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House Passes Housing Relief Package

On Thursday the House voted 239-188 to pass H.R. 5818, the Neighborhood Stabilization Act of 2008. It provides grants and loans in the amount of $15 billion for states and cities to purchase, rehabilitate, and resell foreclosed houses to people who have lost theirs in the recent mortgage crisis. Loans through the program are zero-interest, and would be repaid through the resale or refinance of homes.

Opponents of the bill say that the bill bails out borrowers and lenders who made poor decisions. President Bush is expected to veto the bill.

Tuesday Primary Results

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama each claimed a victory in Tuesday's primary events in Indiana and North Carolina. Clinton won in Indiana 51% to 49%, while Obama won in North Carolina 56% to 42%. Indiana and North Carolina had 72 and 115 delegates at stake, respectively. Obama expanded his lead in pledged delegates by four. Neither candidate can currently win enough to clinch the nomination before the party convention this summer.

On the Republican side, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul finished 1-2-3 in both states. Huckabee withdrew from the race two months ago.

New Members of Congress

On Tuesday Democrat Don Cazayoux was sworn in as the new Representative for Louisiana's 6th district, which was left vacant by the February resignation of Republican Richard Baker.

The vacancy in Louisiana's 1st district has been filled by Republican Steve Scalise. He takes over for Bobby Jindal, who was sworn in as Governor of Louisiana in January.

Immigration: Employee Verification

On Tuesday, the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee will hold a hearing on a proposed requirement that employers verify the citizenship of new hires. North Carolina Representative Heath Shuler has introduced a bill that would mandate employer participation in Homeland Security's E-Verify program. The program "allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees." Participation is currently voluntary. About 60,000 employers--about 1% of the nation's total--currently participate in the program. Some are concerned about the strain that this would place on the Social Security Administration, which handles the verification database. They also point to reports of inaccuracies in the database.

Email Superdelegates Are you represented by a Congressional superdelegate? If so, visit this page to send them an email and tell them whom to support.

Economic Stimulus Payments

The IRS will begin sending out economic stimulus payments on May 2. The first round of payments is expected to be complete by early July. More than 130 million households are expected to receive checks in the mail. The order in which checks are sent out is determined by social security number. You can read more about stimulus checks here.
What are your plans for your stimulus payment?

Justice Department: Collect DNA Samples

The Department of Justice has issued a proposal calling for DNA samples to be taken from anyone who is arrested for federal crimes. The samples would be entered into a national database available to law enforcement agencies. Supporters compare taking samples to fingerprints, while others worry that innocent people who are arrested will have no way to erase their DNA sample from the system.
What do you think?
Support Collection of DNA Samples
Oppose Collection of DNA Samples

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You can create your own Soapbox Commentary by visiting an official's bio page and clicking on the link that says "Post your Soapbox Commentary now."

Genetic Non-Discrimination Bill Passes

On Thursday the Senate voted 95-0 to pass H.R. 493, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2007. The act prevents employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of their genetic information. It would make it illegal for an employer to fire, not hire, or determine insurance for a person based on their genetics. Supporters of the bill say that its passage will make employees less reluctant to get tested for genetic illnesses and disorders.

President Bush is expected to sign the bill.

Speak out on the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

Immigration: Real ID

This week the Senate is expected to hold a hearing on the Real ID program. Under the program, states are required to verify the identity and citizenship of anyone trying to receive identification documents. Forms of identification such as driver's licenses would be affected by the program. Any state not in compliance with Real ID regulations would not have its IDs recognized by the federal government. Residents of these states would be unable to use their IDs to board a plane or enter a federal building.

Do You Support Voter ID Laws?

The Supreme Court has ruled that it is not a violation of voters' constitutional rights to require them to show photo ID before voting. The case involved a challenge to an Indiana law, and 20 or more other states also have voter ID laws. Opponents say the requirement discourage minorities, the elderly, and the poor from voting. Supporters argue that it helps prevent voter fraud.
Do you support laws requiring a photo ID before a person is allowed to vote?

Contact the National Committees

Primaries? Superdelegates? Electability? Congressional Races? What party election issues are on your mind? Email the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee and let them know what you think!
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