Up For Debate This Week: Annual Spending, National Heritage Areas, and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This is the WashingtonWatch.com federal legislative update for the week of October 22, 2007.

This week the Senate will debate H.R. 3043, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008. It is one of the twelve annual spending bills that Congress did not pass by the beginning of the 2008 fiscal year on October 1st. With FY 2008 spending authorized by a "continuing resolution" until November 16th, this bill represents spending of about ,400 per U.S. family.

H.R. 3043

The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008

Costs ,413.88 per family What People Think: 39% For, 61% Against http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_3043.html http://www.washingtonwatch.com/articles/25.html http://www.washingtonwatch.com/articles/26.html

The House will consider several bills. Among them is H.R. 1483, a bill to amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to extend the authorization for certain national heritage areas. This bill would cost the average U.S. family a little over forty cents.

H.R. 1483

To amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to extend the authorization for certain national heritage areas, and for other purposes

Costs sh.42 per family What People Think: 45% For, 55% Against http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_1483.html

The House will also debate H.R. 3685, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007. The bill would prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. No cost estimate for the bill is available yet. A similar bill that has been pending longer, H.R. 2015, has been debated by visitors to WashingtonWatch.com.

H.R. 3685 The Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007 What People Think: 50% For, 50% Against http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_3685.html http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_2015.html

Displayed below are new, updated, and passed items with their cost or savings per family.

New Items H.R. 1462

The Platte River Recovery Implementation Program and Pathfinder Modification Authorization Act

Costs sh.60 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_1462.html H.R. 3775 The Industrial Energy Efficiency Research and Development Act of 2007 Costs .33 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_3775.html H.R. 3776 The Energy Storage Technology Advancement Act of 2007 Costs .65 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_3776.html S. 680 The Accountability in Government Contracting Act of 2007 Costs .35 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_680.html S. 1578 The Ballast Water Management Act of 2007 Costs .39 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_1578.html Updated Items H.R. 2786

The Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2007

Costs 0.35 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_2786.html Passed Items P.L. 110-95 A bill to award a congressional gold medal to Michael Ellis DeBakey, M.D http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_PL_110-95.html P.L. 110-96 The International Emergency Economic Powers Enhancement Act Costs sh.00 per family http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_PL_110-96.html

WashingtonWatch.com

CONTACT: Jim Harper of WashingtonWatch.com, 1-202-486-0824

Web site: http://www.washingtonwatch.com/