House

Waxman Cleaning House in Energy Committee

Literally.
It was no mystery that Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Cal.) was intent on making environment-friendly changes when he swept the chairmanship of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee from beneath auto-friendly Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) in November. And this week, that house-cleaning began in earnest.

Who Will Watch Over Obama’s Shoulder?

Not Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) if he can help it.
As Mike flagged yesterday, Waxman, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, will challenge Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) for the post of House Energy and Commerce Committee chair. Waxman called Dingell this morning. A Dingell spokesman has called the challenge “unhealthy.”
Dingell [...]

Can Green Industry Save the Economy?

As lawmakers mull another economic stimulus, green industries could be key. With the economy in turmoil and oil prices in dramatic flux, many experts argue the best way to tackle these problems is an enormous federal investment in renewable technologies.

What Were Lehman Officials Really Thinking?

Lehman Bros. CEO Richard Fuld, in a written statement for the House oversight committee, portrays himself as a victim of mortgage-market forces beyond his control. Fuld writes, “What happened to Lehman Bros. [which could have been one of the largest bankruptcies in U.S. history] could have happened to any firm on Wall Street and almost [...]

Bailout Bill: The Latest Christmas Tree

Last week, as White House officials were making the rounds on Capitol Hill to sell their $700 billion Wall Street bailout plan, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), a member of the Senate banking committee, made a vow: “We will not Christmas-tree this bill with extraneous amendments.”
Right.
Last night, the Senate passed a modified version of the administration’s [...]

Welcome to the Thunderdome

As I busy myself hoarding trinkets, seashells and, really, any shiny object I can find — in the hopes that it may serve as currency in the coming dystopian barter economy — I can’t help but wonder: Where is Sen. John McCain?

House Dems Play Politics With Offshore Drilling

Pelosi and House Democrats Rile GOP, Environmentalists in Passing Offshore Drilling Bill.

Abramoff Says He’s Not A Bad Man; Federal Judge Seems To Agree

A federal district judge this afternoon sentenced one-time super lobbyist Jack Abramoff to four years in federal prison for public corruption. The sentence is to be served at the same time as Abramoff’s current 5-year, 10-month incarceration for unrelated shady dealings involving a Florida casino cruise line. In other words, Abramoff will be spending no [...]