Congress: Wait and see on Burris
Posted: Monday, January 12, 2009 9:07 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:
Congress, Democrats, Republicans
It sounds like Dick Durbin would like the Burris issue to just go away. “Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) suggested Sunday evening that Democratic leaders may not require that a Senate panel review the appointment of Roland Burris before he is sworn in as the next senator from Illinois. ‘This thing changes by the day,’ Durbin said. ‘We’ll have to wait and see.’”
Dianne Feinstein's support for the seating of Roland Burris may have ruffled some of her colleagues' feathers, but it's playing well back home. Plus, adds CQ, "Feinstein hinged her argument for Burris on the legal authority of a governor to fill the Senate vacancy -- a power she would use to choose her own successor should she run and win the gubernatorial race."
That lovin' feeling? Roll Call: "Spokesmen for Pelosi and Reid said they pursue a common vision with no personal hiccups. But other Democratic insiders said Pelosi was frequently frustrated over the past Congress by Reid's inability to force intransigent Senate Republicans to heel. Pelosi, in turn, irritated Reid with her stubbornness on policy and short patience for his predicament as a leader who sometimes lacked even a simple majority in a chamber that requires 60 votes to move anything.”
Last week's stimulus criticisms from Senate Democrats appear not to be falling on deaf ears, The Hill writes. "Democrats said last week that Obama needed to propose more tax incentives for renewable energy productions. It appears that Obama's team has altered their proposal to court those critics. 'We wanted to see more energy tax credits,' said Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works Committee. 'They're moving in our direction. They're really listening.' "
The Senate may vote to authorize the second $350 billion of financial bailout funds by the end of the week.
Nancy Pelosi said she'll meet Obama's objective to keep the stimulus earmark-free, but some members of Congress are seeking other ways to funnel the funds to their home districts to ensure that the pricey stimulus plan results in tangible improvements for their constituents.
