That's beltway-speak for a closed 'mark-up session' on THE SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS AND VETERANS’ HEALTH CARE ACT (pdf).
I have no clue how this will play in Washington. Evidently the bill includes extra funding for Iraq and Afghanistan but adds a shopping/wish list of Democratic proposals. So it's needed, but another title could be 'How many ways can we piss off the President?'
Tucked way in the bottom, under "OTHER ITEMS" is this:
Minimum Wage: Includes the increase to the minimum wage and related small business tax cuts passed by the House earlier this year.
It looks like we've all got the weekend plus the time difference to figure out what that means.
A few hours later... Radio New Zealand International is reporting that the new legislation includes American Samoa. That can't be good for the chances of a wage board here.
Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin reportedly says "the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, or HELP, still have control, or jurisdiction, over the minimum wage portion of the Emergency Supplemental Bill."
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When I was listening to Public Radio last week, report on the Democrat's war bill (this one) seemed to say that the House Democrats wanted to pass the measure, but were having trouble coming up with enough votes. And even the most optimistic among them thought it had zero chance of passing in the Senate.
But who knows what each new day will bring.
You look at that bill and it's got a lot of gamesmanship; they want to say 'look what I voted for' and then negotiate away. Even if it passed the House it would never fly in the Senate without amendments, plus Bush has already said he would veto legislation with deadlines.
Mainly, I'm curious about what the minimum wage language is this time.
Oh and the National Council of Churches doesn't like linking the minimum wage to Iraq.
Next it will be the Wisconsin anti goat cheese Bill being appended to a smog reduction Act for Detroit.
Part of the safety net of American democracy I suppose...a Legislature able to hold itself hostage can do slightly less damage than one intent on a single course of action.
What you have heard is what I am hearing in DC, but this will go back and forth until it is finally passed.
Change is coming.
Yeah, but I'm edgy waiting for the other garment to drop. It would be a lot easier to plan if we knew what was coming. I see a lot of businesses retrenching more than they might actually have to.
It makes good business sense to plan for the worst-case scenario... but that's just one more hole in a leaking economy.
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