Blue Herald » Congress Back From Vacation

Jul

by Buck

Congress would be much more equipped for this battle if they would all pick up a baseball bat upon entering the chamber. (read image caption)

Congress returns, ready to battle Bush

(LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer)

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., preparing for Monday’s battle with the White House, takes inventory of available head-bashing equipment.

WASHINGTON - Congressmen returning from their Independence Day break are ready for battle with the White House, with Democrats decrying President Bush’s commutation of former aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s prison sentence and fighting Bush’s latest claim of executive privilege.
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Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, ranking Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, said Monday there had been “a steady erosion for the president’s policy” in Congress because of the “tremendous loss of life among our troops” in June and “the failure of the Iraqi government to pursue the political reforms that are necessary to quell the sectarian violence.”

Meanwhile, several Democratic-run investigations are playing out this week as they head toward contempt of Congress citations and, if neither side yields, federal court:

- Monday is the deadline for the White House to explain why Bush is refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena for e-mails and other documents on his aides’ involvement in the firings of eight federal prosecutors last winter. The White House is not expected to comply with the deadline.

- In a pair of hearings Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee will look at Bush’s commutation last week of Libby’s prison sentence for obstruction of justice in the CIA leak case. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to hear from former White House political director Sara Taylor about the prosecutor firings, according to Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

- The next day, the House panel is expected to turn to the prosecutor firings and has scheduled testimony from former White House Counsel Harriet Miers. It’s unclear whether she will appear.