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

IN THE HOUSE

• The House is not in session.
• Frank leads push to disband mortgage corporations  -  Barney Frank has been one of the staunchest defenders of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and their mission to increase access to affordable housing. Now he’s helping to lead the charge to dismantle the troubled mortgage giants. (Boston Globe)

IN THE SENATE

• The Senate convenes at 2:00pm with morning business until 3:00pm; senators will be  permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.
• At 3:00pm, the Senate will turn to Executive Session to debate the nomination of Patricia Smith to be Solicitor for the department of Labor.
• At 5:30pm, a vote is scheduled on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Patricia Smith to be Solicitor for the Department of Labor.
• Signs of bipartisanship scarce in Senate after party-line week  -  Congressional Republicans had sent a split message on bipartisanship by the end of last week, with House members welcoming President Barack Obama’s plea to work together yet with GOP senators holding up a pair of party-line votes as the most likely way forward for Congress. (The Hill)

OTHER NEWS

• Deficit to Hit All-Time High  -  President Barack Obama will propose on Monday a $3.8 trillion budget for fiscal 2011 that projects the deficit will shoot up to a record $1.6 trillion this year, but would push the red ink down to about $700 billion, or 4% of the gross domestic product, by 2013, according to congressional aides. (WSJ)
• Obama to Seek Sweeping Change in ‘No Child’ Law  -  The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency. (NY Times)
• Obama pairs a push for jobs with proposed spending cuts  -  President Obama wants Congress to quickly approve a jobs bill in the range of $100 billion, a top White House official said Sunday, reflecting the growing political anxiety among Democrats about stubbornly high unemployment in an election year. (LA Times)
• Chances are dim, but advocates will still push for immigration reform  -  As President Obama vows to refocus Democrats’ attention on jobs and the economy, advocates for overhauling the nation’s immigration laws say they are still gearing up for a battle in the Senate in coming weeks, despite fading hopes for victory. (Wash Post)
• Illinois Governor Race Focuses on Ailing Finances  -  Illinois is in such bad fiscal shape that former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was indicted on wide-ranging corruption charges less than a year ago, has been only a footnote in the heated primary campaign for governor. (WSJ)

FEDERAL GRANT OF THE DAY

• Youth Science (YS) Cooperative Outreach Agreement- The purpose of the Youth Science (YS) Cooperative Outreach Agreement (COA) is to solicit offers to carry out the public purpose of support and stimulation of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and outreach in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of the Army. The Army envisions the YS COA will bring together government and a consortium of organizations working collaboratively to further STEM education and outreach efforts nationwide.  Eligible applicants include small businesses, industrial, non-profits, and academic institutions.  For more information see DoD. Application deadline: March 11, 2010

TODAY IN HISTORY

• February 1, 1865- On this day, the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was signed by President Abraham Lincoln; this amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude.

Source and thanks to www.anchor-consult.com / For more information or to opt-out of this list, contact Anchor Consulting at 703-333-6013 or beacon@anchor-consult.com