• Congressional debates on war funding consumed much of lawmakers’ time and much national media attention. The House passed the $504 billion National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 397-27. The bill included $141.8 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for Fiscal Year 2008. It now moves to the Senate.
• Ethics and earmarked amendments (pork) continued to be a matter of concern. The House passed two measures that toughened lobbying rules. The bills required that lobbyists and political action committees reveal the names of campaign donors and identify donations made to charities run by lawmakers. They would also allow a judge to double the criminal sentence for public officials convicted of bribery, fraud or extortion. The Senate passed its lobbying measure in January, and a conference committee will have to resolve differences before a final bill can be enacted.
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