Capitol Briefing - News and Analysis From the Hill - November 8, 2009

Reid Looking at Medicare Tax Hike on Well-to-Do Couples

By Lori Montgomery Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid, days away from unveiling the Senate's version of health reform legislation, is considering a new tax on families earning more than $250,000 a year to help finance the package, Democrats said Thursday. Reid (D-Nev.) is looking at raising the Medicare payroll...

By Lori Montgomery | November 12, 2009; 6:53 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Health Reform
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Result of N.Y. special election still unofficial, even with one candidate now in Congress

By Garance Franke-Ruta More than a week after a special election in New York's 23rd Congressional District, Democrat Bill Owens has already been sworn into Congress and has already cast a critical vote in helping the House pass the health-care reform bill. Nevertheless, that Upstate New York race may yet...

By Garance Franke-Ruta | November 12, 2009; 11:45 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (17)
Categories: Noted
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New campaign targets Democrats for health vote

By Ben Pershing A conservative seniors' group is launching a seven-figure ad campaign against House Democrats who voted for the party's health-care reform bill Saturday, accusing them of cutting Medicare and saddling future generations with hefty deficits. The 60 Plus Association -- an advocacy group that calls itself the...

By Ben Pershing | November 11, 2009; 2:04 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (24)
Categories: 2010 Campaign , Health Reform
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Lugar warns Democrats, 'I don't see any climate bill ... that I can support'

By Juliet Eilperin One of the key Republican senators involved in the global warming debate on Capitol Hill said Tuesday the Senate will have to "start from scratch" in terms of crafting climate legislation. Sen. Richard Lugar (Ind.), the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, met Tuesday with United...

By Juliet Eilperin | November 10, 2009; 8:03 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (38)
Categories: Senate
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Sparring within House intelligence panel over Fort Hood grows sharper

Democrats accuse Rep. Pete Hoekstra of playing politics with the Fort Hood investigation. (Freddie Lee/Fox News via Getty Images). By Ben Pershing The investigation into last week's deadly shooting at Fort Hood has driven a sharp split between Democrats and Republicans on the House intelligence committee, with each side drawing...

By Ben Pershing | November 10, 2009; 4:34 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Hearing Watch , House
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Bill Clinton calls on Senate Democrats to push through health bill

Bill Clinton, joined by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), center, address the media as they head into the Senate Democratic Caucus luncheon Tuesday. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images). By Shailagh Murray Former president Bill Clinton urged Senate Democrats on Tuesday to overcome their differences and pass health-care reform as soon as possible, warning...

By Shailagh Murray | November 10, 2009; 3:54 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (15)
Categories: Health Reform
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Today on the Hill

The Senate convenes at 10:00 a.m. ET. Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 3082, the Military Construction/VA Appropriations. Recess for caucus luncheons will be from 12:30 until 2:15 p.m. Former President Bill Clinton plans to attend the Democratic luncheon. There will be no roll call votes...

By washingtonpost.com editors | November 10, 2009; 8:23 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Today on the Hill
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EPA sends greenhouse gases finding to White House

By Juliet Eilperin The Environmental Protection Agency has sent its final scientific finding on greenhouse gases to the White House, agency officials said Monday, a step that could trigger regulation of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases as pollutants under the Clean Air Act. Sources said the document concludes the...

By Juliet Eilperin | November 9, 2009; 6:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)

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Multiple Hill probes of Fort Hood take shape

By Ben Pershing Less than a week after the deadly shootings at Fort Hood, multiple congressional probes of the incident have already begun to take shape. The House is out of session this week and the Senate is only in town Monday and Tuesday, so many of the details will...

By Ben Pershing | November 9, 2009; 10:15 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Hearing Watch , House , Senate
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Lieberman: Committee investigation of Fort Hood to go forward

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will seek to move forward on an investigation surrounding the mass shooting Thursday at Fort Hood Army base in Texas, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), the committee's chairman, said today.

By washingtonpost.com editors | November 8, 2009; 10:09 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (30)
Categories: Senate | Tags: fort hood, hasan, lieberman
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Capitol Briefing: November 8, 2009 - November 14, 2009