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Oversight Hearing on US Embassy in Iraq
July 26, 2007
The Oversight Committee is currently holding a hearing, "Allegations of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse at the New U.S. Embassy in Iraq." The hearing will examine the performance of the State Department and its contractors in the construction of the new $600 million U.S. embassy in Baghdad.
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Possible Disciplinary Action for General Over Tillman Case
July 26, 2007
General's rank could be reduced in Tillman probe

Jamie McIntyre, CNN Washington Bureau - July 26, 2007

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Judiciary Report on US Attorneys Investigation
July 25, 2007
As noted in the Washington Post this morning, Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers prepared a 52-page memo "that for the first time alleges specific ways that several administration officials may have broken the law during the multiple firings of U.S. attorneys." The memo was prepared in advance of this morning's vote to approve the report recommending to the House that Miers and Bolten be cited for Contempt of Congress.
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Republican Hypocrisy On Fiscal Responsibility
July 25, 2007
Today, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and several members of the Blue Dog Coalition released a new web video illustrating Republican hypocrisy on fiscal responsibility and what Democrats are doing to address the issue. Rep. Dennis Moore (KS-03), Rep. Baron Hill (IN-09), Rep. Nick Lampson (TX-22), Rep. Chris Carney (PA-10), Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY-20), and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-08) spoke about Democratic efforts to restore fiscal responsibility to government.
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On Contempt of Congress Vote by House Judiciary Committee
July 25, 2007
The contempt proceedings in the House Judiciary Committee today are part of a broader effort by House Democrats to restore our nation's fundamental system of checks and balances.

The Constitution gives the Congress a crucial role in overseeing the Executive Branch in order to protect the American people against overreaching, incompetence, and corruption. I am hopeful that today's vote will help the Administration see the light and release the information to which the Judiciary Committee is entitled.

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House Votes to Ban Permanent Bases in Iraq
July 25, 2007

"The Democratic Congress will go on record -- every day if necessary -- to register a judgment in opposition to the course of action that the President is taking in Iraq. The Democratic Congress will go on record -- every day if necessary -- to fight for a redeployment of our forces as the central element of a New Direction strategy for Iraq."

- Speaker Pelosi, 7/25/07

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Judiciary Committee Meeting on Contempt
July 25, 2007
UPDATE: The Committee has approved the report recommending to the House that Miers and Bolten be cited for Contempt of Congress.
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Long-Awaited Minimum Wage Increase
July 24, 2007
Working full time, a minimum wage worker brings home only $10,712 a year, nearly $6,000 below the poverty level for a family of three. Today, minimum wage workers will see the first federal pay increase in a decade. Raising the minimum wage means a $4,400 yearly pay raise--money that could pay for 15 months of groceries, or more than two years of health care. It could buy 19 months of utilities, 20 months of child care, or 30 months of college tuition at a public, 2-year college.

Over the next two years, the minimum wage will increase from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 per hour.

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Oversight Committee Reviews Documents, Narrows Requests on Tillman Case
July 24, 2007
Continuing the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Army Ranger Specialist Patrick Tillman, an update from the Oversight Committee:

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Two Reports Analyze Medicaid Citizenship Requirements
July 24, 2007
Today Oversight Committee Chairman Waxman released two new analyses that examine the impact of the Medicaid citizenship documentation requirements that went into effect in 2006. A GAO analysis shows that the requirements have caused eligible U.S. citizens to lose Medicaid coverage, and a report by the Committee's majority staff shows that the new requirements have not achieved the goal of saving taxpayers money.

GAO Report: Citizenship Documentation Requirement (pdf) >>