What are your employees doing this week?  (Remember I said I was going to try and do this on a weekly basis.  We will see how long I can keep it up). 

 

Well first let’s just start by saying they didn’t get to work until 2 p.m. on Tuesday (at least the House didn’t.  The Senate started on Monday).  They were off last week for the 4ht of July recess (however they were working in their district offices and on the campaign trail. I do not want to imply that they had a lax week!).

 

This week the house is doing a whole lot of nothing that is really important to me. They are naming several Post Offices after important people. They are also going to pass H.Res. 1182 – Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that American flags flown on Federal Government buildings and on Federal property be made in the United States

 

On a more serious note they are working on the Maritime Pollution Prevention Act of 2008 and the Homes for Heroes Act of 2008.  This bill establishes a Special Assistant in the Department of Housing and Urban Development to ensure veteran access to HUD housing and homeless assistance programs. I mean I support this, I don’t have a problem with this. I just wonder if they didn’t want to look at some other pressing issues: the economy; the appropriations bills; oil and gas issues; ????.

 

For productivity that we can use, we have to turn to the Senate this week.

They passed a Housing Reform bill (aka Building Home Ownership Act…I love it when they create names for the bills) and FISA legislation

 

Do you notice what is missing?  That’s right…the appropriations bills.  The one thing we hope they do as part of their job (and are supposed to do by Oct 1).  (Need info on the Approps Process…see my previous post.)   Nope, there has been a complete breakdown on the Appropriations and like all adults the Chair of the Appropriations Committee has decided he just won’t bring them up any more.  (It’s kind of like taking your toys and going home.)  We will see how long this lasts.  They only have a few more weeks until the August Recess.