Congress Convenes: Focusing on the Issues

March 29th, 2010 - Congress met today and brought many bills and issues to the floor for presentation and debate. The Committee on the Environment brought up much heated debate when their discussion about ethanol frontiers and it's incorporation into petroleum and farming industries as well and severe criticism for their lack of budget planning. The Committee on Budget presented several ways to reduce government spending which according to the committee would have a significant impact on the current national budget deficit. One issue proposed by the Budget Committee was getting rid of Medicare and Social Security which would appropriate more money to be directed to alleviating the deficit. The Committee on Energy and Commerce brought their bill to the floor with a strong stance on pro-Nuclear power and Smart Grid technology incorporation in the United States Energy infrastructure in the very near future (~2012/2013) and full integration by 2030. Despite high costs, the long term savings in energy and environmental impacts would more than compensate for the costs of the energy project according to the Committee. These committees' proposals are quite radical and given the debate and voter tallying, quite polarizing. It seems that there is much revision and discussion to be had before any of these bills plan on making it into law. As for the rest of the bill propositions for this convening, they will have to wait until the next session which will hopefully be more productive.

- James Hendrix; Political Analyst