Congressional Digest

Archive: 2012 July

    UN Pulls Half Its Observers Out of Syria as Conditions Worsen

July 26, 2012
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This week, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous announced the removal of half of the 300 observers taking part in the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS). He said that the move was a result of reduced UN patrols since June 15 due to the increasingly dangerous conditions on the ground. He added that the forces would return if the security situation improved. The move comes on the heels of a UN Security Council vote on July 20 to authorize the observer mission for an additional 30 days, extending its term from the original 90 days set forth…

    Senate Twice Blocks Consideration of Campaign Finance Reporting

July 21, 2012
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Twice last week, the Senate failed to allow legislation to require greater disclosure of large campaign contributions. On July 16, by a vote of 51 to 44, and on July 17, by a vote of 53 to 45, Republican senators blocked consideration of S. 3369, the Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections, or DISCLOSE, Act. Sixty votes were required to take up the measure and proceed with a debate and vote. Introduced by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI-D), the bill is a response to the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission…

    Health Care Overshadows Other Important Cases in Court’s Last Week

It’s been two weeks since the Supreme Court handed down the last decision of the 2011-12 term, the highly anticipated ruling on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Much of the nation is still buzzing over Chief Justice John Roberts’ decision to write the majority opinion upholding most of the law, and speculation and rumors have run rampant over the behind-the-scenes action that led up to the controversial decision. Did the chief justice switch his vote at the last minute? Was his majority opinion a surreptitious way of reigning in Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause?…

    In the Nick of Time, Congress Approves Transportation Bill, Preserves Student Loan Rates

Right before adjourning for the Fourth of July recess, congressional leaders agreed to a two-year reauthorization of highway, transit, and surface transportation programs, as well as a deal that prevented the doubling of interest rates for new student loans. It was crucial that Congress act on these two measures by the end of June; otherwise, current authority for highway and mass transit projects would have elapsed, potentially jeopardizing 2.9 million jobs, and interest rates on Federal subsidized loans would have jumped from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent for more than 7 million students. First Transportation Bill Reauthorization Since 2005 Enactment…

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