NYT: Democrats Plan First 100 Hours, Give or Take a Speech
By CARL HULSE
Published: January 3, 2007
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2 — House Democrats intend to kick off their new regime with a 100-hour legislative blitz that would allow them to post a series of quick victories before President Bush even delivers his State of the Union address toward the end of this month....
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...the 100-hour timer would be started next Tuesday, when the House is scheduled to take up H.R. 1, a measure enacting recommendations from the bipartisan Sept. 11 commission that never made it out of the Republican-controlled Congress....
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Under the current Democratic schedule, the Sept. 11 measure would be followed by a vote on increasing the federal minimum wage to $7.25 over two years. Next would come legislation expanding embryonic stem cell research that was vetoed last year by Mr. Bush. Democrats would then move to eliminate a prohibition on federal officials’ negotiating with pharmaceutical companies for lower prices for those enrolled in the Medicare drug program.
After that, Democrats are planning to take up a proposal to cut the interest rate on federally subsidized student loans to 3.4 percent from 6.8 percent. Lastly, Democrats hope to wind up on Jan. 18 with legislation that seeks to make sure that oil companies pay adequate royalties on disputed leases, rolls back some industry subsidies from a recent energy bill and creates a renewable energy reserve to try to spur investment in new technologies and conservation.
Before getting to those bills, House Democrats said they would move immediately upon taking control Thursday to pass broad ethics rules including a ban on gifts and meals from lobbyists and restrictions on travel provided by outside groups. On Friday, they will vote on disclosure of earmarks and new budget rules to prohibit deficit spending....
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/03/washington/03cong.html
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