THE WEEK AHEAD
The SENATE scheduled to meet today for morning
business and to consider the nomination of M. Patricia Smith to be the
Labor Department’s solicitor.
The HOUSE is not in session today, but is
expected later in the week to consider a measure that would boost cyber
security research and legislation to raise the federal government’s debt
ceiling to $14.3 trillion. The debt limit legislation will include
a "pay-go" budget provision, requiring spending and tax cuts to be
offset. The Senate passed the legislation last week by a vote of
60-40. Congress must act on the debt limit by mid-February, when the
current $12.394 trillion limit is expected to be hit.
PRESIDENT'S BUDGET:
KEY HEARINGS & MARKUPS
APPROPRIATIONS
Wednesday, February 3 at 10:00 a.m. and Thursday, February 4 at
10:00 a.m,, H-309 Capitol Building
COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
Thursday, February 4 at 2:30 p.m., 253 Russell Building
EDUCATION AND LABOR: The House Education and
Labor Committee will hold a hearing on the Obama administration’s labor
agenda, efforts made of the past year at the Labor Department, and the
department’s plans to strengthen the economy.
Wednesday, February 3 at 10:00 a.m., 2175 Rayburn Building
FINANCE
Wednesday, February 3 at 3:30 p.m., 215 Dirksen Building.
JUDICIARY: The Commercial and Administrative
Law Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing
titled “State Taxation: The Role of Congress in Defining Nexus”
Thursday, February 4 at 11:00 a.m., 2141 Rayburn Building
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Thursday, February 4 at 10:30 a.m., 2318 Rayburn Building
TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Wednesday, February 3 at 2:00 p.m., 2167 Rayburn Building
VETERANS AFFAIRS: The Disability Assistance
and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee of the House Veterans’ Affairs
Committee will hold an oversight hearing titled “Implementation and
Status Update on the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act (PL 110-389)”
Wednesday, February 3 at 2:00 p.m., 334 Cannon Building
YUCCA NEWS: BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION NAMED; PROJECT ZERO-FUNDED IN FY11 OBAMA BUDGET; ADMINISTRATION PROMISES WITHDRAW LICENSE APPLICATION BY EARLY MARCH
The Obama Administration's FY11 budget codifies both the president’s promise to close the Yucca Mountain facility, and his intent to include nuclear energy in the nation’s long-term energy mix; however, to some in the nuclear industry, those pledges are viewed as incongruous.
The budget, if adopted by Congress, would zero out the last remaining funding for development of the Yucca Mountain waste repository. At the same time, the budget includes $54.5 billion in fiscal 2011 for loan guarantees for new nuclear power generation, representing a sizable increase of $36 billion.
The budget also discusses the establishment of a commission to study alternative sites and methods for nuclear waste disposal; the commission was announced late last week by Energy Secretary Steven Chu. The Commission will be co-chaired by former Congressman Lee Hamilton and former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft.
JOBS BILL STRATEGY UNCLEAR DESPITE PRESIDENT'S STATE OF THE UNION CALL
The prospect of a "Jobs Bill" received a lot of attention in
the President’s State of the Union address last Wednesday, in which he
indicated his support for a bill that would: direct $30 billion to
community banks to stimulate lending among small businesses, enact a
series of tax credits that would encourage small businesses to hire, and
eliminate the capital gains taxes on small business investments.
While the House has already passed a bill, the Senate’s strategy is expected to be made clearer this week. It appears the Senate will favor a strategy of advancing multiple pieces of legislation; they will reportedly categorize bill items as having a short-term or long-term impact.
The jobs package that Senators Dorgan and Durbin have been
drafting could now be broken up and moved in pieces. Originally,
that bill was expected to have a price tag of around $85 billion ($75
billion of that would pull from TARP funding authority and used as an
offset) and to consist of four core elements: small business job
creation, infrastructure, clean energy, and financial aid to the states.
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS MULL DEBT COMMISSION
During his State of the Union Address, the President also touted the need for a clean energy and climate bill. He framed the issues as crucial parts of the ongoing investment in American innovation and job creation, signalling his willingness to support nuclear power plants and offshore oil and gas production.
The President acknowledged the difficulty of pursuing a climate
bill in this tough economy, but insisted that pursuing clean energy and
greater efficiency remained good investments for the United States. It
is important to note, however, that the phrase “cap and trade”
has been dropped from Administration talking points on the measure.
GRANT NOTICES:
Grant notices published in last week's Federal Register are now available by visiting our website.
The Nevada Weekly is published when Congress is in session.
The State of Nevada Washington Office
is reachable by phone at (202) 624-5405.
Additional contact information is available on our website.
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