WashingtonWatch.com Federal Legislative Update for the Week of August 6, 2007

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This is the WashingtonWatch.com federal legislative update for the week of August 6, 2007 .

Congress has adjourned for its August recess, but before Members of Congress left Washington, D.C., they engaged in a flurry of lawmaking.

Last week, the House passed a defense spending bill for fiscal year 2008, which begins on October 1st . If passed into law, H.R. 3222, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2008 would cost the average U.S. family a little over $4,600.

H.R. 3222 The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2008 Costs $4,631.63 per family What People Think: 50% For, 50% Against http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_3222.html

The House also passed legislation to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The bill, S. 1927, has already passed the Senate, so it will soon be presented to the President for his likely signature. Cost information for the bill is not available.

S. 1927

A bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to provide additional procedures for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence information and for other purposes

What People Think: 40% For, 60% Against

http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_3222.html

Another bill passed by Congress last week, H.R. 3311, will spend $250,000,000, a little over $2.25 per U.S. family, on repair of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis . WashingtonWatch.com calculations found that this amounts to about $130,000 per foot of bridge.

http://www.washingtonwatch.com/articles/23.html

H.R. 3311

To authorize additional funds for emergency repairs and reconstruction of the Interstate I-35 bridge located in Minneapolis , Minnesota, that collapsed on August 1, 2007 , to waive the $100,000,000 limitation on emergency relief funds for those emergency repairs and reconstruction, and for other purposes

Costs $2.31 per family What People Think: 50% For, 50% Against http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_3311.html Congress returns to work on September 4th.

Displayed below are select new, updated, and passed items with their cost or savings per family.

New Items H.R. 2857 The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act Costs $34.99 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_2857.html Updated Items H.R. 3162 The Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007 Costs $889.46 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_3162.html Passed Items

P.L. 110-54

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide an exception to the 60-day limit on Medicare reciprocal billing arrangements between two physicians during the period in which one of the physicians is ordered to active duty as a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces

http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_PL_110-54.html P.L. 110-53 The Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 2007 Costs $201.61 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_PL_110-53.html

P.L. 110-52

Approving the renewal of import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003

Saves $0.30 per family

http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_PL_110-52.html

SOURCE WashingtonWatch.com

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