January 30, 2008: Deal on FISA remains elusive; $161b Senate stimulus includes checks for Gates and Buffett

Illegal immigrants on tax rebate dole?

[18:42]
John Ensign (NV) raised a specter that could well delay passage of an economic stimulus plan in the Senate. Ensign noted that under the House and Senate version of the stimulus package, tax rebate checks are assigned to persons not based on that person having a social security number but based on that person having a taxpayer identification number (TIN). This, he said, means that illegal immigrants who have applied for a TIN could receive rebate checks under the economic stimulus plan.

Anytime immigration comes up in the Senate, a fight is possible. Senators are said to be tinkering with the language in the economic stimulus bill to overcome this headache. If it remains an issue, it is foreseeable that Senate Republicans (and perhaps some Democrats like McCaskill and Tester) would hold up the bill until the matter is worked out. Of course, it is arguable that illegal immigrants who paid taxes last year as just as deserving of rebates as any other taxpayer.

No roll call votes tonight

[18:06]
A dejected and frustrated Harry Reid (NV) just spoke from the back of the chamber, not his usual rostrum. He said that there would be no more roll call votes tonight. He said that senators, he thought, had worked out a deal — on FISA or stimulus package votes I'm not sure — but that that deal fell apart. He said that these deals take two sides to complete, implying that one or two Republicans objected to the deal, enough to bring it down.

Senate is in quorum call

[17:57]
The Senate is still in session, but currently in a quorum call. Intelligence committee vice-chair Kit Bond (MO) was on the floor earlier along with two other colleagues to engage in a colloquy about the FISA bill. In a colloquy the senators arrange a discussion in order to hash out facts and myths regarding legislation or policy.

Moments ago, the Finance committee wrapped up work on its version of the stimulus package. Majority leader Harry Reid (NV) could call that legislation up on the floor later tonight.

C-SPAN2 is reporting that there is already an identity theft scheme afoot where a caller tells an individual that he must divulge personal information such as a bank account number if he wishes to get his rebate check. Senate faithful could tell you, though, that this thing ain't even law yet. Keep your personal info to your person!

Income limitations could snag stimulus in Senate

[15:22]
I am watching senators in the Finance committee react to chairman Baucus's mark-up of the House-passed version of an economic stimulus package. Baucus revised the House version of the bill in several ways, among them increasing the tax rebates awarded to senior citizens, paying them the full amount rather than the half-share that senior citizens would get under the House package.

More controversial is the expansion of the tax rebate award program to encompass all taxpayers regardless of income. The House version of the bill refuses payment to taxpayers making over $75,000/yr ($150k/yr for couples). The Senate bill would see that rebate checks in the amount of $600 ($1200 for couples) are distributed to any and all taxpayers.

Harry Reid (NV) said that the idea of sending checks to the wealthiest Americans makes him gag. Senators opposed to the idea, like Vermont's Bernie Sanders make reference to richies like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.

Reid has vowed to reintroduce the payment limitations to the bill as an amendment on the floor. This would appear to frustrate Republicans happy with the Finance committee's version of the bill. Orrin Hatch (UT) is one such senator.

Senate stimulus gains strength as Grassley backs it

[13:33]
It's been a quiet day so far on the floor of the U.S. Senate. The chamber is in a quorum call, as it has been for a little while.

However, there is some action from Senate committees. The judiciary committee is meeting with AG Mukasey. Chairman Patrick Leahy (VT) questioned Mukasey once again about waterboarding. Mukasey kept up his guard and didn't directly answer questions about torture. Committee vice-chair Arlen Specter (PA) pressed Mukasey to concede that the President violated FISA by conducting domestic, warrantless surveillance of American citizens as part of his "terrorist surveillance program." Mukasey was mum.

Elsewhere, the Finance committee this afternoon will take its crack at the House-passed stimulus package, marking up the legislation with its own amendments.

As I understand, the Senate package will run about $161b, compared to the $146b package that the House passed yesterday. The Senate deal includes tax rebates for a wider range of Americans, including the elderly, whom Blanche Lincoln (AR) characterized as being left out of the House package. Also included is an extension of unemployment benefits. Republicans will contest this amendment.

Democrats like Tom Harkin (IA) want to add food stamp aid to the package. Johnny Isakson (GA) responded to this proposal by saying that senators could shore up the food stamp program by passing the waylaid farm bill.

At any rate, if aspects of the Senate package have the potential to "delay or derail" the package, it would be unemployment benefits and food stamps.

Morning business speeches

[10:11]
-Bob Corker (TN) questions the efficacy of the House-passed economic stimulus package. He wonders how many senators really believe that the stimulus package is going to do much good. We are doing this for the sake of appearing bipartisan, he says. I hate to be this crass, he says, but this is nothing more than a "political stimulus."

Interestingly, Corker references a Gregg/Conrad bill, bipartisan in nature, that would create a commission to give a hard look at our country's entitlement programs.

Precap

[10:04]
The Senate is underway, with Harry Reid (NV) on the floor bringing everyone up to speed. Late last night, the Senate passed a 15-day extension of the parts of the act set to expire this Friday.

Reid said that Jay Rockefeller (WV), Kit Bond (MO), Patrick Leahy (VT), and Arlen Specter (PA) are working together on an arrangement that would allow the Senate to proceed on its revision of the Act. Progress on revision of the Act stalled when the legislation came under attack from members of both parties for various reasons. Republicans were blocking Democrats from offering amendments to the bill unless the Democrats would agree to 60-vote thresholds on those amendments. Democrats such as Chris Dodd (CT) vowed to filibuster any revision of FISA that included retroactive immunity for telecoms. Let's see what deal the heads of the intelligence and judiciary committees can muster.