Posted on 07/01/2005 6:12:26 AM PDT by OXENinFLA
Since "Free Republic is an online gathering place for independent, grass-roots conservatism on the web. We're working to roll back decades of governmental largesse, to root out political fraud and corruption, and to champion causes which further conservatism in America.", I and others think it's a good idea to centralize what the goes on in the Senate (or House).
So if you see something happening on the Senate/House floor and you don't want to start a new thread to ask if anyone else just heard what you heard, you can leave a short note on who said what and about what and I'll try and find it the next day in THE RECORD. Or if you see a thread that pertains to the Senate, House, or pretty much any GOV'T agency please link your thread here.
If you have any suggestions for this thread please feel free to let me know.
Here's a few helpful links.
C-SPAN what a great thing. Where you can watch or listen live to most Government happenings.
C-SPAN 1 carries the HOUSE.
C-SPAN 2 carries the SENATE.
C-SPAN 3 (most places web only) carries a variety of committee meetings live or other past programming.
OR FEDNET has online feed also.
A great thing about our Government is they make it really easy for the public to research what the Politicians are doing and saying (on the floor anyway).
THOMAS where you can see a RECORD of what Congress is doing each day. You can also search/read a verbatim text of what each Congressmen/women or Senator has said on the floor or submitted 'for the record.' [This is where the real juicy stuff can be found.]
Also found at Thomas are Monthly Calendars for the Senate Majority and Senate Minority
And Monthly Calendars for the House Majority and Roll Call Votes can be found here.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT (aka The Dept. of Defense)
I have to think that Frist is not planning a run for president, given the ESC thing. What I find interesting about this move is the lack of dem opposition. What better issue for grandstanding than the Patriot Act (I hate this naming of Bills, btw). Did Frist engineer this in spite of the fact the the WH is not happy with it and that's how he silenced dem opposition? Curioser and curioser.
From the looks of that article ... it looks like the Senate tied the FBI's hands again
He better not after that yesterday!. I'm still steaming!
Here's a question .. what if the House doesn't come to an agreement with the Senate and it runs out of time and sunsets
Do things go back to the old ways??
I wish I knew that answer...I am not sure when parts of it are due to sunset, if there are different times for different parts...dunno...
I do know that the debate about this in the House was a hoot..the dems seem to take the most offense at the possiblity that the FBI might actually look at their library records, believe it or not!!! They definitely wanted the authorities NOT to be able to find out any of your actions in a library or book store...even though terrorists would love to use library computers, rather than their own....
Part of the problem, and what annoys me to no end, is the lack of accuracy in talking about this issue. I just heard Kasich say there is no reason to shut this area of research down entirely. That is not the issue. There are those who will proceed with it if it shows promise to yield results and riches. The issue is the funding of it from the great taxpayer honeypot. It was the same thing with abortion. You may not like it, you may think it's murder or whatever, but by golly, you are going to pay for it. Grrrr.
I can't find this Patriot business in the Congressional Record, it is something they had to have slid in at the end of one of the days. With Frist acting like a weasel who knows?
I hadn't looked, but I am not surprised...this is one of my biggest complaints about the way that Congress works...there is just TOO much done that we don't know about, and when we do find out, it is usually after the fact!
I do know that it has to go back to conference with the House, so hopefully, we have time to find out more, before a final vote...
I will see what I can find out, also..
You know, OXEN IN FLA and Cboldt both seem to be able to find anything, maybe we can get them to help...
GACK---I thought today would be a SLOW news day...
jeez, louise, there are about 4-5 good threads going, and I can't keep up...plus I am doing laundry and have to go to the grocery store...
You are so good at keeping me up to date on things, while I go running around like a headless chicken! Thanks!!!
Maybe the people that post the legislation figured they could take their time, since they have a month before more action....I can't figure it out either!
This Patriot Act thing happened on Firday, but I sure don't rember it! Here's the link!
http://frwebgate4.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=91150811896+2+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve
There's quite a bit of stuff on July 29, 2005.
Click here -> http://www.gpoaccess.gov/crecord/advanced.html
Choose a volume(s) - [X] 2005 CR, Vol. 151
Search by issue date - * Specific Date - 07/29/2005
Search: patriot
That turns up 17 hits, the first of which is the text of the amended legislation, and the last 10 or so being obviously not related to the subject. There is a brief comment by Representative XAVIER BECERRA that illustrates the complexity of the Act ...
Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my opposition to the bill we consider today--H.R. 3199--which extends certain controversial provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act. As many of my colleagues have pointed out, the PATRIOT Act is already the law of the land. However, what we consider today--and what I am opposing--are the extension of 16 sunsetted provisions that increase access to personal information. I voted to support the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001; I did so because there was a structured and reasonable limit to how long these questionable provisions would be in effect. In the bill we consider today, the sunsets have been either removed or extended to such unreasonable lengths that they are rendered pointless.The Senate version did pass on a voice vote, with unanimous consent.In the 4 years since the bill has passed, little effort has been expended to ensure that the civil liberties of the American people are not being violated. As such, I will oppose this bill today, but I do not foreclose supporting this bill in the future should it come back with improved and more acceptable language that provides for the strong oversight we need to effectively combat terrorism while at the same time maintaining our civil liberties.
House Extension of Remarks - July 29, 2005 - Page E1719
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3199, the House-passed PATRIOT Act reauthorization bill. I further ask unanimous consent that all after the enacting clause be stricken, the text of the committee- reported substitute to Calendar No. 171, S. 1389 be inserted, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, and the Senate insist on its amendment and request a conference with the House with a ratio of six to four.109th Congress - July 29, 2005 - Pages S9558-S9579
Thanks, I found it finally, but I watched all day and I sure don't recall that conversation!
I alerted the Webmaster at the Senate to an error and got this back! :)
Thank you for taking the time to alert us to this error. We corrected the data this morning and the vote now correctly states that the amendment was rejected.
Thanks again!
Senate Webmaster
What amendment was rejected?
Kennedy's but on the summary they had it agreed to and I figured I should tell them so that they would not get every NRA member in the country calling them! :)
The simplest method that I have for pointing out durable links takes two steps:
Click on -> 109th Congress - Senate - July 29, 2005
Navigate to : 112 . USA PATRIOT AND TERRORISM PREVENTION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005
By it's placement in the record, the exchange happened fairly late in the day.
Thanks, I will remember that. I got it by putting "Patriot Act", in the search box. I looked for it all day Saturday, but there was so much on Friday they were probably swamped. I still don't how this got by me, they must have been going awfully fast. Frist sometimes talks so fast I can't understand him.
HEADS UP!
DEFENSE POLICY
Pentagon Press Briefing
Def. Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Richard Myers hold a Pentagon press briefing. Despite hopes of reducing U.S. troop strength in Iraq by next spring, Sec. Rumsfeld is expected to respond to questions about the need to raise troop levels in the interim.
TUES., 1:15PM ET, C-SPAN
Thanks for the Ping! RUMMY!
Thanks for the heads up---
I heard ole Biden on Fox News Sunday said we need MORE troops in Iraq----while we have the other lib idiots wanting us to bring them home NOW...
I heard last night that the Defense Dept. is planning on sending MORE troops through the elections over there...so, does that make Biden go around and "crow" about how he was RIGHT...and now Bush is listening to him???
GAG!
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