The Daily Background

What’s on the agenda for a Democratic House and Senate? Well, first there’s Nancy Pelosi’s 100-hour plan for the House:

Day One: Put new rules in place to “break the link between lobbyists and legislation.”

Day Two: Enact all the recommendations made by the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Time remaining until 100 hours: Raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, maybe in one step. Cut the interest rate on student loans in half. Allow the government to negotiate directly with the pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices for Medicare patients.

Broaden the types of stem cell research allowed with federal funds _ “I hope with a veto-proof majority,” she added in an Associated Press interview Thursday.

All the days after that: “Pay as you go,” meaning no increasing the deficit, whether the issue is middle class tax relief, health care or some other priority.

Lobbyists are said to be none too happy.

In the Senate? Some Democratic Senators plan to investigate the runup to war in Iraq:

In a conference call with reporters Wednesday afternoon, Senators Carl Levin and Jack Reed said they may begin hauling some former Pentagon officials before a Senate committee early next year when they assume control of Congress to respond to lingering questions about the veracity of pre-war Iraq intelligence used by the White House to convince Congress and the public to back a pre-emptive military strike against Iraq. Levin and Reed said they want to find out how the intelligence - much of it reportedly cooked up by Iraqi exiles in a top secret Pentagon shop called the Office of Special Plans - made its way to the White House when numerous CIA analysts said privately that it was highly unreliable.

The Los Angeles Times has more on possible upcoming investigations of the Bush Administration with regard to the Iraq war.

Also on the plate are credit card companies, which I’ve had a special contempt for after viewing the excellent PBS Frontline documentary Secret History of the Credit Card, which you can watch online for free here.

Dodd’s likely appointment as chairman of the powerful Senate Banking Committee is making the credit card industry nervous, according to the trade publication American Banker. Dodd, who’s served on the committee for 25 years, has been a harsh critic of what he calls “wallet-sized predatory loans.”

Dodd also plans to investigate the CIA’s illegal secret rendition program, which was exposed by the Washington Post in a series of Pulitzer-winning articles late last year. Dodd is interested in both subjects, as the likely soon-to-be Chair of the Senate Banking Committee, and a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Future Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Jay Rockefeller is said to be very interested in looking into the CIA rendition program as well.

As future Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Patrick Leahy plans to do serious work against the Administration’s illegal warrant-less wiretapping program. Senator Levin is also said to be looking into contracting abuses like Halliburton and overcharging.

Further, there is word that Democrats will be targetting big tobacco corporations as well.

Update: P.S.- Also, Waxman.

Filed under: oh six midterm Elections, Z-TDB Blog