The following is political activity for Monday, April 26, 2010, 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 convenes at 12:30 p.m. for morning hour debate and at 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.
• One Minutes
• Suspensions (3 Bills):

1. 1.       H.R. 4543 – The “Anthony J. Cortese Post Office Building” Designation Act (Sponsored by Rep. Lofgren / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
2. 2.       H.Res. 1103 – Celebrating the life of Sam Houston on the 217th anniversary of his birth (Sponsored by Rep. McCaul / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
3. 3.       H.R. 4861 – The “Steve Goodman Post Office Building” Designation Act (Sponsored by Rep. Quigley / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

• Special Orders
• Food safety bill’s ban on BPA resisted  -  The food industry and major business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are threatening to withdraw support for a long-pending bill to improve food safety, saying they are upset by a proposed amendment that would ban bisphenol-A, a controversial chemical, from food and beverage containers. (Washington Post)

IN THE SENATE

• The Senate convenes from 2:00 – 3:00 pm for morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.
• Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.3217, the Wall Street Reform Act.
• At 5pm, the Senate will conduct a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.3217.
• Lieberman encouraged energy bill will be on track  -  A day after bipartisan support for an energy and climate change bill appeared to crumble, a Senate sponsor said Sunday he was optimistic the coalition would regroup and lawmakers would consider the measure this year. (AP)

OTHER NEWS

• Unions, States Clash in Race to Top  -  The Obama administration’s signature education initiative has incited tense showdowns in states across the country as unions and state officials feud over strategies to compete for $3.4 billion in federal funding. (Wall Street Journal)
• Financial bill in limbo going into key vote  -  Senators will face a crucial test vote Monday that could clear the way for debate on far-reaching legislation to overhaul the nation’s financial regulatory system — or end in a partisan standoff — as Wall Street once again takes center stage on Capitol Hill. (Washington Post)
• After 15 Months in Office, Policy vs. Politics for Obama  -  Inside Washington, President Obama is savoring a springtime resurgence: signs of economic recovery, victory on health care, the upper hand in the financial regulation debate. (New York Times)
• Military’s health care costs booming  -  Military health care spending is rising twice as fast as the nation’s overall health care costs, consuming a larger chunk of the defense budget as the Pentagon struggles to pay for two wars, military budget figures show. (USA Today)
• Immigration Law Boosts Arizona Governor  -  Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s call to raise taxes threatened her political future, say political analysts, but her decision to crack down on illegal immigration could save it. (Wall Street Journal)

FEDERAL GRANT OF THE DAY

• Cultural Visitors Program- The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) seeks an organization with a strong Washington presence to assist the Office of Citizen Exchanges, Cultural Programs Division, in the implementation of short-term, high-visibility cultural exchanges taking place during calendar years 2010, 2011 and 2012. Approximately 60 visitors from countries around the world will participate in initiatives/projects in the United States designed to promote interaction between foreign participants and their American peers. Cultural Visitors will include artists and arts professionals as well as youth with a special interest in the arts.  Eligible applicants include private, public and state controlled institutions of higher education, nonprofits and others; for more information see the State Department.  Application deadline: May 20, 2010

TODAY IN HISTORY

• April 26, 1986- On this day, the world’s worst nuclear accident occurred at the Chernobyl plant in the Soviet Union.  An explosion and fire in the No. 4 reactor sent radioactivity into the atmosphere and at least 31 Soviets died immediately.

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