Word: congressed
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...providing tax relief and health security for ordinary Americans, restoring our economic competitiveness and reducing our dependence on environmentally disastrous fossil fuels that increase the power of our enemies. It's hard to imagine when he'll have a better opportunity. Nothing in the historical record suggests that when Congress has more time to deliberate - and more time to confer with the special-interest lobbyists and local-interest political advisers who dominate the decision-making of its members - it will enact fair tax policies, sustainable energy policies, wise infrastructure policies, responsible fiscal policies or any other policies tainted by long...
...Government hasn't done enough to encourage homeownership (and in the process, it can be argued, help lay the foundation for the current crisis). But Obama has called for an earmark-free stimulus, so the legislation shouldn't have too many embarrassing waterslides, Mafia museums or cranberry subsidies. Instead, Congress would funnel hundreds of billions of dollars to states and various agencies...
...Well, Congress could say. For example, Commerce Committee chairman Henry Waxman inserted language into the House version of the package limiting energy grants to states that give their utilities incentives to promote energy efficiency. If the Federal Government is going to spend the money, it ought to promote federal priorities. And Congress could make sure the money is spent productively - and isn't spent counterproductively - by attaching a few general strings to the stimulus dollars. For instance, there should be "fix it first" provisions to prioritize repairs to highways, levees and other infrastructure over new construction, which would create jobs...
...Obama should push to use the stimulus to promote his long-term priorities, but whether he will. He has said repeatedly that he wants to invest our children's money wisely, but he's also anxious to blast money into the economy quickly while attracting bipartisan support and letting Congress work its will, so it's not clear how hard he'll push to fund his long-term agenda. But Obama should ignore the partisan gripes about the stimulus becoming a "Christmas tree." Congress is about to toss almost $1 trillion into the economy, which means that any stimulus...
...lobbying disclosure law applies to organizations and individuals who make lobbying contacts," explains Fred Wertheimer, a good-government lobbyist for Democracy 21. "It does not apply to sitting down and strategizing about how to win a battle in Congress." Furthermore, the lobbying law applies only to those who spend more than 20% of their professional time making contacts...