CategoriesJoin Us At:
|
Congress-ese: That’s Hot…lining.
Yes, that was awful, but I’m sorry, it had to be said. Anyway. Hotlining is the practice of bypassing regular Senate procedures and moving legislation through to a vote with little or no floor debate in an attempt to pass the legislation through the unanimous consent of all Senators. As with most things in Congress, it can be helpful, or it can be abused. On the one hand, members of Congress will occasionally hotline a bill when they’re under political pressure to move things along, or when they’re just itching to leave town for recess. (Believe me, there are times when we’re all itching for them to leave town.) As often as not, hotlined bills are noncontroversial, technical bills, resolutions, the sort of thing that rarely makes the papers. On the other hand, hotlining can be a useful tool to overcome frivolous objections that are only being raised to stall legislation a member of Congress doesn’t like for partisan political reasons. Hotlines typically don’t stand when there’s a valid point of debate. (I say “typically,” thought it’s certainly not impossible. You know anything can happen with those crazy kids.) For example, Senators Snowe and Coburn stopped a recent hotline on the “Wired” bill by raising some important privacy concerns – the same concerns we’d been raising for a while. And now, if I can do this without dropping it, I’m going to pass the baton back to Allie, who’s going to talk about the difference between committee hearings and markups tomorrow.
This Week on the Hill 7/28/08 – 8/1/08One week more before the House and the Senate adjourn for recess, and much of Washington, DC falls into a long August slumber. The Hill looks like a slightly more urban version of a Countrytime Lemonade commercial. But with the help of cold beverages and central A/C, we at the ACLU Washington Legislative Office toil on. These long congressional recesses give us time to regroup, strategize, get around to those projects there never seem to be time for. ("I'm sure there was a desk under this pile at one time…") So this'll be our last edition of the congressional thumbnails until they reconvene on Monday, September 8. Enjoy! Tuesday, July 29 Attorney-Client Privilege Senator Arlen Specter will be speaking at the Heritage Foundation on Tuesday morning at 11:30 about repairing the damage done in recent years to the attorney-client privilege, and will focus on his legislative fix which is supported by a left-right coalition of organizations including the ACLU. Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Representative Waxman's (D-Calif.) classification bills, the "Over-Classification Reduction Act" (H.R. 6575) and the "Reducing Information Control Designations Act" (H.R. 6576), could be up for a vote on the House floor today or this week. Employment Verification Legislation on Employment Verification is expected to come up for a vote in the House on Tuesday, July 29, or Wednesday, July 30. First Amendment The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on "Music and Radio in the 21st Century: Assuring Fair Rates and Rules across Platforms." Wednesday, July 30 Electronic Voting Senate Rules and Administration Committee will hold a hearing on S. 3212, which would amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to provide for auditable, independent verification of ballots. Habeas Hearing in House Armed Services Committee on the impact of the Supreme Court's decision in Boumediene v. Bush. The hearing will start on Wednesday with a panel of outside lawyers and finish on Thursday with a panel of administration witnesses. Homeland Security The House Homeland Security Management, Investigations, and Oversight Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review. Paycheck Fairness Act On Wednesday, July 30 or Thursday, July 31, the House will consider the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1338). Thursday, July 31 DHS On Thursday, July 31, and Friday, August 1, the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN) Advisory Committee, whose agenda includes "an update on efforts concerning the improvement of HSIN, the development of the Next Generation of HSIN and discussions to develop a methodology of collecting and validating HSIN community user input and user based requirements." JJDPA Reauthorization The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to mark up JJDPA reauthorization (S. 3155). The ACLU has submitted a letter to the committee urging support for the legislation. State Secrets The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties will hold a hearing on the State Secrets Protection Act of 2008. ACLU Legal Director Steve Shapiro will testify. Trafficking The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to mark up S. 3061, the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008. Tags: Civil Liberties News
This Week on the Hill, 7/21/08 – 7/25/08Tuesday, July 22nd First Amendment House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet will hold a hearing on “Issues in Telecommunications Competition.” The hearing will be webcast live on the committee’s website starting at 2:00pm EDT. Wednesday, July 23rd First Amendment House Select Intelligence Committee will hold a closed hearing on cyber security. LGBT House Armed Services Personnel Readiness Subcommittee will hold a hearing on “don't ask, don't tell” policy. Torture We expect the torture issue to be raised during the House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing over the Department of Justice, with Attorney General Michael Mukasey scheduled to testify. The hearing will be webcast on the committee website starting around 10:15am EDT. U.S. Sentencing Commission Nomination The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a confirmation hearing on the nomination of William Carr to be a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission . PEPFAR The House will take the Senate’s PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) bill, S. 2731 , sometime on or after Wednesday. Repeal of the HIV immigration/travel ban included, and the president is indicated he’ll sign. Thursday, July 24th Health Privacy The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will hold a meeting of the American Health Information Community Confidentiality, Privacy, & Security Workgroup , which will "continue discussing and evaluating the confidentiality, privacy, and security protections and requirements for participants in electronic health information exchange environments." Immigration House Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the immigration raid in Postville, IA. The ACLU will be submitting a written statement. The hearing will be webcast live on the committee website starting around 11:00am EDT. Privacy Today and Friday, the Department of Homeland Security Privacy Office will be hosting a Public Workshop : Implementing Privacy Protections in Government Data Mining. Pay Equity The House Education & Labor Committee will mark up H.R. 1338 , the Paycheck Fairness Act. Also happening this week: Reporters’ Shield The Senate could consider a compromise reporters shield bill in the coming week/weeks. Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) Reauthorization The Senate Judiciary Committee may schedule a markup for S. 3155 , a bill to reauthorize and improve the JJDPA. The ACLU has sent a letter of support to Judiciary Committee members and staff. Tags: Civil Liberties News
This Week on the Hill, July 14 – 18, 2008Monday, July 14 Immigration Senate will likely begin consideration of S. 2731 , Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008. Repeal of HIV travel/immigration ban maybe brought up for further discussion. Tuesday, July 15 ADA Amendments Act Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing on determining the proper scope of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Internet Advertising The Senate Judiciary Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights Subcommittee will be holding a hearing on “The Google-Yahoo Agreement and the Future of Internet Advertising.” The ACLU is preparing a letter for this hearing. Internet Competition The Antitrust and Competition Policy Task Force of the House Judiciary Committee will be holding a hearing on competition on the Internet. Torture Hearing in House Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee with former Department of Defense Undersecretary for Policy Douglas Feith. Voting Rights Rep. Zoe Lofgren's (D-Calif.) emergency paper ballot backup bill (H.R. 5803) will be brought to the floor on suspension either today or tomorrow. The bill provides grants to states for the November 2008 elections to provide backup paper ballots in the case of the failure of the voting equipment or some other emergency situation. Wednesday, July 16 Parole Commission Reauthorization The House Judiciary Crime Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the reauthorization of the U.S. Parole Commission. Racial Justice The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission) will hold a hearing titled, “Racism in the 21st Century: Understanding Global Challenges and Implementing Solutions” Thursday, July 17 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to markup S. 2746, the OPEN FOIA Act of 2008. Immigration The House Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing titled "The Challenge of Aligning Programs, Personnel and Resources to Achieve Border Security." Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff will testify, and the ACLU will submit written testimony. The hearing will be webcast live starting around 10:00am. Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) Reauthorization The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to markup S. 3155, a bill to reauthorize and improve the JJDPA. The ACLU is submitting a letter of support for this legislation to the committee. Torture Hearing in House Judiciary Committee with former Attorney General John Ashcroft. Human Trafficking The Senate Judiciary Committee will markup S. 3061, the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008. Tags: Civil Liberties News
This Week on the Hill, July 7-11, 2008Hope you all had a great holiday weekend. We know we enjoyed the all-too-brief breather we got here in D.C. during congressional recess. But we’re rested, we’re ready, and we’re back, baby. This week we’re gearing up for what feels like FISA Fight: Part 73,494. Once again, FISA’s on tap for a Senate floor vote this week. No, for real this time. As always, keep in mind that this schedule is subject to change. Tuesday, July 8 FISA The Senate will take up FISA. The tentative schedule has it slated for debate beginning Tuesday, with a vote anticipated Wednesday. To follow the action live, the Senate floor debate will be broadcast on C-SPAN. House Republican Policy Committee Vice Chairman Michael C. Burgess (R-TX) will hold a panel discussion titled "Immigration Enforcement: In the absence of a coherent immigration policy, what are we to do?" Wednesday, July 9 Government Oversight The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on “Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice.” Attorney General Michael Mukasey will be testifying. Testimony and member statements may be added to the committee website as they become available. Privacy The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will hold a hearing to examine the privacy implications of online advertising. The hearing will be aired live at 10:00am on CapitalHearings.org. Immigration Thursday, July 10 Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) Reauthorization The Senate Judiciary Committee may mark up S. 3155, a bill to reauthorize and improve the JJDPA. (Update: Postponed to Thursday, July 17.) National Security Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing titled “Violent Islamist Extremism and Efforts to Counter It.” This hearing will be webcast live at 9:30am. CORRECTION: A previous version of this post listed the Immigration Enforcement hearing for Wednesday, July 9. The hearing took place on Tuesday, July 8. Tags: Civil Liberties News
Next Week on the Hill, June 23 – June 27, 2008Since you read the ACLU blog, you likely already know that the House of Representatives voted to pass the sham FISA “compromise” bill on Friday, and the Senate’s slated to take it up this week, with a vote expected Tuesday or Wednesday. If you haven’t contacted your senator yet and urged him or her to stand up for the Constitution, there’s still time! Do it now! Monday, June 23rd FISA Senator Russ Feingold will have a discussion entitled “Confronting Foreign Intelligence and Information Gaps” at the New American Foundation. No Child Left Behind Comments on the Department of Education’s proposed No Child Left Behind regulations are due today. The Washington Legislative Office, in conjunction with the Racial Justice Project, is submitting comments. Tuesday, June 24th Internet Drug Abuse The House Judiciary Crime Subcommittee will hold a hearing on online pharmacies and the problem of Internet drug abuse. Abstinence-Only Education The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies will mark up draft legislation that would make fiscal 2009 appropriations for the departments of Labor, Education and Health and Human Services. Funding for Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) will be included. The House of Representatives will take up H.R. 6331, Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, under suspension of the rules. The bill includes $50 million funding for the Title V abstinence-only program, to be extended for 12 months Voting Rights The Elections Subcommittee of House Administration Committee will hold a hearing titled "Ballot Design: Are States Prepared for the 2008 General Election?" Wednesday, June 25th Early Childhood Education The House Education and Labor Committee will mark-up H.R. 3289, a bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve early education. Thursday, June 26th Catching Fugitives The Senate Judiciary Crime and Drugs Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled “They Can Run, But They Can’t Hide: Catching Fugitives in the 21st Century” Enhanced Drug Penalties The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to mark-up S. 1211, the Saving Our Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act. Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) Reauthorization The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to mark-up S. 3155, a bill to reauthorize and improve the JJDPA. Abstinence-Only Education The Senate Appropriations Committee will mark up draft legislation that would make fiscal 2009 appropriations for the departments of Labor, Education and Health and Human Services. Funding for abstinence-only education will be included. LGBT Rights House Education and Labor's HELP Subcommittee hearing on discrimination in the workplace against transgender employees. ACLU client Diane Schroer will testify. Private Prisons The House Judiciary Crime Subcommittee will hold a hearing on H.R. 1889, the Private Prison Information Act. This legislation would require prisons and other correctional facilities holding federal prisoners under a contract with the federal government to make the same information available to the public that federal prisons and correctional facilities are required to do by law. The ACLU has submitted a letter in support of this legislation and Tom Jawetz from the ACLU National Prison Project will be testifying at the hearing. Torture House Judiciary Committee, Constitution Subcommittee hearing on torture, likely with John Yoo and David Addington. Trafficking The Senate Judiciary Committee will mark-up S. 3061, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.Also happening this week: ADA The House is expected to take up the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 this week FISA The Senate is expected to vote on FISA this week, likely Tuesday or Wednesday. Tags: Civil Liberties News
Next Week on the Hill, June 16 – 20For our colleagues in New York, the big news has undoubtedly been the Boumediene decision, and what it means for the detainees still awaiting justice at Guantánamo Bay. Here the Washington Legislative Office, we're preparing for whatever legislative fallout may come. But for us here in D.C., the big news is the recently reported compromise between Congress and the White House on FISA. As CQ wrote on Friday, the compromise bill is expected to be on the floor in the House and Senate as early as this week. Suffice to say, we are not amused. I know there have been a lot of unavoidable "the sky is falling! No, for real this time!" moments during this protracted FISA fight, but... no, for real this time. As always, keep in mind that all of the congressional hearing dates and times are subject to change. Tuesday, June 17 Health Privacy The Department of Health and Human Services holds a meeting of the American Health Information Community Consumer Empowerment Workgroup to discuss "the widespread adoption of a personal health record that is easy-to-use, portable, longitudinal, affordable and consumer-centered." The ACLU is monitoring this issue to ensure that patient privacy is protected. Torture Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing on the role of Defense Department in detainee interrogations. Wednesday, June 18 ADA Restoration Act The ADA Restoration Act is expected to be marked up in the House Education and Labor Committee; House Judiciary Committee mark-up will follow later in the month. Appropriations The House Appropriations Committee will mark up draft legislation that would make fiscal 2009 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security and related programs. Internet Privacy The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will hold a hearing on the privacy implications of online advertising. Privacy The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing titled "Protecting Personal Information: Is the Federal Government Doing Enough?" Torture Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee hearing with former DOJ official Daniel Levine and former DoD official Douglas Feith on interrogation practices. Thursday, June 19 Appropriations The Senate Appropriations Committee will mark up draft legislation that would make fiscal 2009 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security. Labor-H Appropriations The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies will mark up draft legislation that would make fiscal 2009 appropriations for the departments of Labor, Education and Health and Human Services. Funding for abstinence-only education will be included. CORRECTION: Due to scheduling changes, the information about Title X has been removed. Tags: Civil Liberties News
OMG ACLU LOL!Since you're reading this on the ACLU blog, you're likely already aware of the growing influence of blogs, the way they can pull an otherwise overlooked story from the ether, build momentum around it, and push it into the mainstream. Blogs, and social networking sites like Facebook, Digg, Twitter and others, offer users an unprecedented opportunity to be a part of the story. As online activists, we are closer to the news and closer to the newsmakers than we have ever been before. And we've got all these resources, literally at our fingertips, for letting people know about important issues as they arise and ways they can get involved. So do your part to turn traditional top-down newsmaking on its head! Stop by the "Web as a Grassroots Tool" booth at the ACLU Membership Conference and get caught up in the Web 2.0. We'll be demonstrating just a fraction of the countless ways you can use the Web to spread the word about important civil liberties issues. We'll also be introducing - well, not you, because you're already here! - members to the shiny new and improved ACLU Blog of Rights. Hope to see you there!
Next Week on the Hill, June 9 – 13, 2008
Next Week on the Hill, June 9 – 13, 2008
Summer’s here, folks, and it is scorching hot here in Washington, D.C. But it’s cool in the Washington Convention Center, where we and over 2,000 of our members have gathered for the ACLU 2008 Membership Conference. Keep in mind that all of the congressional hearing dates and times are subject to change. The Lobby Day, of course, will go on as planned come rain or shine. (And I’m not just saying that: Last year we lobbied in a downpour. Much like the U.S. Postal Service, neither rain, nor snow, or dark of night will stop a civil libertarian.) Tuesday, June 10 ACLU members and civil libertarians from across the country storm Capitol Hill for the 2008 ACLU Lobby Day! EEVS The Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law Subcommittee of House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing titled "Electronic Employment Verification Systems: Needed Safeguards to Protect Privacy and Prevent Misuse." ACLU Senior Legislative Counsel Tim Sparapani will be testifying. Gangs/Youth Violence The House Judiciary Crime Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled “Addressing Gangs: What’s Effective? What’s Not?” Professor Charles Ogletree, Executive Director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard will be the lead witness testifying. He will likely focus on the institute’s recent report – “No More Children Left Behind Bars.”Hiring of Ex-Offenders The Federal Workforce Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will be holding a hearing on federal employment practices, focusing on policies in hiring ex-offenders. Torture Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Department of Justice Inspector General Glenn Fine to discuss the recent OIG report on FBI involvement in detainee interrogations. House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on International Organizations and Human Rights — oversight hearing with John Bellinger, Legal Advisor to the Secretary of State. Wednesday, June 11 Overclassification Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment of the House Homeland Security Committee with hold a hearing on H.R. 6193, the “Improving Public Access to Documents Act of 2008.” ACLU Washington Legislative Office Director Caroline Fredrickson will be testifying. Privacy The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will hold a meeting of the Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee to discuss the activities of the DHS Privacy Office. Thursday, June 12 Drug Policy The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to mark up S. 1211, the Saving Our Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act. There are a number of concerns with this legislation, and the ACLU has reached out to several coalition partners. Also happening this week: FISA A “compromise” FISA bill will be on the Senate floor very soon. Title X The Department of Health and Human Services is expected to introduce a “domestic gag rule” regulation, applying to Title X family planning clinics. Tags: Civil Liberties News
Next Week on the Hill, June 2–6, 2008Below are just some highlights of legislative activity we expect to see on the Hill this week — legislation dropping or moving, committee hearings and bill markups. Keep in mind, all of these are subject to change. Wednesday, June 4 English Only On Wednesday, June 4, Representative Mike Honda (D-CA) will introduce the Strengthening Communities Through English and Integration Act in the House. This bill would invest in programs designed to help recent immigrants acquire English language skills and civics education; create financial incentives to employers who offer assistance to their employees to acquire English language skills and civics education, and aid state and local governments in responding to immigrant communities. FBI Oversight House Foreign Affairs Committee's Human Rights Subcommittee will hold a hearing with Department of Justice Inspector General Glenn Fine on his report on the FBI's role in detainee interrogations. Federal Court Access Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the use of federal criminal courts to try terrorists. Health IT The Health Subcommittee of House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on discussion drafts of health information technology and privacy legislation. Medical Care in Detention The Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law Subcommittee of House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing titled "Problems with Immigration Detainee Medical Care." The ACLU Washington Legislative Office will be submitting a written statement. Thursday, June 5 Rendition Joint Committee on the Judiciary's Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties and Committee on Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights will hold a hearing with current and past Department of Homeland Security Inspectors General on the DHS IG report on the extraordinary rendition of Maher Arar. Also happening this week: Information Security On Wednesday, June 4; Thursday, June 5; and Friday, June 6; the National Institute of Standards and Technology will hold meetings of the Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board to discuss the Federal Information Security Management Act (PL 107-347) implementation, federal initiatives and other issues. Tags: Civil Liberties News |
|
© ACLU, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor New York, NY 10004 |
