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Thursday, May 31, 2007
Watcher: May 30, 2007
Congress Passes Supplemental; Cease-Fire in the Capital
On May 24, Congress sent President Bush a version of the $120 billion supplemental war funding bill that he signed into law. The
final bill (H.R. 2206) — also raises the minimum wage for the
first time in over ten years, a fact that seems to have been lost in national news coverage.
Congress Approves Budget Resolution
On May 17, Congress achieved a basic benchmark of responsible fiscal governance — passing a final budget resolution. The votes were close (Senate 52-40, House 214-209), but Democrats were able to reach final compromises on a few contentious issues.
Congress Demands Answers to USDA Security Breach
On April 13, a user of FedSpending.org, an
online database on government spending run by OMB Watch, discovered that the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) was publishing personally identifiable information about a loan she received from the agency.
Congressional Hearing Reveals Flaws in Outsourcing Tax Debt Collection
On May 23, the House Ways and Means Committee heard
testimony on the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) private debt collection program that lets outside contractors pursue federal tax
debts.
Posted by Matt Lewis
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