DREAM Act Portal Forum - What's Ahead in Congress?

Found this article on the senate's legislative agenda. It seems that with so many things on the verge of being dropped, immigration reform could have a chance of moving up the ladder of priorities.
Hopefully it doesn't get dropped like the others.

http://www.rotor.com/Default.aspx?ta...ewsid905=61108

Quote:

What’s Ahead in Congress?

An ambitious legislative agenda lies ahead for Senate Democrats, and HAI has learned Senate Democrats are dropping efforts to sell bills that don’t have the support to pass.

Among the bills that might languish are high-profile efforts to tax bonuses paid to corporate executives, give bankruptcy judges leeway to reduce mortgage payments and make it easier for unions to organize. Senate floor action on a controversial cap and trade bill is unlikely until at least late 2009. The legislative agenda ahead is expected to focus on revamping financial regulations and on healthcare reform.

The Senate reconvenes April 20 by taking up a fraud-enforcement bill that authorizes increasing Justice Department funding and authority to crack down on mortgage fraud and other crimes related to federal assistance programs.

For the moment, Democrats have hit a brick wall on the Employee Free Choice Act (‘card check’), which would make it easier for unions to organize. Support for the measure has eroded, with Senators Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania) and Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas) indicating they would not vote to end debate on the issue. Both the Specter and Lincoln votes were considered necessary votes for the measure to pass.

Turning to cap and trade climate change legislation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) said last week that any energy measure the House passes this year won’t overly burden utility ratepayers or businesses. The Speaker has made clear that she will not push climate change legislation until Democrats reach a consensus on their approach, which could take months at best.

The Speaker’s comment came two days after leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unveiled a plan that would cap emissions of greenhouse gases, distribute pollution “allowances” and set up a trading system for those credits. However, HAI reports some Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee favor imposing a tax on carbon dioxide emissions rather than the “cap and trade” approach.

HAI reports the White House is open to compromise on key elements of its global warming plan, including some free emissions allowances for industry. Lawmakers have warned that enacting climate change legislation will be difficult if the Obama administration sticks to a position that all greenhouse gas emissions under a cap and trade system have to be purchased at auction.

The Associated Press reported this week the climate is warming so quickly that Obama administration officials are discussing potential emergency options such as shooting pollution particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect the sun’s rays.

HAI has learned that Democrats are involved in intense negotiations on an approach to energy legislation that can unify the Democratic Caucus. Don’t miss the in-depth article in the upcoming summer edition of Rotor Magazine on Cap and Trade Legislation and Climate Change. It is a must-read for all HAI members!

The White House is expected to tackle the nation’s immigration system later this year, including looking for a path for illegal immigrants to become legal. While Obama said during his campaign that comprehensive immigration legislation would be a priority his first year in office, a recent New York Times article reported opponents of legalization legislation are incredulous that he would take on immigration when millions of Americans are out of work.

Posted on Friday, April 10, 2009