Posted on 03/01/2006 6:27:28 AM PST 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)
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 15, 2006Press Briefing by Scott McClellan
James S. Brady Briefing Room12:44 P.M. EST
Q In the meeting with Republican lawmakers, did any of them raise the type of concerns that Senator Coleman raised yesterday?
MR. McCLELLAN: No. It was focused on the priorities that I outlined at the beginning. And there is --
Q Did it come up?
MR. McCLELLAN: -- there is a very unified effort to continue moving forward on important priorities, like winning in Iraq and implementing the Medicare prescription drug benefit and making sure it's successful, and continuing to move forward on a budget that builds upon the progress we've made to fund priorities and rein in wasteful spending. ...
Q Then why do you think even friends of the White House suggest that maybe there's time for some changes --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we keep talking about friends or lawmakers, but I don't hear a lot of names being mentioned.
Q Norm Coleman.
MR. McCLELLAN: There's one. ...
Q Scott, as evidenced by some of the fallout from the ports deal, there are some members of Congress, though, who are looking at the way the White House has treated them and wishing things had been different. And you, yourself, have said that, in fact, things could have been handled differently. What is --
MR. McCLELLAN: That's a different issue. So let's make that point. That's a separate issue from what we're talking about here.
Q But if some of these people that -- I know this is part of the parlor game, but some of those discussions are about bringing in people who can better deal with Congress, isn't that sort of connected then?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let me point out a couple of things. The President has surrounded himself with a very capable and experienced team that is fully committed to helping him advance his agenda and get things done. This is a team that focuses on advancing his agenda and achieving results for the American people. We also learn from our experience. But it's a very experienced team and it's important to always learn from experience, and we do that, and we have done that over the course of our time in office. ...
Q Scott, on priorities -- he spoke about immigration with this group of lawmakers? And what did the President --MR. McCLELLAN: Today?
Q Yes.
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, it did come up. They did talk about -- I think Senator Frist was talking about some of the legislative time line in terms of pushing forward on important priorities. And the President remains firmly committed to comprehensive immigration reform. We've had a number of discussions with congressional leaders. We believe that in order to fix what is a broken system, you need to address all aspects. That means continuing to build upon the steps we've taken to strengthen our borders. It means improving our interior enforcement, and it means moving forward on meeting an important economic and humanitarian need through a temporary worker program.
Q And on the temporary worker program, what the President thinks of the new idea of Senator Specter that instead of --
MR. McCLELLAN: I think there are a lot of ideas being expressed, and we want to continue to work with all leaders at the Capitol who are committed to moving forward on immigration reform. This is an important priority. We have a broken system; it needs to be fixed and it needs to be addressed in a comprehensive way. We have taken a number of steps when it comes to beefing up the number of Border Patrol agents to using -- or deploying new technologies along the border to prevent people from coming into this country illegally, particularly those who are coming here for the wrong reason. And we need to continue to move forward on those efforts. We need to continue to move forward on a comprehensive approach that will address all these issues.
Q But the President will be flexible to adopt other ideas to his temporary work program, like ideas --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, what we outlined were some very clear principles that we believe ought to be part of a temporary worker program. And so I think the President has spelled out what his views are and now we're in the process of working with Congress to try to advance this important priority for the American people.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/03/20060315.html
Measure Would Make Administration Seek FISA Court's Permission to EavesdropBy Charles Babington - Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 26, 2006; Page A11... The draft version of Specter's bill, which is circulating in intelligence and legal circles, would require the attorney general to seek the FISA court's approval for each planned NSA intercept under the program. Bush has said the agency monitors phone calls and e-mails between people in the United States and people abroad when any of them is thought to have possible terrorist ties.
Specter's bill would require the attorney general to give the secret court "a statement of the facts and circumstances" causing the Justice Department to believe "that at least one of the participants in the communications to be intercepted . . . will be the foreign power or agent of a foreign power specified in [the law], or a person who has had communication with the foreign power or agent." The attorney general would have to provide "a detailed description of the nature of the information sought" and "an estimate of the number of communications to be intercepted . . . during the requested authorization period."
The draft says the surveillance program's goal is "to gather foreign intelligence information or to protect against international terrorism."
Kate Martin, director of the Center for National Security Studies, a civil rights group, said the bill's language is alarmingly broad. "It's not limited to al-Qaeda or even terrorism," she said. Those who communicate with "foreign powers" could include a vast array of innocent people, Martin said.
This is at odds with the details in http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1586043/posts
See also http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1593037/posts, "Specter may block funds for wiretaps." That one is, I think, making a mountian out of nothing. Specter often makes academically accurate statements that describe the extent of power of the various branches. I've yet to see him seriously advocate a postion at the extreme limit of any branch's power.
bttt
What are they up to now?
Reid & Clinton have an amendment regarding abortion
I was just on a thread that said the ANWR drilling part of this bill was going to be voted on tonight...but I just heard Frist say that there would be no more votes tonight.
Do any of you know anything for the TV deprived...and oft distracted, like ME???
I tuned back in at the end of Frist's comments and didn't hear it all
It would seem that will not be the case. Here is Mrs. Bill Clinton.
Me too.
I just heard Frist say that there would be no more votes tonight.
Me too.
Do any of you know anything for the TV deprived.
I believe Frist.
How does Hillary! know how many unwanted pregnancies have been prevented by contraception?
You are are real funny guy, doncha know???
I was wanting to know WHY it wasn't voted on...was it pulled, or what??
Is she trying to get money for the morning after pill ??
Yes, among other things, including lots and lots of "programs", all of which she guarantees with do enormous good.
Looks aren't everything. Did you miss the "no personal attacks" thread?
I was wanting to know WHY it wasn't voted on...was it pulled, or what?
It's very much a live issue, but I don't know the exact procedural posture.
Ya, well.....on that thread I DID post that one could look 24 hours on FR..and not find the bad language and vitriol that one can find on Daily Kos..in 5 minutes....
I did NOT sign a pledge...goofball!!
I asked if flame baiting was permitted.
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