Congressional Glance
The most interesting aspect of this week’s House vote in favor of constructing the Keystone XL pipeline was not the fact that it passed—which was widely expected—but the fact that it got 20 fewer votes than a similar proposal received one year ago.
Rep. Lee Terry’s (R-Neb.) bill would grant the remaining permits TransCanada needs to construct the massive project, which aims to ship heavy crude oil from Canada’s oil sands region to Gulf Coast refineries in the United States.
Is Keystone pipeline losing Democratic support?
Banks’ Lobbyists Help in Drafting Financial Bills to Soften Regulations
Bank lobbyists are not leaving it to lawmakers to draft legislation that softens financial regulations. Instead, the lobbyists are helping to write it themselves.
One bill that sailed through the House Financial Services Committee this month — over the objections of the Treasury Department — was essentially Citigroup’s, according to e-mails reviewed by The New York Times. The bill would exempt broad swathes of trades from new regulation.
Senate rejects GM food labeling amendment to farm bill
The Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly rejected an amendment that would allow states to require labeling of genetically modified foods.
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont said his amendment was an attempt to clarify that states can require the labels, as several legislatures have moved toward putting such laws into place. The Vermont house and the Connecticut senate voted this month to make food companies declare genetically modified ingredients on their packages.
'Corruption Of Blood' Bill Would Convict Family Members Of Iran Sanctions Violators
Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on Wednesday introduced legislation that would "automatically" punish family members of people who violate U.S. sanctions against Iran, levying sentences of up to 20 years in prison.
The provision was introduced as an amendment to the Nuclear Iran Prevention Act of 2013, which lays out strong penalties for people who violate human rights, engage in censorship, or commit other abuses associated with the Iranian government.
Medical company declines to answer Senate questions on Medicare billing
The president and chief executive officer of a medical equipment company invoked the Fifth Amendment at Senate hearing Wednesday, declining to answer questions about aggressive marketing tactics used to sell scooters, sleep apnea machines and other home medical supplies to Medicare recipients who may not need or want them.
Jon Letko of U.S. Healthcare Supply LLC, based in Milford, N.J., exercised his constitutional right not to incriminate himself at the hearing before the Senate Subcommittee on Financial and Contracting Oversight.
IRS official refuses to testify in House probe
The IRS official responsible for tax exemptions refused to testify to a House oversight panel investigating the agency's treatment of conservative groups Wednesday.
Citing her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, Lois Lerner would not answer questions about how the IRS developed the "be on the lookout" list for Tea Party groups, what she did when she discovered it, and why she failed to tell Congress about it when asked directly.
Congressman Who Gets Millions In Farm Subsidies Denounces Food Stamps As Stealing ‘Other People’s Money’
Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-TN) agitated against food aid for poor Americans included in the Farm Bill during last week’s House Agricultural Committee debate, accusing the government of stealing “other people’s money.”
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has already been decimated in both the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill, cutting off nearly 2 million working families, children, and seniors from food assistance.
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