TWICMAR9

$1.8 billion is aimed at infrastructure improvements to solve 40,000 yearly sewage overflows nationwide. HR 569 aids removal of over 9,000 emergency release outlets that dump untreated wastewater overflow into streams, rivers, lakes and estuaries. Report on HR 569 and amendments.

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$ 9.2 Billion Through 2012 Would Aid Municipalities to Achieve and Protect Water Quality, Pollution Control

Capitalization grants are available to states that establish, maintain, invest and credit their revolving loan funds with repayments such that the fund balance will be available in perpetuity to provide financial assistance. The bill supports energy saving proposals by States but the States must show that cost effectiveness of innovative and alternative processes, materials, techniques and technologies has been studied and evaluated and that projects sought will result in greater environmental benefits or equivalent benefits when compared to standard processes, materials, techniques and technologies. The projects should be more efficient in energy use and natural and financial resource use, the bill requires. Report on HR 720

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Funds to Communities Short on Water

A 2000 program to provide funds to communities to exploring alternative water supplies such as reclamation, reuse and conservation is funded at $83 to $125 million, up from $75 million authorized in 2000. Report on HR 700

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Water Recycling Projects in California Get $10 million Federal Boost

Projects underway by Inland Empire Utility and the Cucamonga Valley Water District to recycle water are further funded. Report on HR 122

District of Columbia Memorial Site Sought for

Brigadier General Francis Marion,

aka: The Swamp Fox

So named by British troops, South Carolinian led first multi-cultural troops. HR 497

Marion Photo: LOC

WOMEN RECOGNIZED-ALL THREE BILLION OF THEM

Resolution Recognizes Progress of Women from Kitchen and Home to Kitchen and Home and Workplace

HRES149

LATE SUDANESE LEADER HONORED FOR EFFORT TO FIGHT KHARTOUM FORCES

Garang de Mabior Ascended to Vice Presidency but Died in Crash 21 Days Later

HRES 98

President Establishes Commission in Wake of Veteran Healthcare Facilities Scandal

EXEC Vets

National Parks, Trails, Memorials Expanded, Named, Studied and Proposed

For All the Reports Visit the Public Lands Link on Left of This Page.

FEBRUARY'S MONTHLY BUDGET REVIEW IS IN

CBO PREDICTS 07 DEFICIT AT $214 BILLION-OMB SAYS $244 BILLION.

Deficit Ratio to GDP Remains at 1.6%

Read MBR

HOUSE WILL SPEND QUARTER BILLION FOR COMMITTEES-TWO YEARS

HRES 202

Photo: James Tourtelotte

9/11 COMMISSION BILL

STILL MOVING UNDER WEIGHT OF AMENDMENTS

Final Vote on Passage Set for Tuesday

March 13, 2007

The Senate continued deliberation of S-4, the bill that would implement recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, modify some already implemented provisions, and add new elements to fighting the war on terror.

Under the weight of 147 amendments the bill headed for cloture votes on the base bill, the Reid substitute amendment that would add provisions to the base bill and on several Republican amendments targeting loopholes in existing law that are beneficial to terrorists. The Majority Leader views all but about eight of the 147 amendments not yet acted on as not germane to the bill or only possibly germane to the bill.

The Republican amendment were considered en bloc to include five provisions aimed at closing legal loopholes that may be exploited by terrorists.

The amendment sought to punish those who would recruit terrorists from sympathetic individuals in the US who, once recruited, could act with less suspicion than a terrorist from another country.

A loophole would be closed that prohibits review of a visa once the visa is issued and the individual is in the US.

Under current law Homeland Security can detain a terrorist suspect or criminal alien for 6 months while waiting to repatriate the individual. If not repatriated in 6 months the detainee must be released from custody into the US population. The amendment would allow for longer detainment until deportation can be completed.

More attention would be paid to and higher penalties applied to those who reward the families of suicide bombers and efforts would be beefed up to thwart hoaxes that target families of US troops as to the status of the individual soldiers.

The Senate failed on March 9th to invoke cloture on the Republican amendment.. Cloture would have limited debate on the amendment and brought it to a vote. Cloture having failed the amendment will, at least for a time, be dropped.

The Cloture vote on the Reid substitute succeeded on March 9th but a parliamentary procedure was utilized to vitiate the cloture, order the underlying bill to be read a third time and to provide for further debate and then a final vote on passage on Tuesday March 13, 2007.

The bill report including all amendments and explanations of amendments can be read here S-4