When Congress Returns: Iraq War Spending, Surveillance Law

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This is the WashingtonWatch.com federal legislative update for the week of November 26, 2007 .

The House and Senate remain out of session for their Thanksgiving recess this week. When Congress returns next week, it will have a number of important issues to tackle.

One of those issues is the Iraq war. A bill to fund U.S. military activity in Iraq is before the Congress, and it will help determine the nation's policy with regard to military activity in that country. H.R. 4156, the Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act, would spend a little over $500 per U.S. family on military operations in Iraq .

H.R. 4156 The Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act, 2008 Costs $515.76 per family What People Think: 50% For, 50% Against http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_4156.html

Federal surveillance programs are another issue before Congress. H.R. 3773, The RESTORE Act of 2007, would amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to establish procedures for authorizing acquisitions of foreign intelligence. The Protect America Act (P.L. 110-55) amended FISA in August, but its provisions expire in February.

Cost information about H.R. 3773 is unavailable because of the secret nature of surveillance activity.

H.R. 3773 The RESTORE Act of 2007 What People Think: 31% For, 69% Against http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_3773.html

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

New Items H.R. 275 The Global Online Freedom Act of 2007 Costs $1.00 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_275.html

H.R. 3959

To amend the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to provide for the phase-in of actuarial rates for certain pre-FIRM properties

Costs $1.07 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_3959.html H.R. 3986 The John F. Kennedy Center Reauthorization Act of 2007 Costs $1.12 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_3986.html S. 1661 The Travel Promotion Act of 2007 Costs $5.61 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_1661.html H.R. 3179 The Local Preparedness Acquisition Act Costs $0.75 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_3179.html H.R. 4156 The Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act, 2008 Costs $515.76 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_4156.html H.R. 3873 The Section 515 Rural Housing Property Transfer Improvement Act of 2007 Costs $0.17 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_3873.html

H.R. 3221

The New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act

Costs $326.85 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_3221.html Updated Items H.R. 1424 The Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007 Costs $226.53 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_1424.html Passed Items

P.L. 110-120

A bill to provide technical corrections to Public Law 109-116 (2 U.S.C. 2131a note) to extend the time period for the Joint Committee on the Library to enter into an agreement to obtain a statue of Rosa Parks , and for other purposes

http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_PL_110-120.html

SOURCE WashingtonWatch.com

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