Recess in Sight

Lots happening, both on and off the chamber floor. I’m making progress on the three legislative initiatives I’m working on, and learning more about the process at the same time. Each time I speak with someone from a different perspective, my head spins and looks in another direction, so it’s important for me to recognize each group’s agenda and where they’re coming from. Ultimately, I have to decide for myself what the best direction is, see who agrees and where opposition might come from, and mitigate it if possible with enough support.

It’s easy to tell who works for the Senate and who for the House as we emerge from the Metro stop Friday morning. Blue jeans and flip flops – House; suits – Senate. Unfortunately, the Senate was in session both Friday morning and Saturday, running down the 30-hour clock after cloture since unanimous consent wasn’t obtained, nor was agreement to end debate. The Senate was able to pass an imperfect housing relief bill Saturday, but has postponed a second economic stimulus plan (hopefully one targeted to key industries and for those most in need) until September.

The amendment trees are very strategic devices in both the House and the Senate, controlled by the Speaker and Majority Leader, and in different ways. One of the votes started looking like this:

Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to the House amendments to the Senate amendments to H.R. …., the ….. bill. This is the cloture vote on the updated …..bill sent back from the House—which includes …... It includes Rep. ....’s proposal on …. It also includes the Senate-passed language on …...

Despite much debate, still no energy bill passing the Senate. Not one about speculation, drilling or for alternative fuel. Very frustrating, lots of posturing and theater, not much honest debate. You almost think some of the Senators are giving floor speeches to use as sound bites for their elections, since some of their statements are not based on facts. I’m not confident about LIHEAP (low-income home energy assistance program) getting needed funds, and am hopeful about an omnibus bill (since my boss has a bill in that package). This is that “Dr. No” package of bills I mentioned last time.

In fact, the election seems to be foremost on many members’ minds (obviously – at least the entire House and 1/3 of the Senate, plus the leadership, office staff, the lobbyists, the media, etc.). Apparently the House Whips are doing much less whipping, pretty much instructing their party members to vote however they need to personally to get re-elected. So much for party ideology. Although before 1994 (and Rep. Gingrich’s “contract”), there was much more bipartisan negotiating and cooperation to get good policy passed. What type of leadership and electorate will it take to demand bipartisanship again?

There continue to be briefings and hearings on a range of topics, from the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s National Call for Action [http://www.nctacancer.org/], where I spoke with former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona to the HELP subcommittee on children’s hearing on preventing childhood obesity. That hearing was a bit frustrating, as while one witness (Arkansas’ surgeon general) knew his facts and had ideas and data, the other three had such a narrow perspective, that they didn’t contribute much to advancing the agenda. I can only hope that the Senators’ staff know the research and can provide the information not forthcoming from the expert witnesses.

The public health research already had sound theory and data about how to reduce childhood obesity, from fully funding CDC programs that work, to redesigning the built environment, improving school offerings (meals and vending machines, curricula to include physical activity), and having health insurance reimburse for effective wellness programs (e.g., quit smoking, weight loss and gym memberships, for instance). More than ¾’s of chronic disease can be prevented with physical activity, nutritious eating and weight management, and being smoke-free. Congress can formulate policy based on such findings, and needs activists, constituents, and professional groups to be insisting on it.

It’s easy to find the briefing and hearing rooms, as there’s usually a folding table outside with a sign-in sheet and handouts. A colleague saved me a seat at one hearing, unfortunately right behind one of the witnesses. I say unfortunately, because I was right in the glare of the camera lights. Another colleague emailed me that she saw me on the TV channel covering the hearing…Very hard not to scratch your ear or rub your nose when you know you’re within the sight line of the camera.

On Wednesday, I watched a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda, commemorating the integration of the armed forces. Good pomp and tradition, with the House and Congressional leadership in person on the dias for speechmaking. U.S. Army Chorus, Armed Forces Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, the national anthem, invocation, remarks, benediction and God Bless America. I noticed the metal plate on the inside shoe heel of the uniforms, which makes that “click” upon the heel strike (like at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier).

It’s hard not to feel patriotic at times like this, although there was no recognition of the Hispanics, Asians or Native Americans who also served our country bravely in the armed forces, an noticeable oversight of the ceremony.

I’ll also have to make wider turns coming up the marble staircases in the Russell Senate Office Building, as I nearly body blocked Senator Murray (Washington) coming down the stairs with her staff.

This morning I cycled to the Mall, to visit the Museum of Natural History. Of course you have to visit the Hope diamond (which used to be more than twice as big, before past owners kept cutting it down), but what caught my imagination was the new exhibit, Ocean Views, nature’s best photography competition winners - http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/ocean%20views/ . On my way cycling home, I decided to stop into the Holocaust Museum again, since there was no line.

Halfway through the exhibit, I noticed the skies growing very dark (another metaphor?), and I dashed out of there to pedal home before the huge thunderstorm. No such luck - I didn’t make it home dry, and cycled through torrents of water. ‘Good thing I knew the way, as I couldn’t read the street signs through all of the rain. Of course, once I got home the lightning stopped.

Yesterday was a great bicycle ride with a friend down the Mt. Vernon Trail to the mansion. The tide must have been out, as the river flats were wide, with lots of birds, ducks and turtles out in the marsh. I must have seen 50 egrets in the mud, looking for food. And so was a squirrel in the courtyard of Mt. Vernon (looking for food), as I felt these warm lips around my fingers when I casually lowered my arm, with some Trader Joe’s Snapea Crisps in my left hand. I’m not sure who was more startled, me or the squirrel, but did I let out a squeal!

Saturday night I caught the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage's Jamie Coon, singer/guitar player, who was good. Friday night, the Woolly Mammoth Theater had Mike Daisy in “If You See Something, Say Something,” which was both funny and pointed.

Btw, 34,000 registered lobbyists, and fortunately that man did not jump last Monday evening, although he was on the ledge for hours.

Question: why are the newspaper boxes located behind the subway grate, so your skirt has to blow in order to get a paper?