legislation – News Stories About legislation - Page 8

Airlines Move to Ground Flyer 'Bill of Rights'

Dec 19, 2007 10:29 AM CST

Airlines Move to Ground Flyer 'Bill of Rights'

Industry takes action in New York court against first law in nation

(Newser) - The airline industry is in court trying to block a New York "bill of rights" for airline passengers, which could have a big impact on similar measures nationwide. The Air Transport Association of America is arguing that New York has no jurisdiction to require the industry to provide food,...

A Buck on Lobbying Rakes in $28

Sep 11, 2007 6:55 PM CDT

A Buck on Lobbying Rakes in $28

Critics say that spending 'earmarks' only 'about politics'

(Newser) - Mystery solved: companies rake in about $28 for every dollar spent lobbying Capitol Hill, BusinessWeek reports. According to the numbers, it's military contractors that get the most spending "earmarks" slipped into bills by lawmakers. But recent scandals over the system have prompted Bush and Pelosi to call for cuts...

Bush to Congress:
Not So Fast

Aug 3, 2007 3:40 PM CDT

Bush to Congress: Not So Fast

Prez calls on vacation-bound lawmakers to pass reform of eavesdropping law

(Newser) - Congress shouldn't go on vacation until it approves reforms to the current laws on government eavesdropping, President Bush said today. Lawmakers are working on a bill that would update the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act so that the US could spy on terror suspects overseas more effectively without impinging on...

Energy Bill Boosts Nuclear Expansion

Jul 31, 2007 10:48 AM CDT

Energy Bill Boosts Nuclear Expansion

Single sentence, never debated, offers billions in loan guarantees

(Newser) - The newly passed Senate energy bill contains one sentence that 's worth tens of billions of dollars to the nuclear industry. Never debated, the provision offers builders of new nuclear plants as much as $50 billion in loan guarantees over two years. That, the New York Times reports, can be...

Schumer Bucks Party on Wall
St. Tax Hikes

Jul 30, 2007 3:07 PM CDT

Schumer Bucks Party on Wall St. Tax Hikes

Leading Dem torn between monied base, middle class

(Newser) - Rejecting populist piety, Chuck Schumer is opposing legislation that would double tax rates for private equity and hedge fund executives, arguing that he’s torn over the measures but contending that they unfairly target an industry critical to his constituency. The New York Times reports the senator, the only Democrat...

Democrats Lose Withdrawal Vote

Jul 18, 2007 1:04 PM CDT

Democrats Lose Withdrawal Vote

Republicans hold out against Iraq exit measure

(Newser) - Senate Democrats failed to collect enough votes this morning to pass a bill that would force President Bush to begin pulling troops out of Iraq within 120 days. After a spirited all-night debate, 52 voted in favor of the measure and 47 against, but rules require 60 "yes" votes...

Senate Kills Immigration Bill

Jun 28, 2007 1:55 PM CDT

Senate Kills Immigration Bill

Vote to move forward falls 14 votes short

(Newser) - In a serious setback for the Bush administration's second-term agenda, the Senate effectively killed the immigration-reform bill today, voting 53-46 to keep the legislation from going forward. The president had actively promoted the bipartisan measure, going so far as to lobby senators by phone this morning, but with his influence...

Immigration Bill Brings Out 'Best,' 'Worst' of America

Jun 15, 2007 2:22 PM CDT

Immigration Bill Brings Out 'Best,' 'Worst' of America

New Republic warns 'draconian' measures will follow if compromise fails

(Newser) - Calling the immigration bill currently fighting its way through the Senate "the best that liberals are likely to get," the New Republic's editors tepidly endorsed the legislation that would bring 12M laborers closer to US citizenship even as they condemned the implications of the bill's proposed guest-worker program.

Senate Leaders Reach Deal
to Revive Immigration Bill

Jun 15, 2007 8:42 AM CDT

Senate Leaders Reach Deal to Revive Immigration Bill

Vote expected before Fourth of July break

(Newser) - Derailed last week, the controversial immigration bill will get a second chance, Senate leaders from both parties announced last night. The statement followed days of closed-door negotiations, the AP reports, and a personal pledge from President Bush to immediately provide $4.4 billion for border security—a key concern of...

House OKs Stem Cell Bill; Veto Expected

Jun 7, 2007 5:36 PM CDT

House OKs Stem Cell Bill; Veto Expected

(Newser) - The House approved the stem cell bill today by a wide but not veto-proof margin, sending the legislation to the White House to await rejection by President Bush. The bipartisan bill, which loosens restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, passed the Senate in April and sailed through...

Immigration Bill Alarms Employers

May 22, 2007 5:42 AM CDT

Immigration Bill Alarms Employers

Businesses call employee verification program an unfair burden

(Newser) - The new immigration bill now on the Senate floor puts a massive burden on employers, the Wall Street Journal reports, requiring them to verify the papers of all 146 million workers in the US, and stiffening penalties for violations. "It's like throwing a huge net to catch a few...

Pelosi Threatens Bush Lawsuit

May 9, 2007 8:54 AM CDT

Pelosi Threatens Bush Lawsuit

Speaker says House could take president to court over Iraq evasion

(Newser) - Nancy Pelosi says the House could sue President Bush if he tries to circumvent provisions in its new Iraq appropriations bill. Bush has suggested he'll append a signing statement to the bill, a controversial practice that could let him treat parts of the law—like timetables on progress in Iraq—...

Iraqi Slams U.S. Senate Vote

Apr 27, 2007 8:25 AM CDT

Iraqi Slams U.S. Senate Vote

"We see it as a loss of four years of sacrifices"

(Newser) - The Iraqi government is blasting the U.S. Senate for approving the troop-withdrawal bill, saying it sends the wrong message to insurgents. "We see it as a loss of four years of sacrifices," government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said yesterday of the legislation, which mandates an October 1 deadline...