Jamie Dupree

Into The Weekend

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:09 -0500

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid has set the first test vote on health care reform for Saturday night at 8pm EST, as we'll see then if Democrats have the 60 votes they need to move on to consideration of their health bill.

Health Care Gems

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:06 -0500

As one would expect in a bill that is over two thousand pages long, there are a number of provisions stuffed in the new Senate health care bill that make me wonder about why they are in this legislation, and who put them in there.

More Fine Print

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:04 -0500

When you go through the latest Democratic health care bill unveiled by Senate leaders on Thursday, it's hard to know where to start on the 2,074 page bill. But I found a few things along the way.

New Senate Health Bill

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:09 -0500

That big thud you heard last night was not the weekly newspaper slamming into the screen door on the front porch, but rather that was the latest health care bill from Senate Democrats, tipping the scales at 2,047 pages in all.

Fort Hood Shootings

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:04 -0500

As the Congress begins to investigate the Fort Hood Shootings, it's been very interesting to listen to the White House warnings against too many questions right now from lawmakers, and how quiet the response has been from Democrats.

It Doesn't Really Matter

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

After all of the yelling and screaming over whether there should be trials in civilian courts for the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and other plotters, it became evident at a Senate hearing on Wednesday that whatever happens in those cases, it may not really matter.

Health Care Wait

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:08 -0500

The daily wait for cost estimates out of the Congressional Budget Office on Democratic health care plans has taken on an almost comical air in the halls of the Capitol, as every day brings promises of a bill and then rumors of further delay.

Stimulus Gold Mine

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:06 -0500

The news reports about the mountains of errant information on the government's recovery.gov quickly ricocheted through the halls of Congress yesterday, as Republicans gathered evidence for what they claim are bogus claims of job creation under the economic stimulus law.

Dems Switch On Detainees

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

After strongly supporting amendments by Republicans earlier this year that argued against moving detainees out of Guantanamo Bay, Democrats switched sides yesterday as the Senate rejected the first effort to undermine plans for 9/11 terror trials in New York City.

The Nuclear Whatever

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:04 -0500

I was chatting with a Republican Senator in one of the underground tunnels on Capitol Hill the other day when we got onto the subject of President Obama's judicial nominees, and whether they would be delayed by the GOP.

Terror Trial Politics II

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:02 -0500

It didn't take long for the Obama Administration decision on civilian trials for certain terrorist detainees at Guantanamo Bay to cause some fireworks in the halls of Congress. And the forecast is for even more in the days ahead.

The Waiting Game

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Until Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveils his health care bill, there's not much to do in the Senate other than wait, and wait a bit more.

Health Care Spending

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:09 -0500

Over the weekend, both parties battled it out over the latest report on health care plans from Democrats, written by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a non-partisan arm of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Turkey Day Recess

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:03 -0500

Like just about everyone else, lawmakers in Congress will try to cram some work into this week and then get out of town as quickly as possible. Whether that involves work on health care legislation is unclear.

Terror Trial Politics

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

If you enjoy the stagecraft of politics, this should be an active week in the Congress, as lawmakers return to Washington and react to the decision of the Obama Administration to try five terrorism detainees from Guantanamo Bay in U.S. courts.