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Congress
PI Original
by Adam Doster
3:08pm
Mon Jan 5, 2009

Will IL GOP Oppose Pay Equity Bills Again?

Labor

Wondering how the soon-to-be sworn-in House of Representatives will pass the time before they move forward on a financial stimulus package in February? Here's your answer: by ensuring working women and people of color are protected under the law.

According to Roll Call (...

PI Original
by Josh Kalven
11:33am
Tue Dec 30, 2008

Conservative Strategy In Obama's Washington

Congress

In a year when the Republican
presidential candidate went down in flames and Democrats extended their
majorities in both the House and Senate, “Drill Baby Drill” was about
the only victory conservatives lawmakers garnered in Washington. It
seems like ages ago when a ...

PI Original
by Adam Doster
11:35am
Mon Dec 29, 2008

Families USA: More Medicaid Spending Would Stimulate IL Economy

Congress

Although hospital surgeries and
emergency room visits dropped slightly in the third quarter of this
year compared with the same period in 2007, health care consumption is
generally considered recession proof. If people are sick, they go get
checked out, regardless of the ...

PI Original
by Adam Doster
3:53pm
Mon Dec 15, 2008

GOP Reps. Bail Out Wall Street, Stiff Detroit

Judy Biggert

Although Senate Republicans
blocked the bill shortly thereafter, a bailout for the festering auto
industry actually passed the U.S. House by a 237-170 margin
last Tuesday, mostly along party lines. Illinois’ entire Democratic
Caucus supported the measure (with the ...

PI Original
by Adam Doster
5:26pm
Tue Nov 25, 2008
6 comments

High-Speed Rail Coming Down The Tracks

Transportation

The Supertrain could be coming to a station near you. Following the excellent news last month that Congress doubled the amount of federal funding earmarked for Amtrak, Sens. John Kerry and Arlen Specter unveiled another bill last week that would build upon the Amtrak ...

PI Original
by Adam Doster
2:37pm
Tue Nov 18, 2008

Durbin's Foreclosure Bill Back On Table

Dick Durbin

Back in April, during the height of the mortgage
rescue package negotiations in Congress, we were frustrated to see Senate Republicans
and the White House beat down Sen. Dick Durbin's proposal to aid
struggling homeowners by allowing the terms of their mortgages
to be ...

PI Original
by Josh Kalven
6:14pm
Mon Nov 17, 2008
3 comments

The Employee Free Choice Act: What's At Stake

Congress

In 1980, the United Labor Unions set out to organize employees at Detroit fast food chains in the hopes of sparking a nationwide movement to unionize the workforce in this fast-growing industry.  As a rookie organizer working on the campaign, I learned firsthand what is at ...

PI Original
by Adam Doster
1:16pm
Wed Nov 12, 2008
1 comment

Union Voters And Card Check

Congress

If the Democratic leadership pushes the Employee Free Choice Act next year, it could be the nastiest political fight
of Barack Obama's first term.

The bill would make it easier for
employees to form unions by allowing them to sign cards authorizing union
...

PI Original
by Adam Doster
6:06pm
Sun Nov 2, 2008

The "Dangerous Threesome" Argument

Peter Roskam

Hoping to survive an oncoming Democratic wave, John McCain and his
Republican cohorts popularized a new campaign meme this past week --
the "dangerous threesome":

Referring to Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, House speaker,
and Harry Reid, Senate majority ...