Continued Drama

Wow, first we bail out Bear Stearns, then watch Lehman Bros. falter, now we bail out AIG after propping up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Many homes in foreclosure, the subprime market implodes, the stock markets takes a nosedive, and the president fiddles.

These are big problems, no doubt, although all of our own making. I would like to see energy, education and health be considered as urgent as backing up those companies that have the fox in the hen house and executives making multi-millions in salaries and buy outs.

Little progress on the floor, and with election day looming, a hotly contested presidential race, and a 50-50 senate (especially with Sen. Lieberman siding with the Republicans in rhetoric and loyalty), it's understandable how the Senate gets deadlocked logistically. It takes leadership, courage, and bipartisan collaboration to legislate. Even a bipartisan "group of 20" couldn't get enough support to move energy legislation.

This must frustrate the House of Representatives greatly, as they pass much more legislation than does the Senate. Sometimes that's a good thing (like the House recently passing legisation allowing semi-automatic weapons in D.C., which likely won't even get to the floor in the Senate), and sometimes not (they've passed some good energy bills, and we haven't).

The Senate Banking Committee staff are working this weekend, along with the Treasury Dept. and others to find a short-term solution to keep banks solvent. According to the National Journal:

The Treasury Department would be allowed to purchase up to $700 billion in bad mortgage debt from U.S.-headquartered companies over the next two years, under a proposal Treasury Secretary Paulson submitted to Congress this weekend. The plan is the Bush administration's latest and most significant bid to help calm the crisis in the U.S. financial markets, where major investment firms have gone out of business or have been bought out and the federal government has acted as a bidder of last resort to bail out Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and insurance giant American International Group.

This week we can expect a final flurry of activity, where Senate leaders will put forth a bailout package to steady the financial sector, a comprehensive energy bill, tax-extenders legislation and a CR (continuing resolution) to keep the government funded.

Then they go home to campaign and do work in their districts.

This past week, I continued to meet with constituent and national groups, reviewed pending legislation to recommend for cosponsorship, and solicited cosponsors for the two public health bills the senator will introduce this week. Five groups agreed to endorse and help publicize, but with all the distractions of emergent issues, no other offices have reviewed these bills for approval. Understandable, and any Senator can be added as a cosponsor after the bills are introduced.

On my way to a meeting, I looked down into the atrium of our building (Hart has a wonderful Calder "Mountains and Clouds" sculpture, which fills part of the 9-story atrium, and noticed two Capitol police officers escorting a handcuffed person out of the building. Just another reminder that I'm "not in Kansas anymore."

I attended a fascinating candidates' forum on the "Presidential Perspectives on Health" at George Washington University (2 blocks from my apt.). Organized by Research!America and Scientists and Engineers for America, it was moderated by Julie Rovner, Health Policy Correspondent, National Public Radio. Panelists were Jay Khosla, Health Policy Advisor for John McCain Dora Hughes, MD, MPH, Health Policy Advisor for Barack Obama.

Hughes smoked Khosla, citing research and community experience, with the specifics of proposals and legislative initiatives, where Khosla gave platitudes ("choice," "access") without understanding the implications of these vague suggestions. Good questions from the audience, too. I submitted 3, but none were used.

Last Wednesday morning, I participated in the orientation of the two new Association of Schools of Public Health Fellows, who start this week. It was fun to review and give advice regarding my experience, what I've learned, and what I wished I knew when I started.

Senate softball playoffs started with a beautiful day. Apparently our division competes with other league winners in the D.C. league. We won our division title 9-0. We won our first play-off game 8-1, our 2nd 8-4, and lost the third 10-7 (which we could have won if they hadn't intentionally walked our strongest hitter with bases loaded, two out, bottom of the last inning). At least we lost to last year's league Champions. We ended the season 11-1, with a lot of fun, and with me making the All-Star team! What a hoot! I'm so sore now I'm not sure I could even lift a bat!

It was special, though, playing softball at West Potomac Park, right behind the FDR Memorial (where we escaped for restrooms). You could hear the carousel from the Smithsonian, see a red fox galavant across the outfield (my first D.C. fox!), and see the boats in the river.

Today was another gorgeous day, and the inaugural Capital Criterium Bicycle Race, which included Tour de France 6th place finisher, Christian Vande Velde. The route was a 1K, 6-corner circuit loop down Pennsylvania Ave, turning on 13th, Avenue F, 12th and Avenue E. It was exciting, noisy, and fun! Espcially being able to see the Capitol and White House in view.

As long as I was on my bicycle, I toddled over to the National Gallery of Art west wing, which had its closing exhibition of Martin Puryear, an amazing scultor who uses natural materials, expecially wood. Then over to the Botanical Gardens, which continues its sustainability exhibit, then through the other Smithsonian gardens, Enit Haupt and others, to the bike trail passed the Jefferson Memorial and Kennedy Center. Along the trail I was 20" from a great blue heron at the water's edge, and noticed a cormoran in the Potomac River along side me. What a great day.