Latest Action: 11/18/2008 - Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1124 under authority of the order of the Senate of 11/17/2008.

Bill Text
Making supplemental appropriations for job creation and preservation, infrastructure investment, and economic and energy assistance for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes. 9/26/2008--Passed House without amendment.    (There is 1 other summary) (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.) Job Creation and Unemployment Relief Act of 2008 - Title I: Infrastructure Investments - Chapter I: Transportation - Makes supplemental appropriations for FY2009 for infrastructure investments to the Department of Transportation (DOT) for: (1) the Federal Aviation Administration, grants-in-aid for airports; (2) Federal Highway Administration, highway infrastructure investment; (3) Federal Railroad Administration, capital and debt service grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK); (4) Federal Transit Administration,[...]

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Latest Action: 11/18/2008 - Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1118 under authority of the order of the Senate of 11/17/2008.

Bill Text
To advance the national security interests of the United States by reducing its dependency on oil through renewable and clean, alternative fuel technologies while building a bridge to the future through expanded access to Federal oil and natural gas resources, revising the relationship between the oil and gas industry and the consumers who own those resources and deserve a fair return from the development of publicly owned oil and gas, ending tax subsidies for large oil and gas companies, and facilitating energy efficiencies in the building, housing, and transportation sectors, and for other purposes. 9/15/2008--Introduced. Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act - Prohibits oil and gas preleasing or leasing of any area of the Outer Continental Shelf that was not available for oil and gas leasing as of July 1, 2008, unless that action is expressly authorized by this Act or a statute enacted by Congress after the date of enactment of this Act. [...]

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Latest Action: 09/08/2008 - Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 945.

Bill Text
Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes. 8/1/2008--Passed House amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2009 - Title I: Department of Defense - Appropriates funds for FY2009 for the Department of Defense (DOD) for: (1) military construction for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and Air Force (military departments), DOD, the Army and Air National Guard, and the Army, Navy, and Air Force reserves; (2) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Security Investment Program; (3) family housing construction and related operation and maintenance for the military departments and DOD; (4) the Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund; (5) the Homeowners Assistance Fund; (6) chemical demilitarization construction; and (7) the Department of Defense [...]

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Latest Action: 07/28/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement.

Bill Text
To require the purchase of domestically made flags of the United States of America for use by the Federal Government.

6/11/2008--Introduced.

All-American Flag Act - Requires any flags of the United States acquired for use by the federal government to be entirely manufactured in the United States, from articles, materials, or supplies entirely grown, produced, or manufactured in the United States.

Latest Action: 05/09/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose a windfall profit tax on oil and natural gas (and products thereof) and to allow an income tax credit for purchases of fuel-efficient passenger vehicles, and to allow grants for mass transit.

5/8/2008--Introduced.

Gas Price Spike Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a windfall profit tax on crude oil, natural gas, or products of crude oil or natural gas. Defines "windfall profit" as so much of the profit on a sale of crude oil, natural gas, or related products as exceeds a reasonable profit. Establishes the Reasonable Profits Board to determine levels of reasonable profit from the sale of such products.

Allows a tax credit for the purchase of certain fuel-efficient, American-made passenger vehicles.

Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to operators of mass transit systems, including bus and commuter rail systems, to reduce passenger fares on such systems.

Latest Action: 07/14/2008 - Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H6432-6433)

Bill Text
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that American flags flown on Federal Government buildings and on Federal property be made in the United States.

7/14/2008--Passed House without amendment.    (There is 1 other summary)

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that all American flags flown over federal buildings should be entirely produced in the United States.

Latest Action: 06/12/2008 - Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 779.

Bill Text
To reauthorize Amtrak, and for other purposes. 6/11/2008--Passed House amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 - Title I: Authorizations - (Sec. 101) Authorizes appropriations for FY2009-FY2013 for: (1) Amtrak capital and operating grants, including capital grants to states, to the Amtrak Office of the Inspector General, and for accessibility improvements and barrier removal for individuals with disabilities; (2) Amtrak repayment of long-term debt and capital leases; and (3) the rail cooperative research program. Authorizes appropriations for FY2009 for grants to Amtrak and states participating in the Next Generation Corridor Train Equipment Pool Committee. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to withhold up to one-half of 1% of certain funds for the costs of project management oversight of capital projects carried out by Amtrak.(Sec. 102) Authorizes appropriations for costs [...]

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Latest Action: 06/26/2008 - Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight Discharged.

Bill Text
To require certain Federal agencies to use iron and steel produced in the United States in carrying out projects for the construction, alteration, or repair of a public building or public work, and for other purposes. 4/30/2008--Introduced. American Steel First Act of 2008 - Prohibits heads of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the Department of Transportation (DOT) from obligating or expending funds or providing financial assistance for projects for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron and steel used in such project is produced in the United States.Waives such prohibition in cases where: (1) the prohibition would be inconsistent with the public interest; (2) iron and steel are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities of a satisfactory quality; or (3) inclusion of iron and steel produced in the United States [...]

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Latest Action: 06/03/2008 - Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 758.

Bill Text
To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2009 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to provide for the protection of child custody arrangements for parents who are members of the Armed Forces deployed in support of a contingency operation, and for other purposes. 5/22/2008--Passed House amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 - Division A: Department of Defense Authorizations - Title I: Procurement - Subtitle A: Authorization of Appropriations - (Sec. 101) Authorizes appropriations for FY2009 for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and Air Force for aircraft, missiles, weapons and tracked combat vehicles, ammunition, shipbuilding and conversion, and other procurement. (Sec.[...]

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Latest Action: 04/09/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Bill Text
To provide for the security of United States passports, and for other purposes.

4/9/2008--Introduced.

Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the U.S. government must set the highest standards to protect U.S. passport privacy and security; and (2) the Department of State must safeguard U.S. passport security.

Directs the Secretary of State: (1) when establishing the requirements for physical and security components of U.S. passports and passport cards, to include only such electronic components as are currently manufactured in the United States, or can be manufactured in the United States; and (2) to ensure that all assembly of U.S. passports occurs only within U.S. borders and personalization of permanent U.S. passports occurs only under the direct supervision of U.S. government employees.

Latest Action: 05/12/2008 - Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Bill Text
To reduce the costs of producing 1-cent and 5-cent coins, provide authority to the Secretary of the Treasury to perform research and development on new metallic content for circulating coins, and to require biennial reports to Congress on circulating coin production costs and possible alternative metallic content. 5/8/2008--Passed House amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Coin Modernization and Taxpayer Savings Act of 2008 - Requires the one-cent coin (except for Lincoln Bicentennial Numismatic Pennies) to be produced primarily of steel and treated to impart a copper color to its appearance similar to one-cent coins produced of a copper-zinc alloy. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury, in the alternative, during the 90 days following enactment of this Act, to add any other element to any alloy of zinc and copper of which one-cent coins could have been composed before enactment of this Act, if during such 90-day period another element is determined [...]

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Latest Action: 06/11/2008 - Mr. Butterfield moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution.

Bill Text
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that rebate checks would better stimulate the economy if spent on American-made products and services from American-owned companies.

6/11/2008--Passed House without amendment.    (There is 1 other summary)

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Encourages Americans to use their rebate checks from the stimulus package to purchase American-made goods and services from American-owned companies.