and reporters were also hot on the trail of the identity of a senator holding up the appointment of an inspector who would be tasked with oversight of the massive, $700 billion bailout package for the financial industry. That lawmaker, who many believe to be Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), prevented the appointment of Neil Barofsky to the post of special inspector at the Treasury Department. Our colleague Paul Blumenthal at the Sunlight Foundation wrote about the mechanics of the anonymous hold earlier this week.

Since the Senate is in pro forma session, the Senator will have to either reveal his identity or drop the hold before the beginning of next week.

In election news, Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R) was able to hold onto his seat in the run-off election for the Georgia U.S. Senate seat against challenger Jim Martin (D). The race gained nationwide attention as Democrats were close to securing a 60-vote (and filibuster-proof) majority in the Senate.

The other decided race was in California. There, Republican Tom McClintock won the open seat in California’s 4th congressional district over Charlie Brown (D). The win came a month following the November 4 general election, as absentee and provisional ballots were finally counted. The Representative Elect will assume the seat vacated by retiring Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.).

Over the weekend, voters will return to the polls in two Louisiana districts, where the congressional election was delayed by month due to Hurricane Gustav. After that there's still contested results for a House seat from Ohio and a Senate seat from Minnesota. See last week's profile of the undecided races for more background on those two.