U.S. Government

House and Senate Face Busy Week of Committee Hearings

Both the House and Senate are in full swing this week, with each expected to consider numerous bills and resolutions. Most notably, both chambers plan to vote on a supplemental spending bill which would provide $95 billion for the Iraq War, but also call for a phased withdrawal of U.S. combat troops by Oct. 1, 2007 and set a non-binding goal of removing all troops by Apr. 1, 2008 (President Bush has promised to veto the bill if it passes). In addition to legislation, both the House and Senate are again planning to hold a number of important committee hearings. These include one by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee concerning the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act, as well as a House Judiciary Committee hearing where the panel is expected to issue a subpoena and grant immunity to former Justice Department Director of Public Affairs Monica Goodling for her testimony regarding the U.S. attorney firings controversy. Here, courtesy of GovTrack, is a quick rundown of all of this week’s House and Senate hearings:

Nigerian Power Politics in Washington DC

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar may have lost his bid to become president (though Nigeria's recent elections were "marred by violence and alleged fraud, and results are not yet final"), but it's not for lack of trying. To increase his influence, Abubakar maintains a Washington DC lobbying presence "separate from the embassy, costing him roughly $200,000 over several years," reports The Hill. Abubakar retains Edward Weidenfeld for legal counsel and "support for free and fair elections in Nigeria," according to lobbying registration forms.

No
Main Source: 
The Hill, April 24, 2007
Topics: 
Democracy
Ethics
International
Lobbying
Public Relations
U.S. Government

Investigating the First Casualty of War, in Afghanistan and Iraq

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

Total Disinformation Awareness"Within hours of Pat Tillman's death, the Army went into information-lockdown mode, cutting off phone and Internet connections at a base in Afghanistan, posting guards on a wounded platoon mate, and ordering a sergeant to burn Tillman's uniform," reports Scott Lindlaw.

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Main Source: 
Associated Press, April 20, 2007
Topics: 
Crisis Management
International
Propaganda
Secrecy
U.S. Government
War / Peace

Just What Iraq Needs: More U.S. Propaganda

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

Gen. David Petraeus, "the top U.S. commander in Iraq, has asked for changes that would allow" the blending of public affairs -- the military's truth-telling function -- with "information operations," or propaganda. In response, Pentagon officials are reconsidering 2004 guidelines drafted by Gen. Richard Myers, which directed that the two be separate.

No
Main Source: 
Los Angeles Times, April 18, 2007
Topics: 
Iraq
International
Media
Propaganda
Public Relations
U.S. Government

DC Voting Rights March Hailed as Success; House to Consider Bill Soon

Rain and cold temperatures were not enough this past Monday (April 16) to deter residents of the District of Columbia (including newly-elected Mayor Adrian Fenty) from marching in support of long-awaited voting rights in Congress. An estimated crowd of 3,500 turned out for the largest gathering regarding the issue in decades, which featured a march down Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol.

Senate Facing Another Busy Week of Hearings

After a two-week recess, the House is back in session this week and ready to tackle a full legislative schedule, including a measure which would grant the District of Columbia a voting member in the House. The Senate plans to be active as well, and among other things will consider a bill (passed by the House in January) to allow the federal government to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceuticals for Medicare recipients. In addition to legislation, the Senate is again planning to hold a number of important committee hearings, including the highly anticipated testimony of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales before the Judiciary Committee concerning his role in the U.S. attorney firings scandal. Here, courtesy of GovTrack, is a quick rundown of all of this week’s Senate hearings (the House doesn't have easily accessible committee schedules, something the folks at the OpenHouseProject are trying to fix):

NIH Cancels Contract with Conflicted Consultants

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

Sciences International -- the firm that evaluated the safety of certain chemicals for the U.S. Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction, "helping the government determine whether they pose dangers to reproduction and newborn babies" -- has been fired by the federal government.

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Main Source: 
Washington Post, April 14, 2007
Topics: 
Children
Corporations
Ethics
Health
Science
U.S. Government

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