The following is a roundup of political activity going on in Washington and across the nation. It’s courtesy of Scott Wilk, Community Organizer, and Anchor Consulting group. The Beacon will be posting these daily as they become available.

In honor of Memorial Day, there will be no Political Roundup on Monday.

In the House:

• The House is in recess today.
• Yesterday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a climate and energy strategy after four days of public debate. The committee approved the bill, 33-25.  Four conservative Democrats — Reps. Charlie Melancon (LA), Mike Ross (AR), Jim Matheson (UT) and John Barrow (GA) — voted “no.” Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) was the only Republican to support it.

In the Senate:

• The Senate is in recess today.

Other News

• Using “the drama of a televised feud with President Obama,” former Vice President Dick Cheney charged in a speech yesterday that “more Americans are likely to die because the president has turned away from George W. Bush’s post-Sept. 11, 2001, national security agenda.” (WaPo)
• Later today, President Obama will sign the credit card legislation that passed Congress this week.  The bill, “which includes restrictions on interest rate increases and credit offered to college students – deals a blow to the banking industry, which has lobbied aggressively against tighter regulation. At the same time, it provides less than a complete win for consumers because it doesn’t cap interest rates or fees.” (USAT)
• “Despite stiff resistance from Congress, President Obama said Thursday that he intended to transfer some detainees from Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to highly secure facilities inside the United States. He also proposed ‘prolonged detention’ for terrorism suspects who cannot be tried, a problem he called ‘the toughest issue we face.’” (NYT)
• “The Obama administration is coming under pressure from energy companies to speed up decisions on more than $100 billion of loan guarantees for projects intended to boost the use of renewable power and reduce pollution.” (WSJ)

Federal Grant of the Day

• HUD announces the availability on its Web site of the application information, submission deadlines, funding criteria, and other requirements for the FY 2009 Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program and Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant Program NOFA. The NOFA makes approximately $117 million available under the Department of Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act 2009.

Today in History

• British actor Sir Laurence Oliver was born on May 22, 1907 in Dorking, England.

Source and thanks to www.anchor-consult.com | For more information, contact Jamie Gregorian at 571-205-1393 or jgregorian@anchor-consult.com