News - SOG (Congress.org) Mo.5Jul10

 

From: Congress.org Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010

Congress.org Q&A: Your Top Questions   Do you have a question about Congress?   Every week, our research staff answers your questions about how Congress works, what's really in legislation being considered and where you can learn more on your own.   We've gathered some of your top questions below:   "Where in the constitution is the president authorized to write executive orders?" — Jessica Mason, Raleigh, Miss. "Is Congress just talking to the camera on C-SPAN?" — Shirley M., Naples, Fla. "Who chairs Appropriations committees in Congress?" — Romeo Magalong "How does caucuses form in Congress and why are some more active than others?" — Blake Leggett Marler "Do Members of Congress receive their full benefits and pensions even if they only serve one term?" — Janet Carlin, Hazleton, Pa. "What law permits congressmen to introduce amendments to bills that are completely irrelevant to the bill being discussed and voted on?" — PBob, Callicoon Center, N.Y.   If you have a question you'd like answered, e-mail editor@congress.org. You can also post it on our Facebook wall or write @congressorg on Twitter. Please include your name and hometown.   Congress Sends Itself Letters, Too It's not just constituents who write letters to Members of Congress — they also write each other. With 535 members in the House and Senate and countless bills introduced in various committees almost everyday, it is often impossible for politicians to keep up with all the legislation in Congress.   Instead, they write "Dear Colleague" letters, notes of official correspondence sent to their fellow lawmakers to inform them of new bills to be introduced and persuading them to co-sponsor, support or oppose these bills. "If I have a piece of legislation and I want to try to attract more co-sponsors and get people interested in it, it's a good way to communicate with colleagues," said Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) "It's sort of a way to at least have brought to attention that there's a bill out there…before it comes out of committee." Read more about "Dear Colleague" letters.   The Week in Activism Time and place matter a lot for a protest. As Elena Kagan faced grilling from senators Monday, only anti-abortion activist Randall Terry, dressed up as the Grim Reaper , and his small posse carrying fetus dolls showed up. Other groups oppose Kagan, too, but they decided to hold their rally outside the Supreme Court instead of the senate building where the hearings took place. Their choice of a symbolic backdrop for the press conference backfired when the sitting justices delivered a key gun rights decision precisely when the Kagan activists planned to start. "Why are they protesting here?" one passerby asked a friend. "She's not on the court yet. She doesn't work here." Read more about the week in Congressional activism. Health: States Seek Federal Help   States are looking to Congress for money to run Medicaid. About 30 states that had included federal funds in their budgets to run the public health care system are coping with the possibility that they may have to do without. "It's a big mess, we don't know what's going to happen. You have states all over the country watching this," said a spokesman for Georgia's governor. Republicans in the state oppose the money, arguing that taxpayers will have to pay for the stimulus funds. But states like Georgia that are still reeling from the recession may have to cut programs to make up for the loss. Read more about in this week's round-up of health care news.   Environment: Activists Make Plans on Energy Tea party activists plan to hound lawmakers as they return home for a weeklong recess. Conservatives discussed their plans on a phone call Wednesday that aimed to refocus the grassroots movement on policy issues. Read more about the conservative activists' plans.   As President Obama met with senators over the climate bill Tuesday, environmental activists and their allies stepped up the pressure on officials to act. National groups like the Sierra Club, Environment America, Greenpeace, and League of Conservation Voters banded together to collect 400,000 postcards against expanding offshore drilling. Read more about environmentalist groups' plans.   Coming Up: Don't Ask Don't Tell The House has already voted to end Don't Ask Don't Tell once the Pentagon completes its review of the policy.   The Senate is expected to take a floor vote on repealing the military law this month as part of the defense authorization bill.       In May, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted 16 to 12 to include an amendment to the spending bill that would repeal the law.   Now is the time to write your senators. Click here to argue to keep Don't Ask Don't Tell and here to argue to repeal it.   You can also post a sticker on your Facebook wall by clicking the images. The Hopper: Tribute to Byrd Lawmakers have introduced a number of bills to honor Sen. Robert Byrd. Confirmation of Gen. David H. Petraeus The Senate unanimously confirmed Gen. Petraeus for reappointment to the grade of general and to be commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Vote: 99-0 See how your representatives voted. Sign up for our free weekly email. Become a Fan, Win a Cup of Coffee You can now join Congress.org on Facebook!   We've created a Fan page on the popular social networking site to allow you to share your favorite stories and features with your friends and family.   Simply go to facebook.com/congressorg or go to the bottom of our home page and click the "Like" button.   You can post messages to other Congress.org fans on our wall, suggest links of interesting stories or comment on our news articles.   We may also buy you a cup of coffee. Sometime this week, we'll post a trivia question about Washington politics. The first fan to post the correct answer in the comments will receive a $5 gift card to Starbucks.   Become a fan of Congress.org on Facebook.	Track Your Lawmakers Want to track votes cast by your Members of Congress? Sign up for our regular MegaVote newsletter. Signed, Sealed, Hand-Delivered! Did you know that you can have your message hand-delivered to the door of your Members of Congress? For a small fee, we can give your letter "Extra Impact" to help make your voice heard. Select that option when filling out your message on any topic.
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