Blog Post

Today, the House passed the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009, H.R. 2 by a vote of 289-139. This legislation expands the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover 11 million children. The program currently provides health insurance for more than 7 million children, but this legislation will protect coverage for those children and expand it to include an additional 4 million children who would otherwise be uninsured.

This morning, the Congressional Oversight Panel is holding hearing on regulatory reform of the financial sector in preparation for a congressionally mandated report they will issue on current regulations and how the existing regulatory structure contributed to the ongoing financial and mortgage crises to determine what, if any, reforms are needed.

From the Congressional Oversight Panel:

Today, House Democratic leaders introduced the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009, legislation to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover 11 million children. The program currently provides health insurance for more than 7 million children, but this legislation will protect coverage for those children and expand it to include an additional 4 million children who would otherwise be uninsured.

This morning, the Justice Department Inspector General and Office of Professional Responsibility released a report entitled, "An Investigation of Allegations of Politicized Hiring and Other Improper Personnel Actions in the Civil Rights Division."

The report finds:

Congress will soon receive a formal request from the Bush Administration to release the second half of the financial rescue funds. The request comes the same week the House will vote on Chairman Barney Frank's reform and accountability legislation to address the many shortcomings in the Bush Administration's handling of the first $350 billion in TARP funds, used largely to bolster the balance sheets of banks. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs or face the prospect of foreclosure, and it is past time that we helped these families bolster their balance sheets.

Today, YouTube launched two "hubs" to make it easier for citizens to find their Congressional Representatives who have YouTube channels - a House Hub and a Senate Hub:

Speaker Pelosi's channel can be found at youtube.com/nancypelosi.

Today, the Congressionally mandated Oversight Panel on the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) released its second report.

From the Congressional Oversight Panel:

Economic statistics released by the Labor Department today show that 1.9 million Americans have lost their jobs in the last four months and that the unemployment rate has risen to 7.2 percent, the highest level since 1993. In total, 2.6 million jobs were lost in 2008 (75% of them in the last four months) making last year the worst year for employment since 1945. Over 11 million workers are currently unemployed.

Speaker Pelosi: