Today in Washington D. C. - Oct 26, 2007

From Senate sources: Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell discusses the 6th anniversary of the Patriot Act in an NRO editorial.
- Sen. Lamar Alexander explains the awful Native Hawaiian Reorganization Act, which passed the House this week, in a RedState post. The Washington Times urges the Senate to kill the bill.
- Last night, thanks to bipartisan pressure from Sens. John Sununu (R-NH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), the Senate passed a seven-year extension of the moratorium on Internet access taxes. Has yet to be reconciled the with the 4-year House version.
- Much discussion continues on of the tax package unveiled by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-NY). Yes, it's the same Charlie Rangle pushing for earmarks for three NY City College buildings with his name on them. Ways and Means Ranking Member Jim McCrery (R-LA) explained how the bill amounts to “the largest individual income tax increase in history.” The Wall Street Journal examines Rangel’s “Trillion-Dollar Baby” and finds it revealing of Democrats’ wildest tax dreams. Sen. McConnell declared Rangel’s tax hike “dead on arrival in the Senate.”
- The Democrat-led Congress "inappropriate" activities have resulted in NOT one of the 12 annual appropriations bills reaching the president’s desk. Not since 1987 has Congress failed to pass even one appropriations bill this late into the year. The Washington Times explains today how Democrats’ fiscal irresponsibility impacts our troops.

On The Floor: Resumed consideration of the Amtrak reauthorization bill (S. 294). The bill would authorize $11.4 billion for Amtrak over six years, mandate a strategic overhaul of Amtrak, and direct the government to refinance Amtrak’s $3 billion debt. Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) expects work on the bill to be finished on Tuesday. The Senate Agriculture Committee approved the 2007 farm bill by voice vote yesterday. Floor action on the $283 billion bill is possible next week. Also possible next week is consideration of the House’s hastily-passed revision of the SCHIP bill (H.R. 3963).

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