3 big priorities this week

- Unemployment insurance bill is to be worked on this coming week. There are big questions on who will be taking Senator Byrd’s seat especially since that vote matters in getting this legislation through. If not passed this will be the first time since 1950 that unemployment was above 7 percent and no benefits package was passed.

- The War Supplemental passed in the House- The Senate is having issues with the domestic spending part of 10 billion which will save 140,000 education jobs. Some of the funding comes from “Race to the top funds,” which both the White House and 12 Democrats are opposed to using for this bill. Included in this supplemental is a public safety collective barraging bill for 250,000 safety workers in about 20 states. This has about 6 Republicans backing the language.

-The Financial Reform bill passed the House the week before the July 4th recess. The Senate lost Senator Feingold's support but now have the support of Senator Collins and Senator Brown. This leaves the vote count at 59, but with the Republican support of Senator Snowe there will be the 60 votes necessary to pass the legislation.

- Proceedings for Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme will be held over another week in Judiciary Committee.

-There is a possibility of a 30 billion dollar small business bill that could come up before August recess which would include an estate tax and funding for the expiring middle class tax cuts.

- The House will hopefully take up the 9-11 Compensation. The efforts of unions have been to transform this legislation into a mandatory spending program. If left to annual appropriations it does not guarantee that this will exist in the next year’s budget.