ENERGY BILL DEBATE IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE
The Senate will turn this week to perhaps the most divisive issue in the pending energy bill; raising fuel economy standards for cars and trucks. The debate over corporate average fuel economy standards is expected to begin Tuesday. Michigan's Senators Levin and Stabenow offer an alternative to the fuel economy language in the energy bill (HR 6) on behalf of the auto industry. Senator Bingaman (D-NM), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, says he is hopeful the bill can be completed by the end of this week.
After failing to garner the necessary 60 votes to proceed to a vote on the Bingaman amendment last week, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced that he may have to pull the bill from the floor to receive a comprehensive immigration overhaul. The Bingaman amendment would have required major utilities to produce 15 percent of their power through renewable sources by 2020. Reid still vowed to complete both the immigration and energy bills before the 4th of July recess.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee is still undecided over whether it will mark up a bill that would be a key portion of the energy legislation that Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) wants to bring to the floor in July. Committee members have been unable to come to agreement on proposals put forward by Chairman Dingell and Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee Chairman Boucher that would overturn a Supreme Court decision that said EPA and state regulators have authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. Representatives Markey (D-MA) and Waxman (D-CA) are leading a group of Democrats strongly opposed to restricting the states and are supporting increases in automobile fuel efficiency.
HOUSE PASSES HOMELAND SECURITY BILL
On Friday, June 15, the House passed a $37.4 billion fiscal year (FY) 2008 spending bill for programs under the Department of Homeland Security. The bill is $2 billion above the FY 2007 funding level and $2.1 billion more than the President requested.
The bill includes $50 million to fund Real ID, $550 million for the State Homeland Security Grant Program, $800 million for the Urban Area Security Initiative, $400 million for law enforcement terrorism prevention grants, $400 million for port security grants, $400 million for rail and transit security grants, $50 million for interoperable communications, $800 million for firefighter assistance grants, $300 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants, and $1.7 billion for the disaster relief fund. The President has issued a veto threat against this measure.
HOUSE MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERAN AFFAIRS BILL
Last Friday, the House passed a $109.2 billion spending bill for Military Construction and Veteran Affairs with a vote of 409-2. Programs under the VA would receive $87.7 billion in funding, with $37.1 billion for improving veterans' health programs. In addition, the bill provides $70.9 million for substance abuse programs, $23 million for homeless veteran programs, and $12.5 million for expanding outpatient services to the blind. The bill would fund base realignment and closure at the President's requested level of $8.2 billion.
Overall the House bill would add $2.5 billion to the request for veteran's health care, with an increase in research and treatments for polytrauma, traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorders. In addition, the bill would fund 1,100 claims processors to address the huge backlog of veterans seeking earned benefits. The President has not threatened a veto of this measure.
