The top item on Congress's agenda is now at the top of the list of most-searched bills on THOMAS.gov, the Library of Congress Web site dedicated to tracking legislation. After being absent from last week's list, the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act moved straight to the No. 1 position in this week's record of the most-searched bills. The Senate version of the bill, passed on September 16, also entered the list this week at No. 6. Additionally, two other bills on this week's list have been acted upon since Congress returned from recess on September 13: the Rural Energy Savings Act (No. 8) and a bill seeking to reduce salaries for members of Congress (No. 9).
Below are last week's 10 most-searched bills on THOMAS.gov, according to data compiled by THOMAS on September 19.
1. Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 (H.R. 5297)
Not on list last week
Sponsor: Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)
The Small Business Jobs and Credit Act includes provisions to establish a $30 billion fund to increase loan availability to small businesses, as well as an initiative to help fund states' lending programs and several forms of tax relief for small businesses. This bill passed the House in June and passed the Senate in amended form on September 16. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said last week that the amended Senate version (No. 6, below), while imperfect in her estimation, needs to be passed by the House immediately.
2. Debt Free America Act (H.R. 4646)
Previous ranking: 3
Sponsor: Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA)
This act aims to eliminate the $13 trillion national debt within seven years by levying a 1 percent tax on all financial and retail transactions, except for transactions involving stock. The bill would also, as of December 31, 2017, repeal the individual income tax. Fattah's Debt Free America Act was introduced in February 2010 and immediately referred to committee, with no action taken on it since. However, in recent weeks, the proposal has generated outrage in the blogosphere at the idea of a tax on transactions. The bill has been discussed in a wide range of Web sites, from minor political blogs to the popular myth-debunking site Snopes.com.
3. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590)
Previous ranking: 2
Sponsor: Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
More commonly known as the healthcare reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act became law on March 23, 2010. Among the many changes it makes to the existing healthcare system, this act requires that all individuals have health insurance and prohibits insurers from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions, two provisions that both will go into effect in 2014. More than a dozen provisions are scheduled to take effect in 2010, with the rest to be phased in through 2018. Shortly after President Obama signed the bill, attorneys general from 13 states joined together to file a suit in a Florida federal court, claiming that the healthcare reform law is unconstitutional. The number of states involved in that suit has since grown to 21. Virginia has also filed its own suit, which is currently being heard in a federal court in Virginia. [Check out our editorial cartoons on healthcare.]
4. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173)
Previous Ranking: 4
Sponsor: Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)
Also known as the "Restoring American Financial Stability Act," or more commonly as the "financial regulatory reform bill," this legislation was signed by President Obama on July 21, six months after its initial introduction. This law is intended to address the causes of the 2008 economic crisis. It aims to create a watchdog council at the Federal Reserve and also to mitigate the dangers of "too-big-to-fail" financial institutions by providing a way to liquidate failed firms. [See which members of Congress receive the most money from the savings and loan industry.]
5. Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 4213)
Previous ranking: 5
Sponsor: Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
This bill, which President Obama signed into law on July 22, went through several versions and was known by several names, including the "American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act" and "Tax Extenders Act." In its final version, the bill extends unemployment benefits until the end of November 2010, and also includes a provision establishing retroactive payment of benefits to those whose benefits had recently expired. The bill was only passed after a partisan struggle in the Senate, where it was filibustered by Republicans who said they did not want to add the bill's $34 billion price tag to a budget deficit of over $1 trillion.
6. Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (S. Amdt. 4594)
Not on list last week
Sponsor: Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)
This replaces the House version of the small business jobs bill with the Senate's own iteration. This new version expands tax breaks and credit availability to small-business owners, with the intended goal of stimulating hiring. Republican Sens. George Lemieux of Florida and George Voinovich of Ohio broke party ranks to join Democrats in passing the bill, 61-38.
7. Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872)
Previous ranking: 7
Sponsor: Rep. John Spratt (D-SC)
The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, which contains amendments to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (No. 3, above), was passed one week after the Patient Protection Act. Among the key changes that H.R. 4872 made are the closure of the Medicare "donut hole" and the lowering of the penalty for not having insurance. This bill also reforms the student loan system, including among its many provisions the elimination of the program via which federal student loans were administered through private institutions.
8. Rural Energy Savings Program Act (H.R. 4785)
Not on list last week
Sponsor: Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC)
This act would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to make interest-free loans to state entities that would in turn make low-interest loans to help people in rural areas improve the energy efficiency of their homes. It passed the House on September 16 by a vote that fell largely along party lines, 240-172. Supporters of the bill have emphasized that it could create jobs for people who manufacture and install components that help homeowners conserve energy, like insulation and energy-efficient windows.
9. "To provide for a 10 percent reduction in pay for Members of Congress..." (H.R. 6134)
Not on list last week
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO)
Coffman says that this bill, which he introduced on September 15, would subject the federal government to the same budget-cutting realities currently faced by many states. The measure would reduce the salaries of members of Congress by 10 percent and also subject all federal civilian employees to a two-week non-consecutive furlough in 2011. Altogether, Coffman says, the bill would save taxpayers $5.5 billion dollars. The bill is currently being considered by the House Committees on Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Judiciary.
10. Livable Communities Act of 2009 (S. 1619)
Previous ranking: 8
Sponsor: Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)
Citing a growing and aging U.S. population with limited access to public transportation and affordable housing, this act states as one of its major purposes "to facilitate and improve the coordination of housing, community development, transportation, energy, and environmental policy in the United States." The Livable Communities Act would establish an Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities in the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This new office would make grants to local governments, planning organizations, and states to assist them in development projects related to housing, infrastructure, and land use. The bill was introduced in August 2009 and has remained largely untouched in the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs since then. [See which members of Congress receive the most from the construction services industry.]
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