Washington (CNN) – With a holiday break looming in its sights, the House of Representatives Wednesday rushed to wrap up year end business, and postponed several major battles until next year.

With an overwhelming vote, 395-34, The House passed the spending bill for the Department of Defense. The $636 billion measure includes money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but does not include the additional costs expected for the 30,000 U.S. troops the Obama administration has announced it will send to Afghanistan next year. A separate request for those troops is expected to come up for a vote next spring.

Democrats also tacked on to the defense bill short-term extensions of several programs set to expire at the end of 2009, including a two-month extension of unemployment assistance and health care coverage for those who have lost their jobs. House Democrats wanted to include a six-month continuation of these items, but were forced to scale back because Senate Democratic leaders made it clear they would not be able pass a longer extension this year.

Because the defense bill is the last spending measure both chambers of Congress will vote on this year, Democratic leaders also attached several other short-term extensions for programs they were unable to tackle by year's end. In order to head off a major cut in payments to doctors, the bill keeps in place the current rates Medicare pays to physicians for two more months. The temporary "doc fix" punts the debate over how to pay for a permanent fix for these rates until next year.

The bill also extends some key provisions of the Patriot Act for two months.

The House also voted to raise the level of the nation's "debt ceiling" by $290 billion. This allows the Treasury Department to continuing borrowing money for the next two months. House Democratic leaders wanted to increase the level by as much as $1.9 trillion, to allow borrowing through the end of 2010 and allow lawmakers to avoid voting on the politically-charged issue of deficit spending during an election year. But Democratic leaders could not reach agreement with fiscal conservatives in the House and Senate who wanted to add to the debt limit bill tough measures to rein in spending, so leaders opted to pass a two-month bill.

Finally, the House is expected to vote Wednesday on a $154 billion jobs package. The bill taps $75 billion of bank bailout funds from the Treasury to pay for more infrastructure projects and assistance for cash-strapped states. About $48 billion of the so-called TARP funds would pay for highway construction projects, high speed rail, water projects, and school construction. Another $27 billion would go to state and local governments to cover salaries for police, fire fighters and teachers who could face lay offs next year.

The jobs bill also includes $79 billion in "emergency relief" that House Democrats argued did not need to be paid for because it focuses on economic recovery. The spending includes a six-month extension of unemployment insurance, health care subsidies for those who are out of work, some Medicaid money for states and an extension of the child care tax credit.

The Senate is not expected to take up a jobs package until next year.

Washington (CNN) - The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a $447 billion spending bill that funds several Cabinet departments and other agencies for the 2010 budget year - money needed to keep government funded after next week.

The omnibus bill, which combined six separate appropriations measures for 2010, passed on a 221-202 vote with no Republican support. It would succeed an existing resolution funding the federal government that expires on December 18.

It also authorizes about $600 billion in mandatory federal spending on government programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, funding that is set by formula and cannot be altered by Congress.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the spending legislation included measures to help create jobs by expanding small-business access to capital and credit, and investing in infrastructure development and clean energy. She called it fiscally responsible, noting it was "below the president's budget request."

"In these tough budgetary times, we have made tough choices," said Pelosi, D-California.

The bill would fund non-defense government agencies, including the Transportation Department, State Department, Veterans Affairs, Department of Commerce and Department of Justice, for the fiscal year that started October 1. A separate defense spending bill will be considered next week, Pelosi said.

Republicans denounced the bill as bloated with wasteful spending, with House Minority Leader John Boehner saying, "We're broke," and arguing it was time to cut spending.

"When are we going to say enough is enough?" Boehner said.

According to the independent, non-partisan group Taxpayers for Common Sense, the spending bill includes 5,244 earmarks that total just under $4 billion in federal spending. It now goes to the Senate for its approval.

Among its many provisions, the bill would allow the government to transfer suspected terrorists now held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the United States to stand trial, and allow passengers on Amtrak trains to check guns.

It also would provide auto dealers closed down under the General Motors and Chrysler restructuring an opportunity to be reinstated. The bill sets up a binding-arbitration process for dealers to present evidence on why the car companies should re-open their dealerships.

Updated: 7:08 p.m.

Washington (CNN) - House Democrats said Thursday they're planning to use money intended to bail out banks, Wall Street and other financial institutions to pay for their jobs bill, a package they aim to vote on by the end of the
year.

"I think the TARP funds are appropriately used to create jobs to reduce the deficit," Speaker Nancy Pelosi said at her weekly news conference, referring to the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

It's unclear if the proposal would tap unused TARP funds or money repaid to the Treasury by banks who got bailout money. Democratic sources say leaders are discussing those details with the Obama administration.

Pelosi and other Democratic leaders have been looking at a series of proposals to address the record unemployment numbers in recent weeks and are now focusing on an initial package that Congress could vote on before leaving for the holiday break.

But the speaker stressed that "this is not the be-all" and said Congress will work on a broader economic proposal early next year.

The major piece of the Democrats' jobs package is a continuation of the centerpiece of the stimulus bill enacted earlier this year - investments in infrastructure such as water projects, high-speed rail programs, and retrofitting buildings with energy-efficient technologies. But, Pelosi argued, "this is not my father's public works program."

House Republican Leader John Boehner immediately rejected the idea, saying that bailout money was meant only for emergencies. "This idea that we're going to take this money that's being paid back to the government and then turn around and spend it on useless government programs is a very big mistake," he said.

Democrats also want to funnel money to pay directly for local needs that struggling state governments have been unable to support, such as more police, teachers, and emergency response personnel, according to several Democratic leadership sources.

In addition to the infrastructure spending, Democrats plan to extend unemployment assistance, pay for food stamps, and renew health care benefits for Americans whose coverage is expiring at the end of the year. But while the bailout money would be tapped to pay for the new infrastructure and jobs program components, Democrats do not plan to use it to pay for the extension of these benefits, according to these sources.

House Democrats met Thursday morning to discuss the size of a package that they could pass this year but no decisions were made. Pelosi told members she was still talking to the White House about it. But representatives agreed that if they are to vote on it this year it would need to be tacked onto the must-pass spending measure that funds the government.

"There's real urgency in our caucus to do something before Christmas," said one Democratic leadership aide.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says a war surtax does not have 'a good prospect.'

Washington (CNN) - Speaker Nancy Pelosi Tuesday poured cold water on a proposal by several top House Democrats to impose a new surtax to pay for the war in Afghanistan.

Pelosi told CNN, "I think the war has to be paid for. That may be one option, but I don't think that has a good prospect."

The surtax proposal–a graduated tax on most taxpayers–was put forth recently by a number of senior Democrats and close allies of Pelosi, including: House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wisconsin; Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha, D-Pennsylvania; Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel, D-New York; and House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson, D-Connecticut.

Pelosi, who has expressed concerns about increasing the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, is scheduled to meet with President Obama Tuesday afternoon to hear details on his new war strategy. She declined to comment on the President's decision to send another 30,000 troops.

"What I've said to the members is: Listen to what the President has to say. Give him room to give his justifications. We will all have something to say about it then."

Speaker Pelosi said Tuesday that 'there is serious unrest' in the House Democratic Caucus over funding the Afghanistan war.

Washington (CNN) - Speaker Nancy Pelosi kept the door open Tuesday to a proposal by several senior House Democrats to impose a graduated surtax on American taxpayers to finance the war in Afghanistan.

While Pelosi wasn't pressed about the details of the new war tax, she pointed to strong reservations among Congressional Democrats about the costs of the war during a conference call Tuesday with several economic writers and bloggers.

"But let me say that there is serious unrest in our Caucus about can we afford this war?" Pelosi said.

Two years ago when House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wisconsin, floated a similar war tax to pay for the war in Iraq, Pelosi quickly rejected it. But on Tuesday Pelosi said the costs of the war and the impact they will have on other domestic priorities should be part of the discussion over U.S. strategy in Afghanistan.

In addition to Obey, several senior Democrats close to Pelosi have signed on as co-sponsors of the "Share the Sacrifice Act." These include Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha, D-Pennsylvania, Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel, D-New York, Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts, and the third ranking House Democrat John Larson, D-Connecticut. Obey projects that an escalation of significantly more U.S. troops to Afghanistan will cost about $1 trillion over the next ten years.

Speaker Pelosi said Tuesday that 'there is serious unrest' in the House Democratic Caucus over funding the Afghanistan war.

Washington (CNN) - Speaker Nancy Pelosi kept the door open Tuesday to a proposal by several senior House Democrats to impose a graduated surtax on American taxpayers to finance the war in Afghanistan.

While Pelosi wasn't pressed about the details of the new war tax, she pointed to strong reservations among Congressional Democrats about the costs of the war during a conference call Tuesday with several economic writers and bloggers.

"But let me say that there is serious unrest in our Caucus about can we afford this war?" Pelosi said.

Two years ago when House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wisconsin, floated a similar war tax to pay for the war in Iraq, Pelosi quickly rejected it. But on Tuesday Pelosi said the costs of the war and the impact they will have on other domestic priorities should be part of the discussion over U.S. strategy in Afghanistan.

In addition to Obey, several senior Democrats close to Pelosi have signed on as co-sponsors of the "Share the Sacrifice Act." These include Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha, D-Pennsylvania, Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel, D-New York, Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts, and the third ranking House Democrat John Larson, D-Connecticut. Obey projects that an escalation of significantly more U.S. troops to Afghanistan will cost about $1 trillion over the next ten years.

Washington (CNN) – A top House Democrat told reporters Tuesday that congressional Democrats are moving ahead with plans to vote before the Christmas holidays on legislation intended to create more jobs.

"Clearly 10.2 percent unemployment is unacceptable and is causing great pain to literally millions of people around the country." House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said.

Hoyer said Democratic leaders are still deciding what components to include in the new jobs bill, but pledged they were on track to pass legislation before Congress breaks for the year. Several measures are under discussion, including additional unemployment assistance, extension of temporary health care coverage for those out of work, assistance for cash-strapped states, and tax credits for employers who hire new workers. Hoyer also indicated another federal infusion of money to build roads and bridges - a major component of the stimulus bill enacted in February - is likely to be a major focus.

But Hoyer insisted that the bill was not a so-called "second stimulus," because it would be more targeted than the $787 billion federal spending measure that is still being distributed for a wide range of projects around the country.

The Maryland Democrat refused to specify how much money would be needed or how long a period the legislation would cover. "It's clear that we need to act in a way that does get to the creation of job opportunities for people in the short term," he said.

House Republican Whip Rep Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, said he welcomed the news that Democrats wanted to pass a jobs bill.

But Cantor, who led the unanimous House GOP vote against President Barack Obama's stimulus package in February, questioned how serious Democrats are now about moving a bill targeted at job growth.

"We say it's about time. I say, you gotta be kidding me. They have for months now been about more spending, leaving a wake of deficits in their trail, and now they want to focus on what's important," Cantor said.

Cantor said he hoped Speaker Nancy Pelosi would include some of the GOP proposals, which focus primarily on business tax breaks aimed at reinvigorating the sluggish economy.

Washington (CNN) - Disagreement among Democrats over immigration language in the health care bill is complicating efforts by House Democratic leaders to round up votes needed to pass a bill by this weekend.

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are pushing back against the addition of a provision to the bill that would bar illegal immigrants from buying health insurance using their own funds. This measure is already included in the Senate Finance Committee's version of the bill and is backed by the White House.

The House Democrats' bill already includes requirements for immigrants to verify their citizenship before getting federal subsidies to buy health insurance.  But some conservative Democrats have indicated they support the Senate language.

Rep Charles Gonzalez, a leading Member of Hispanic Caucus, said he and other Latino members will make their case to President Obama in a meeting at the White House this afternoon.  "We are going to ask him to revisit the manner in which they are approaching it and what's going on in the Senate."

"I understand the politics of it, but it is it very bad policy and I'd love for once the policy to trump the politics,"  Gonzalez told reporters.

Gonzalez said he and other members of Congresswant to keep the current version of the House bill - but if it's changed to add this stronger language, they could try to block it.  "Members of the Hispanic Caucus alone, we believe we have enough members that would be willing to express their disapproval through a vote that could be the difference," said Gonzalez.

House Minority Leader John Boehner said Monday that he regretted having endorsed Dede Scozzafava.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The top Republican in the House said Monday that he regretted endorsing Dede Scozzafava, the former GOP candidate who dropped out of a special election to fill a vacant congressional seat in upstate New York.

"This lady really has an agenda that's different than most Republicans, House GOP Leader John Boehner. "She was out there promoting herself. We're doing everything we can to promote Doug Hoffman in this race, and we hope he wins."

Boehner and other House Republican leaders all lined up behind Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman after Scozzafava withdrew Saturday. On Sunday, Scozzafava endorsed Democrat Bill Owens.

Boehner dismissed the notion that the special election in New York was a reflection on the future of the Republican Party. "This race has a lot of unique circumstances," he said. "I have no concerns about the ability of moderates and conservatives to continue to work together."

House Democratic leaders are preparing to unveil as soon as Thursday a health care bill that includes a more moderate version of the public option.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - House Democratic leaders are preparing to unveil as soon as Thursday a health care bill that includes a more moderate version of the public option, several Democratic leadership aides tell CNN.

This version would allow doctors to negotiate reimbursement rates with the federal government, the aides said Wednesday.

The proposal would be a blow to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has argued for a more "robust" public option, one that ties reimbursement rates for providers and hospitals to Medicare rates plus a 5 percent increase.

But Pelosi and other Democratic leaders, after a week of canvassing rank and file Democrats, appear to be bowing to the reality that her preferred approach does not have enough votes. Instead, the more moderate version, favored by rural and moderate members, appears to have the most support among House Democrats.

Full story

Pelosi chastises Cheney for saying Obama 'afraid'.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed back Thursday at former Vice President Dick Cheney's comment that President Barack Obama seems "afraid to make a decision" about his strategy in Afghanistan.

Asked by a reporter about Cheney's remark, made in a speech Wednesday, Pelosi sharply answered, "That's really not a dignified question. ... I mean Vice President Cheney's.

"The president has a very difficult decision to make. He's got to have the facts to make that. We all pray for the difficult decision he has to make. I don't think it's very constructive for the vice president to say that - he's forgotten whose administration made matters worse in Afghanistan by their neglect."

Speaking at her weekly news conference, Pelosi rejected the argument made by several Republicans that the time Obama is taking to formulate his strategy is endangering U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

"Our troops in Afghanistan are at risk because from 2001 until (the end of) the entire Bush administration we looked the other way in Afghanistan. There was never a plan," she said.

Pelosi said she supports giving Obama more time to announce a decision about troops.

"The president should not make any decision any sooner than he has the right information to do so," she said.

The H1N1 virus commonly known as 'swine flu' has hit Capitol Hill.

(CNN) – The H1N1 virus commonly known as 'swine flu' has hit Capitol Hill.

Rep. Greg Walden, a Republican from Oregon, tweeted Monday evening a doctor diagnosed him with the virus and is heading off to "seclusion for a while."

Andrew Whelan, Walden's press secretary, confirmed to CNN the congressman has fallen victim to swine flu and is following his doctor's orders to "get some rest and take it easy."

Walden appears to be the first member of Congress to come down with H1N1, though other representatives have said their children have contracted the virus.

CNN's Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report

Nancy Pelosi, right, here with Harry Reid, proposes a 'more robust' public option. The CBO analyzed the plan.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A preliminary estimate from the Congressional Budget Office projects that the House Democrats' health care plan that includes a public option would cost $871 billion over 10 years, according to two Democratic sources.

CBO also found that the Democrats' bill reduces the deficit in the first 10 years.

This new CBO estimate, which aides caution is not final, is significantly less than the $1.1 trillion price tag of the original House bill that passed out of three committees this summer. More importantly, it comes under the $900 billion cap set by President Obama in his joint address to Congress last month.

CBO analyzed what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls a "more robust" public option - one that ties reimbursement rates for doctors to current Medicare rates, plus a 5 percent increase.

Full story

WASHINGTON (CNN) – As the Senate Finance Committee passed its health care bill out of committee without a public option Tuesday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi stood on the other side of the Capitol insisting again that the House will pass a bill with a government-run insurance option.

"I am for the public option. That will be the House position, and that will be the position we will go to the conference to fight for," Pelosi said.

Pointing to a CBS poll from last week that found 62 percent of Americans favor a public option, Pelosi argued "the public is way ahead of elected officials in this."

The Speaker said she's aiming to pass a bill by Thanksgiving, but acknowledged others are projecting Christmas, and concluded a bill would pass "certainly this year."

WASHINGTON (CNN) - House Democratic leaders are discussing adding a tax on insurers as a way to reduce the overall price tag of their health care bill.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, told reporters Friday that an excise tax on high end insurance plans, similar to the one included in the Senate Finance Committee, was "under consideration."

But Pelosi added that leaders are also looking at other proposals to offset the costs of the bill.

"We have to see how much money we need, and if we're taking the bill down in costs there are other provisions in the Senate bill that bend the curve that might be more palatable," she said. "We'll see."

House Democratic leaders and key committee chairmen huddled Friday trying to come up with a final version of the House health care bill. Much of the discussion centered on how to cut about $200 billion in costs from the bill. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the House bill would cost $1.1 trillion over 10 years, but President Obama told Congress he wants a bill with a price tag of $900 billion.

The House Democrats' health care plan already includes a surtax on wealthy Americans. The graduated tax would apply to families making over $350,000 a year, with the rate increasing as income levels go up. But a number of freshmen Democrats argued the initial income level should be raised so that the tax doesn't unfairly burden small businesses. Leaders have now agreed to apply the surtax on those making more than $1million a year. But losing some revenue from the surtax is forcing Democratic leaders to look for other sources of funding.

Democratic leadership aides said if the House moves ahead with a tax on insurers, it would likely modify the Senate Finance Committee version because many Democrats are worried the Senate plan would hit middle class families.

Sen. John McCain, told Politico that McChrystal's report on Afghanistan should be delivered to the Hill 'immediately,'.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - In a sign that President Obama is facing growing skepticism within his own party on Afghanistan, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer joined the call made by several top Republicans on Capitol Hill for the U.S. Commander in Afghanistan General Stanley McChrystal to brief Congress on his recommendations for revising U.S. military strategy.

"I think it is useful at some point in time for General McChrystal to share with the Congress, both the Senate and the House, his views and his proposals and his sense of the success that change in strategy would have," Hoyer told reporters.

Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, told Politico that McChrystal's report on Afghanistan should be delivered to the Hill "immediately," but Hoyer declined to put a timeframe on when Congress should get the assessment.

As House GOP Leader John Boehner did last week, Hoyer compared the discussion over next steps in Afghanistan to the debate in 2007 over the surge in Iraq. Hoyer noted that Gen. David Petraeus, then the U.S. Commander in Iraq, briefed Congress in both high profile public hearings and private briefings.

Wilson on Sunday described his loud retort to President Barack Obama's statement that illegal immigrants would not be covered under the Democrats' health-care bill as 'a town hall moment'.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – House Republican Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Monday he would vote against any resolution admonishing Rep. Joe Wilson for his outburst during the president's address to Congress on health care last Wednesday.

"Rep. Wilson has apologized to the president, and the president accepted his apology. Last Thursday, Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi said that she believed it was time to move on and discuss health care. I couldn't agree more, and that's why I plan to vote 'no' on this resolution," Boehner said in a written statement.

"Instead of pursuing this type of petty partisanship, we should be working together to lower costs and expand access to affordable, high-quality health coverage on behalf of the American people."

House Democratic leaders pledged to move a resolution of disapproval if Wilson failed to apologize on the House floor for breaking rules governing appropriate conduct on the House floor.

Pelosi and other Democratic leaders plan to discuss the resolution at their regular leadership meeting Monday night, but two leadership aides said it's likely to be debated on the floor on Tuesday.

Though most Republicans have agreed it was inappropriate for Wilson to shout "You lie" at the president, several GOP aides told CNN they expect Republicans to oppose the resolution.

One House Republican leadership aide predicted the vote would break down largely on party lines. "The majority of Republicans are expected to vote against the resolution, because at this point it's nothing more than political gamesmanship," said the aide, who spoke anonymously because the vote on the resolution has not been scheduled yet.

Wilson on Sunday described his loud retort to President Barack Obama's statement that illegal immigrants would not be covered under the Democrats' health-care bill as "a town hall moment." But he made it clear he would not apologize on the House floor. "I called immediately, I did apologize, but I believe one apology is sufficient," he said.

Wilson returned to the floor Monday during the time allotted to members to give one-minute give speeches on the topic of their choice. But Wilson spoke about his town hall meetings on health care over the congressional recess and made no mention of his comments last Wednesday night or any apology.

Last week Pelosi called the episode "unfortunate" and told reporters at her weekly news conference, "It's time for us to talk about health care and not Mr. Wilson." But when Pelosi met with Democratic leaders later that day her colleagues argued that unless Wilson apologized on his own they would want a formal vote on a resolution of disapproval, according to several Democratic sources.

"The issue at hand is one of conduct, not speech," one Democratic leadership aide said.

"Congressman Wilson's outburst during the joint session was a breach of decorum and brought discredit to the House. It is common for members to address such breaches themselves rather than force action by the full House. Failure to respond would mean consent for that kind of conduct. In the absence of an apology, the House must act to admonish his behavior. These are the standards members are held to when they take the oath of office," the aide said.

Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa this weekend began circulating a letter among House Republicans urging Wilson not to apologize on the House floor.

The letter states, "We urge that you hold your ground against those who seek partisan advantage and reject all demands for additional redress. When the president of the United States accepts an apology, no observer has an additional claim."

Republican aides said the reaction over Wilson's outburst has given them an opportunity to elevate their concerns about the issue of illegal immigration in the health-care debate.

Looking ahead to Tuesday, one Republican leadership aide predicted, "If there is a debate, you're going to see Republicans talk about policy and not Joe Wilson."

WASHINGTON (CNN)–House Democratic leaders plan to bring a resolution to the House floor next week to admonish South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson if he does not apologize on the House floor for his outburst during President Obama's joint address to Congress, according to several House Democratic leadership aides.

"He's violated the rules of the House with inappropriate conduct and he's subject to reprimand," said Kristie Greco, spokeswoman for House Democratic Whip Jim Clyburn, D-South Carolina.

Earlier, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had said that Wilson violated House rules - but also said that it was "time for us to talk about health care and not Mr. Wilson."

Immediately after the President's speech Wednesday night, Wilson issued a statement saying, "This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the President's remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill. While I disagree with the President's statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the President for this lack of civility." He also called the White House and apologized to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

On Thursday Wilson told reporters, "Last night I heard from the leadership that they wanted me to contact the White House and state that my statements were inappropriate. I did."

President Obama accepted Wilson's apology on Thursday, but Democrats say Wilson's actions on the House floor have consequences.

Democratic leadership aides said that Wilson was given an opportunity to apologize on the floor on Thursday, but declined. During the final series of votes for the week, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md, spoke to the House Republican Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio on the House floor, about giving Wilson an opportunity to make an apology on the floor.

Boehner acknowledged that he spoke to Wilson on the House floor on Thursday, but declined to disclose any specifics.

Clyburn also spoke to Wilson directly, who refused Clyburn's appeal to make the apology on the floor, according to Greco.

An aide to Wilson says "the Congressman is aware of the decision by the Democrat leadership and will be making a decision this weekend."
Boehner's spokesman Michael Steel told CNN "Representative Wilson has apologized to the President, and the President accepted his apology. As the Speaker said yesterday, now it's time to talk about healthcare."

The Democratic resolution would be a resolution of disapproval, citing Wilson for violating the House's rules of decorum. Democratic leaders made the decision to move ahead with a resolution at their leadership meeting on Thursday after Wilson decided not to address the House, but a vote has not been scheduled yet, according to these aides.

In anticipation of the president's address, members of Congress are saving good seats in the House chamber. (Photo Credit: Getty Images/File)

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Members of Congress haven't camped out for hours in the House chamber to save prime seats like they did for President Obama's first joint address back in February, but several did come to the chamber early Wednesday morning to put place cards in prime center aisle seats to reserve them for tonight. Lawmakers in these seats are positioned to greet the President as he enters and possibly shake his hand or give him a slap on the back in front of network TV cameras.

According to a congressional source who arrived in the House chamber for preparations early this morning, Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick had already placed a marker saving a prime seat about halfway down the aisle on the Democratic side. Fellow Democrat Eliot Engel, who camped out in February for hours to get his aisle seat, arrived on the floor around 8:30 am this morning and put a marker on the seat just below Kilpatrick's.

This source also tells CNN that Democratic Reps. Laura Richardson, Jesse Jackson Jr., Elijah Cummings, and Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee reserved spots on the aisle on the Democratic side of the chamber this afternoon. Reps. Emanuel Cleaver, John Salazar, and Dale Kildee saved seats just one in from the aisle.

In a change to the unofficial protocol to past Presidential joint addresses, some Democrats actually put markers on aisle seats on the Republican side of the chamber, which is on the president's right as he heads down the center aisle. Traditionally, Democrats sit on one side of the chamber for major speeches, and Republicans sit on the other. Democrats Yvette Clark, Joe Baca, and Al Green reserved seats on the aisle on the GOP side. Republican Reps. Tim Murphy, John Sullivan, and Cliff Stearns have also reserved seats on the GOP side of the aisle.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A Democratic congressman - likening the Obama administration's health-care message to a movie character with a multiple personality disorder - said he expects the president's speech Wednesday night to bring focus.

"Up to now the messaging from the White House has been done by Sybil: It's like every time they seem to have a different perspective on this every couple of hours," said Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York, referring to the title character in a 1976 made-for-television movie.

"But now the big guy is going to have his say," he added.

A liberal who supports a single-payer health-care system for much of the population, Weiner argued that President Barack Obama's speech will be a critical moment to make the push for a public option.

"The president of the United States gets to stand up and say, 'I want this in the bill and I'm prepared to fight for it,'" he said. "... You never get 60 votes in the Senate or a majority in the House without the president standing up and saying, 'I really need this and I'm prepared to fight for it.'

"It's that or retreat. Those are really the two options and President Obama doesn't strike me as someone who wants to have a retreat on his signature issue."

But Weiner also admitted, "As we stand here today, there's probably not the votes for anything. We need the president to say what he wants."

Another New York Democrat who favors a strong public option, Rep Elliot Engel, told reporters, "I look at the president's speech tonight as the opening salvo in the Democratic counteroffensive, because we really believe that once the issues are explained correctly the American people will be on our side."

Engel said that while he expects Obama to put a strong emphasis on the need for a government-run insurance plan, he doesn't expect him to demand that Congress pass a bill with a public option

"We have to go on the offensive in a united fashion and I think you don't do that by drawing a line in the sand, " he said.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters Tuesday a health care bill could pass the House without a public health insurance option. That assessment from the number two Democrat breaks with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who just last week insisted that "a bill without a strong public option will not pass the House."

When asked about the Speaker's position, Hoyer didn't answer directly, but signaled there would be support for a bill as long as it included major reforms. "I think a bill can pass the House that the majority of the House believes enhances, moves forward substantially the providing of access for affordable, quality healthcare…I believe a bill that accomplishes very substantially the objectives the President has put forward and we put forward can pass the House."

The Majority Leader repeated that while he still supports a public option, he could vote for a bill without one. "I think it is vital - it's vital, important. Do I think it's a condition of passing the bill? My position has been I'm for the public option. I want to see us adopt a public option, but I think there is a lot in the bill that is very good in addition to the public option. Interpreted, that means if the public option weren't in there, I still could support a bill because I think there's a lot in there that's good."

Hoyer repeated an assessment he made last month about the level of support for the public option. "I think it's a good option. On the other hand, I have said I hope we move a bill forward that can garner a majority of support."

Hoyer noted that Democrats lost a "great warrior" when Senator Kennedy died and said he "was as strong a voice as there was" for a public option. But he also pointed out that one of the reasons Kennedy was so well regarded on both sides of the aisle was that he was "a consummate legislator in trying to reach a consensus that could garner enough votes to change policy. That's what we're trying to do, and I hope that's what we do do."

Hoyer told reporters he didn't have a timetable set in terms of whether the House would act before the Senate, but House members are interested to see what the Senate is working on.

The House of Representatives Web site is experiencing increased traffic.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - A huge spike in the number of people wanting to e-mail their members of Congress about health-care reform has overloaded a key feature on the House of Representatives home page, the House technical office said Thursday.

The "Write your Representative" feature on the Web site, which tells people how to send an e-mail to their congressperson, has been unable to handle the massive increase in traffic, the office said.

An e-mail alert from the technical office went out to all House staff members notifying them of the problem.

"The House domain www.house.gov is currently experiencing an increased volume of visitors to Member(s') public Web sites," it said. "Web forms on www.house.gov may be slow to process and content may be slow or unresponsive due to the heavy load."

Jeff Ventura, spokesman for the chief administrative officer for the House, told CNN the health-care debate caused a sudden influx of e-mail, resulting in "a degradation of the system."

After the debate on the economic stimulus bill caused the House server to crash earlier this year, he said, engineers installed "load balancing" hardware to handle increased volume.

"Clearly we did not scale up enough," he observed. "We have to look at the capacity of that feature and figure out why we're hitting a ceiling."

Engineers hope to set up new features to keep the problem from recurring, Ventura added.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the insurance industry 'the villians' in the Democrat's push to reform health care.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - As Congress prepares to head into a monthlong August recess, Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill ripped into the insurance industry, framing the health care debate as a battle against insurers.

"They are the villains in this," Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters. She labeled industry practices as "immoral."

Pelosi predicted that as members go to their districts next month and explain the Democrats' health care plan, it will pick up support. But she pointed directly at insurers as standing in the way of health care reform, highlighting their opposition to having a government-run plan compete with private insurers.

"They are doing everything in their power to stop a public option from happening, and the public has to know that," she said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid also called out insurers at a news conference Thursday.

"I don't think we should be crying great big tears for the insurance industry," he said. "There is no business in America that makes more money than the insurance industry. Over the past 10 years their profits have been increased by over 450 percent.

"So, I'm not really very much in the mood to worry about the insurance industry. The insurance industry, my friends, is the only industry other than baseball that's exempt from the anti-trust act. That's the reason the have 450 percent profit over the past 10 years."

Calling health care reform "the fight of our lives," Pelosi told reporters outside her Capitol Hill office that insurance companies have "had a good thing going for a long time at the expense of the American people and the health of the country. So our members have to go out there ready to take on a big special interest that has not made our country healthier and has made our costs spiral upward, and for whom that is coming to an end."

Asked about insurers' role in health care reform, House Republican Leader John Boehner conceded they "certainly aren't lily white in this fight." But he added, "most Americans like the health insurance they have. ... They don't think it cost too much."

A House Democratic aide said the stepped-up rhetoric regarding insurers is deliberate.

Democratic leaders are concerned that people who have health care insurance aren't getting the message about the need for reform, the aide said. Democrats want to specifically focus on the theme that without reform insurance costs could go up.

Another Democratic aide pointed out that the top item on a list of talking points distributed to House Democrats for the recess reads: "health-insurance reform to hold insurance companies accountable."

–CNN Congressional Producer Ted Barrett contributed to this story

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The deal Democratic House leaders struck with a group of conservative Blue Dogs Democrats Wednesday was not embraced by one leading liberal House Democrat: Rep. Barbara Lee, D-California, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus. "I have a lot of concerns," she told reporters Wednesday.

Lee said she still needed to get more details, but the fact that the overall pricetag of the bill had dropped below $1 trillion raised red flags for her. She said "at a minimum," a trillion dollars would be needed to cover the current number of uninsured Americans. Lee also pointed to the change to the small business exemption, saying the cost of exempting more small businesses could mean other parts of the bill would be cut. "We have to find out who wins and who loses," she said.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Indiana Democrat Baron Hill, a Blue Dog congressman negotiating with leaders on health care, disagreed with Speaker Nancy Pelosi's statement Wednesday that Democrats have the votes to pass health care in the House.

"I think the Speaker was well intended because she was hearing optimistic things, but I don't believe there are the votes on the floor as of right now," he said Wednesday.

Hill said he and other Blue Dogs were meeting again Wednesday night with Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman. Hill said they're "making progress," but still have significant issues to resolve. Nancy Ann DeParle from the White House was involved in an earlier meeting with Blue Dogs, he said.

Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak, who is trying to change the bill to make it clear it would not use taxpayer money for abortions, also disagreed with the Speaker.

"It would be easier to fit a camel through the eye of a needle than to pass this bill," said Stupak.

Stupak said Democratic leaders can't lose 40 votes if they want to pass the bill and predicted "she [Pelosi] would lose more than 40 on the right to life issue alone. There's just no way."

Stupak said he doesn't want to block the bill, but wants leaders to agree to add language on the abortion issue before it comes to the House floor.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday she intends to move forward with a vote on health care reform this summer and indicated Democrats may keep the House in session past its scheduled summer break if needed.

"We believe that the American people have waited long enough," Pelosi told reporters. "I want to see a bill."

Pelosi also insisted Democrats have enough support to pass their health care bill. "I have no question that we have the votes on the floor of the House to pass this legislation," she said.

The Speaker reported that leaders were making progress responding to demands from a group of conservative Blue Dog Democrats who have vowed to block the bill from passing a key committee unless major changes are made. But Rep Mike Ross, a leading Blue Dog negotiator on the committee, issued a statement Wednesday that seemed to lower expectations a bit: "We are making progress; however, we have a long way to go," he said.

Pelosi said she would "see what the Senate is considering" on options to pay for the health care bill. She emphasized the focus is on finding more savings before decisions on taxes are made. "We want to squeeze as much savings out of the system as we can before we seek any revenue. We can only go so far," she said.

At Tuesday morning's weekly GOP conference meeting, Republicans were shown a video parody of the Lady Gaga hit 'Just Dance.'

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Politics may make for strange bedfellows - but even for this town, this may be the oddest couple to ever make beautiful music together: House Republicans...and pop diva Lady Gaga.

At Tuesday morning's weekly GOP conference meeting, Republicans were shown a clip of a video parody of the Lady Gaga hit, "Just Dance" that replaces the popular song's refrain with "Just Tax."

The parody video was developed by Peter Cowman, a 23-year-old who just graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle, outside Rep Dave Reichert's district. A spokeswoman for Reichert said the congressman wanted to show his colleagues the video to encourage them to get young people involved using new media, and noted his district is home to a cluster of technology companies.

"He wanted them to encourage the youth in their district, and share the message on a level that young people can relate to," Reichert's spokeswoman told CNN.

Asked about the video, House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence, R-Ind, laughed and said "it's part of the Pence youth initiative."

Pence admitted that very few members were familiar with the original Lady Gaga song.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer signaled Tuesday that the House could leave for its August recess before it votes on health care reform.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer signaled Tuesday that the House of Representatives could leave for its month-long break in August without voting on health care reform.

"If we can get consensus, we're going to move. If we can't get consensus we're going to continue to work on creating consensus," Hoyer told reporters.

He added that he doesn't think it is "necessarily necessary" for the House to stay in session into August to continue working on health care legislation.

His words were in contrast to those of Rep. Henry Waxman a week ago, when House Democrats unveiled their version of the health care bill before sending it to three committees for consideration. "We quite frankly cannot go home for a recess," said Waxman, chairman of one of those committees, "unless the House and Senate both pass bills to reform and restructure our health care system."

Hoyer said Democrats still want to pass a bill next week and will continue to discuss changes to the proposal. "We'll see," he said. "I'll make that decision next week, I'm not going to make it now."

The majority leader also conceded that concerns about the current House bill are not limited to a group of conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats who have publicly stated their opposition to the bill.

"It's not just Blue Dogs. I want to make it very clear - progressives, Blue Dogs and everybody in between has expressed concerns, and we're working on that," Hoyer said.

– CNN's Lisa Desjardins contributed to this report.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that a health care surtax may be lowered but that it could not be eliminated.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she would willing to lower the amount of a new surtax on wealthy Americans to pay for health care legislation if more savings from proposed reforms can cover the cost of the bill.

"If we can get more savings, we can perhaps lower the percentage that the high end will pay," Pelosi said at her weekly press conference.

But the Speaker made it clear that Democrats still plan to tax the rich, and said if the money isn't needed to pay for health care it would be directed at the nation's budget deficit. "There is going to be a revenue change at the high end. It will be directly to reduce the deficit or to reduce the deficit by helping to cover the cost of this initiative."

Earlier this week, House Democrats proposed a graduated surtax on wealthy Americans to pay for their roughly $1 trillion health care bill. The new tax is expected to raise $550 billion over ten years. The proposal would add a 1 percent surtax on adjusted gross income for families who make over $350,000 a year. It would increase to 1.5 percent for those families making $500,000 a year, and jump again to 5.4 percent for those making over $1 million a year.

Pelosi said she is also open to making more cost cutting changes to the bill to satisfy a group of conservative Democrats known as "Blue Dogs."

Arkansas Democrat Mike Ross, said he and other Blue Dogs are still discussing the specific changes they will propose to the bill. He said the group is not negotiating any changes to the proposed surtax. But Ross said he didn't favor it. "I don't like the idea of raising taxes in the worst economic recession since World War II, " Ross said.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - A leader of the conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats told CNN Wednesday he and other group members may vote to block House Democrats' health care bill from passing a key committee if they don't get some of the changes they want.

"We remain opposed to the current bill, and we continue to meet several times a day to decide how we're going to proceed and what amendments we will be offering as Blue Dogs on the committees," said Rep. Mike Ross, D-Arkansas.

Ross said the bill unveiled Tuesday by House Democratic leaders did not address concerns he and other conservative Democrats outlined in a letter late last week to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The conservative Democrats don't believe the legislation contains sufficient reforms to control costs in the health care system and believe additional savings can be found. Their letter to leaders raised concerns about new mandates on small businesses. Blue Dogs also say the bill fails to fix the inequities in the current system for health care costs for rural doctors and hospitals.

The Energy and Commerce committee, along with two other House committees, is scheduled to take up the bill Thursday.

Full story

President Obama speaks about health care reform in May.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee Friday proposed a graduated tax on wealthy Americans to pay for health care reform, to several Democratic sources tell CNN.

The new tax would kick in for individuals who make over between $280,000 to $400,000 per year and for married couples who make from $350,000 to 500,000 per year, imposing a 1 percent tax on their adjusted gross income.

The tax rate would increase to a higher percentage for individuals making between $400,000 to 800,000 and for couples making $500,000 to $1 million per year.

Individuals making $800,000 or above and couples making $1 million or more per year would be taxed at an even higher rate.

The rates for the tax on the two higher brackets are still being finalized, according to the sources. Committee Democrats jettisoned other ideas to pay for the bill, including new taxes on sugary drinks or an increase in Medicare payroll taxes.

Sources say the new tax is expected to bring in $540 billion over ten years. This new revenue, combined with approximately $500 billion in projected savings from health care reforms, would offset the roughly $1 trillion that the House Democrats' health care bill is expected to cost, they said. The Congressional Budget Office has not released its cost estimate yet on the House bill.

House Democratic leaders are planning to introduce their legislation on Monday. The committees focused on health care in the House are expected to being consideration on the bill later next week.

Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that the House will not take up a resolution honoring Michael Jackson.

WASHINGTON (CNN) –The House of Representatives will not take up a resolution honoring the late entertainer Michael Jackson, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday.

Pelosi called Jackson "a great, great performer" and acknowledged there is "lots of sadness." But the speaker said at a press conference that while members could express their sympathy on the House floor, she added "I don't think it's necessary" to pass a resolution.

"A resolution, I think, would open up (debate) to contrary views that are not necessary at this time to be expressed in association with a resolution whose purpose is quite different," Pelosi explained.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, who spoke at the memorial service for Jackson on Tuesday in Los Angeles, has introduced HR 600, "Honoring an American legend and musical icon."

The resolution states, "Whereas Michael Jackson was not only an accomplished recording and performing artist, he was a noted humanitarian."

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., criticized the media's extensive coverage of Michael Jackson's death earlier this week, calling Jackson a "pervert," a "pedophile," and "child molester."

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A House Judiciary Committee spokesman confirms that former Bush advisor Karl Rove was deposed by committee lawyers today. The spokesman declined to provide further detail.

Steny Hoyer said Tuesday that he would be open to a second stimulus bill but thinks the first bill needs to be given more time to be judged.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday he would consider supporting a second economic stimulus bill, but said people need to give the package that passed in February more time to work.

The second-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives said Republican complaints that the nearly $800 billion measure has failed to boost the U.S. economy are premature.

"Certainly, I don't think we can make a determination as to whether or not that's been successful - certainly as successful as we want it to be, certainly not as quickly as we want it to be," Hoyer, of Maryland, told reporters. But he added, "I think we need to be open to whether or not we need additional action."

Hoyer said it was too soon to say the February stimulus bill - which passed without a single GOP vote in the House and only three in the Senate - is not working. He said job losses have "substantially decreased" in recent months, and that the recovery package has prevented many people from being laid off from their jobs.

"In fact, we believe it is working," he said.

No legislation has been put forward so far.

In pushing for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Obama administration said it would be paid out quickly to save or create 750,000 jobs by early August. Without it, administration officials argued, unemployment could top 9 percent by 2010.

Federal jobless numbers already have overshot expectations, rising to 9.5 percent in June. Many leading Republicans say the measure has been a waste of money, while some economists - like Nobel Prize winner and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman - argue the original measure was too small.

Vice President Joe Biden acknowledged Sunday that the administration "misread how bad the economy was," but he told ABC's "This Week" that the pace of the program would be increasing.

Dems are hitting back at a new GOP Web video.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – On the day the June jobs report showed the U.S. labor market shedding 467,000 jobs, House Republicans released a tongue-in-cheek Web video featuring a bloodhound named "Ellie Mae" sniffing out stimulus jobs.

Narrated by Georgia Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, the clip shows the bloodhound "on the money trail" visiting AIG's headquarters in New York City and projects in Wisconsin and North Carolina supported by federal stimulus dollars. It was modeled on a campaign commercial run by the current Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in his 1994 Kentucky Senate race.

House GOP Leader John Boehner poses with Ellie Mae at the end of the video. "She hasn't found any stimulus jobs yet, and neither have the American people," says Boehner. "It's time to stop runaway spending in Washington and help small businesses get the economy running once again. Hang in there, honey, we'll find 'em."

"This is a lighthearted web video, but the underlying point is no laughing matter," Boehner said in a written statement. "At a time when Americans are looking to Washington for leadership, the trillion-dollar 'stimulus' isn't working. Americans were promised the 'stimulus' would keep the unemployment rate from going above eight percent. It's now it's skyrocketing above nine percent. Where are the jobs?"

Nadeam Elshami, spokesman for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, wasn't amused by the video. "Looks like the hound couldn't track down any of the police officers, teachers or nurses who are working today because of the Recovery Act or the construction workers working on more than 1,900 highway projects already under way across the country."

Elshami also said the stimulus law still needed time to show results, and slammed the GOP: "Betting against the American economy is another fairly depressing political strategy from the House Republican Conference."

WASHINGTON (CNN) - House Republican Leader John Boehner may win the Hill prize for participating in the best event over this congressional recess. Boehner played 18 holes with Tiger Woods and Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo at the Earl Woods Pro-Am golf tournament on Wednesday. The team finished their round 8 under par.

As he headed out to play at Congressional Country Club with Woods, Boehner tried to lower expectations about where he'd finish on the tournament's leaderboard. "Well, listen - I can be the Republican leader of the House, and we'll know about the golf course at the end of 18 holes."

The team played a "best ball" format for the charity event that precedes the AT&T National, the pro tournament hosted by Woods. The foursome, which also included Ton Dundon, CEO of Santander Consumer USA, was followed by huge crowds along the course, mostly straining to see Tiger Woods in action. But Boehner did show he could keep up with the golf star when he sank a 35 foot putt on the eighth hole for a birdie.

Woods will tee-off with GOP leader John Boehner Wednesday.

(CNN) - House Republican Leader John Boehner, a longtime golfer, will tee off with Tiger Woods and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo at tomorrow's Pro-Am charity golf tournament at the A T&T National.

The Earl Woods Memorial Pro-Am tournament at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation and is named after Tiger Wood’s late father. Thomas Dundon, the President and CEO of Drive Financial and Santander Consumer USA will be the fourth player, according to Boehner’s spokesman.

Boehner's handicap is seven and a half.

"He's always been a big fan and a big player," Boehner's communications Director Kevin Smith told CNN, but noted that he's had some back problems over the last year. Boehner occasionally combines golfing and fundraising during Congressional breaks, but tomorrow's outing will support local DC youth organizations.

But the GOP leader isn't the only member of Congress spending some time on the course during the Congressional recess. House Democratic Whip Jim Clyburn played in an earlier Pro Am tournament ahead of the AT&T National on Monday, according to his spokeswoman Kristie Greco.

Although Woods is scheduled to play with the House Republican leader, he's kept his political leanings close to the vest.

Woods visited Washington in March 2007 to announce the AT&T National would be played in the area and visited with bipartisan Congressional leaders including Boehner and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. But at a photo op with Speaker Pelosi, Boehner and some other Congressional golfers, Woods was careful to dodge a question about whether he had any plans to get involved in politics.

Late last year Woods hailed the election of President Obama, calling it "absolutely incredible."

"He represents America. He's multiracial. I was hoping it would happen in my lifetime," Woods told CNBC in November. "My father was hoping it would happen in his lifetime, but he didn't get to see it. I'm lucky enough to have seen a person of color in the White House."

Woods also met Obama in the Oval office last April when he was in town promoting the charity event.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The House Ethics committee announced Thursday it is looking into allegations of possible misconduct by members of Congress regarding The PMA Group, a now-defunct lobbying firm.

PMA, which was raided by the FBI last year, lobbied primarily on behalf of defense-industry clients seeking earmarks. The company and its clients donated campaign contributions to senior members of the House Appropriations Committee, including Rep. Jack Murtha, D-Pennsylvania, and Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Indiana.

The Ethics Committee did not disclose which specific lawmakers were under review.

The committee's announcement follows a vote last week by the House requiring the committee to disclose what actions, if any, it was taking on PMA.

In a written statement, Ethics Committee Chair Zoe Lofgren, D-California, and ranking Republican Jo Bonner, R-Alabama, said the committee had "authorized a review of certain, specified allegations within the committee's jurisdiction that relate to the subject of the resolution."

"I'm encouraged that the Ethics Committee is looking into the PMA scandal," said Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, in a statement. "Obviously, with the first appropriations bill scheduled to be on the floor next week, the House of Representatives cannot justify the continued practice of awarding no-bid contracts to private companies. This announcement ought to be a sign that this practice needs to stop immediately."

Flake, a longtime critic of earmarks, has repeatedly tried to pass a resolution telling the committee to investigate PMA, but his attempts were blocked by Democrats.

Earlier this month, Visclosky acknowledged he received a subpoena from federal prosecutors for material from his campaign and congressional offices regarding PMA. Visclosky, who chairs a key panel on the House Appropriations Committee, maintained he has done nothing improper and pledged to cooperate with investigators.

Murtha also has denied any wrongdoing.

Missouri Republican Rep. Roy Blunt spoke out Monday against the public health insurance option that Democrats are advocating for as part of their health care reform proposal.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Missouri GOP Rep. Roy Blunt, who is heading up health care efforts in the House, said today he has made it clear to Democratic leaders that pushing for a public option in health care legislation is a non-starter for House Republicans. "That is a problem that is virtually insurmountable because we just don't think that it leads to real competition," Blunt said Monday.

President Obama sent a letter to Republican leaders last week responding to their plea that the GOP be included as a healthcare bill is developed. Blunt noted that the letter doesn't disclose any details, but makes it clear the president wants a bill passed by the House by August 1.

Blunt called that date an "artificial deadline" and said "we can't be part of the discussion if you won't let us in the room." House Republicans plan to unveil their own alternative healthcare legislation in the coming weeks and Blunt pledged that it will cost substantially less than the Democratic proposals.

According to the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense, Rep Jack Murtha, D-Pennsylvania, who chairs the powerful Defense Appropriations committee, has steered over $130 million in projects to his district.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to force the House ethics committee to report whether or not it is investigating any misconduct by House members relating to the PMA Group, a lobbying firm that secured millions of dollars in earmarks for its clients.

The vote on a resolution offered by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer was 270-134. Seventeen members voted present, including all of the members of the ethics committee. The Democratic resolution instructs the panel to report back to the full House in 45 days.

The reversal by House Democrats to address the controversy comes after repeated efforts by House Republicans to launch an investigation of PMA were blocked by Democrats. A series of news reports allege that several senior House Democrats on the Appropriations Committee received millions in campaign cash for their help steering federal projects to companies represented by the now defunct lobbying firm.

According to the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense, Rep Jack Murtha, D-Pennsylvania, who chairs the powerful Defense Appropriations committee, has steered over $130 million in projects to his district. PMA’s chief lobbyist Paul Magliochetti is a former Appropriations staffer with ties to Murtha. Murtha’s spokesman denies he has done anything improper.

Last week Indiana Democratic Congressman Pete Visclosky received a subpoena from federal prosecutors for information related to PMA. Visclosky said he was cooperating and insisted he didn't do anything improper, but he volunteered Tuesday to step aside from handling this year’s spending bill for the Energy and Water panel he chairs on the House Appropriations Committee.

Arizona Republican Rep. Jeff Flake, who has led the charge to force an investigation, criticized the move on Wednesday, arguing the Democratic sponsored resolution doesn't require an investigation and could effectively stall a probe by specifying that the committee has 45 days to respond.

"They seem to be punting beyond the appropriations cycle," Flake told reporters.

Michael Steel, spokesman for House Republican Leader John Boehner, said, "This is a joke. It is the tiniest speck of political cover from a Democratic Leadership that has voted time after time to block a real investigation of PMA. It doesn't even require an investigation, it simply inquires whether there is one – and gives the Committee a month and half to reply. That's ridiculous. They can and should answer that question today. In the meantime, the swamp waters continue to rise, and this won't fool the American people."

PMG Group lobbying activities are under investigation by federal authorities.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Indiana, confirmed Friday that federal law enforcement officials had issued subpoenas for materials from his congressional and campaign offices in their investigation of a defense lobbying firm that had employed his former chief of staff.

The PMA Group was raided by the FBI earlier this year. Former Visclosky chief of staff Rich Kaelin had lobbied for the firm.

"Federal law enforcement officials have issued grand jury subpoenas to my Congressional office, campaign committees, and certain employees to request documents relating to PMA," Visclosky said in a statement. "It is my intention to fully cooperate with the investigation consistent with my constitutional obligations to Congress and my duties and responsibilities to my constituents.

"I will continue to work hard to represent the people of Indiana's First Congressional District as I have done since being elected to Congress. I am confident that at the end of this process, no one will conclude that I have done anything wrong or harmed my constituents in any way," he said. Citing respect for the investigative process, the congressman said he would not be commenting further on the situation.

Visclosky has returned thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the firm and its employees, who were among his biggest financial supporters.

Nancy Pelosi is no longer discussing her charge that the CIA misled Congress.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to answer questions Friday about her stinging accusation last week that the CIA misled her about the use of waterboarding and Republican demands that she provide evidence.

"I have made the statement that I'm going to make on this. I don't have anything more to say about it," she pointedly told reporters. "I stand by my comment and - and what we are doing is staying on our course, and not be distracted from it."

The speaker changed the format of her weekly press conference Friday. Instead of appearing solo, Pelosi brought in three of her Democratic leadership colleagues. After the leaders gave 25 minutes of statements about their legislative accomplishments, Pelosi took just 5 minutes of questions from reporters, and only answered one about the back-and-forth over enhanced interrogation methods.

Despite repeated efforts by reporters to follow up on the issue, Pelosi dismissed them, saying, "I won't have anything more to say about it."

Pelosi may be ready to turn the page, but Republicans clearly aren't. Just minutes after the press conference, Ken Spain, spokesman for the National Republican Campaign Committee sent out a statement blasting her performance. "Speaker Pelosi stammered and filibustered around the elephant in the room because she knows full well that she has become a political liability to her fellow Democrats in Congress," he said.

"Her obsession with the previous administration and her disdain for America's intelligence officials has reduced her to cheerleader status within the far left wing of her party and a distraction to the substantive debate over how to best move our economy forward."

Updated at 1:00 p.m. with additional on-the-scene details.

The top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce committee, Texas Rep. Joe Barton, has been threatening to force the committee clerk to read the 900-plus page bill as a way to drag out the markup of the Democrats' climate change legislation. Worried that this could jeopardize his goal of voting the bill out of committee before the Memorial Day break, Democratic Chairman Henry Waxman of California hired a speed reader, in case one was needed to publicly race through the massive bill.

Barton decided not to follow through on his threat - but he wanted to find out what a speed reader sounded like. He requested that one of the Republican amendments be read in full, and asked that the new hire take over for the full time committee clerk. Waxman obliged, and Douglas Wilder sat before the committee and began reading rapidly. He spoke so quickly it was impossible to decipher his words, as listeners began to laugh and applaud.

Barton decided he'd heard enough, and said he didn't need to finish. He then joked with Waxman, that since he went to all that trouble, "we should at least get the benefit of the gentleman's expertise." Smiling, Waxman asked Wilder to state his name and asked if he was available for hire. Wilder enthusiastically told the committee: "yes!"

A bill that would create a 'cap and trade' system was passed by the House Energy and Commerce committee.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – President Obama's push for a new energy policy got a major boost Thursday when a key House panel approved a plan aimed at addressing climate change.

The House Energy and Commerce committee passed the bill largely along party lines, 33-25. One Republican, Rep Mary Bono Mack, of California, voted with the Democrats in favor of the bill.

The bill, drafted by Democrats, would create a so-called "cap and trade" system for U.S. businesses to sell credits for pollution.

It sets a target for cutting greenhouse gases by 17 percent from their 2005 levels by 2020. An auction for the credits, which effectively starts in 2014, allows businesses who meet the new energy standard to sell their credits to those who are still working to become more energy efficient.

"We are now one step closer to delivering on the promise of a new clean energy economy that will make America less dependent on foreign oil, crack down on polluters, and create millions of new jobs all across America," Obama said in a written statement.

Faced with opposition from fellow Democrats, committee Chairman Henry Waxman agreed to divide up free permits or "allowances" to various industries such as electric utilities, coal and natural gas companies.

The allowances give businesses more time to make the transition and protect consumers from sudden rate hikes in energy costs.

The bill also sets aside a portion of the auction proceeds to subsidize energy bills for low and moderate income families.

According to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, when the auction goes into full effect it could yield an average of about $100 billion a year. Democrats argue this will spur a new marketplace for clean energy technologies and generate new "green" jobs.

"Today we have chosen bold action to preserve good paying jobs here in America and preserve our planet," said Rep. Edward Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts who cosponsored the bill with Waxman.

The legislation also includes a new requirement that energy suppliers generate a total of 20 percent of their energy from more energy-efficient sources by 2025.

Governors of states who are unable to meet this standard using renewable sources can petition for an additional 3 percent to be met through other energy-saving means.

Most House Republicans maintain that the bill amounts to a "national energy tax," arguing that as utility companies work to meet the new standards, they will pass on the costs of the new mandates to consumers.

Four Democrats on the committee - Rep. Mike Ross, of Arkansas, Rep. Jim Matheson, of Utah, Rep. Charlie Melancon, of Louisiana, and Rep. Jim Barrow, of Georgia - voted against the plan.

House Democratic leaders have pledged to have a vote on the House floor before the month-long congressional break in August. President Obama has called for Congress to send him an energy bill this year.

Rep. Rob Bishop offered a resolution on the House floor to create a bipartisan investigation of Nancy Pelosi.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - House Republicans' effort to push the resolution to create a bipartisan investigation of Speaker Nancy Pelosi failed Thursday afternoon.

When Utah Republican Rob Bishop offered the resolution on the House floor, the presiding officer in the House ruled it out of order. House rules require that any resolution must pertain to the House itself - the GOP resolution called for an evaluation of statements made by the executive branch (the CIA).

Republicans appealed the ruling and called for a vote, but Democrats rejected the appeal, and it was defeated largely on party lines - 272-172. Two Republicans - Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas - voted with the Democrats.

After the vote, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer denounced the GOP effort. "The Republicans for the last few weeks have been focused on the politics of personal destruction…." he said. "In this case, it attempts to distract the American public from the very important work that confronts this nation by focusing on the Speaker of the House and the representations she made as to her recollections with reference to a briefing that occurred some seven years ago."

Pelosi was not on the floor when Republicans introduced the resolution because she was in Baltimore delivering a commencement address at Johns Hopkins University.

Her spokesman, Nadeam Elshami, dismissed the move by Republicans. "This is nothing but a political distraction because the Republicans have nothing else to offer," said Elshami.

Steny Hoyer is standing behind his colleague, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Seeking to put an end to questions about what Speaker Nancy Pelosi knew about waterboarding and demonstrate he is standing behind her, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Tuesday strongly defended the speaker.

"I want to be very clear because I think there's been some misinterpretation of my views. ... I believe the speaker," Hoyer told reporters. "I believe the speaker when she says she was not specifically briefed on the types of - in very polite terms - enhanced interrogation techniques that were being employed."

Last week Hoyer had to clarify comments he made that seemed to suggest he supported an investigation into what Pelosi knew about waterboarding. He insisted he was talking only about a probe focused on former Bush administration officials who authorized the harsh interrogation methods.

A former leadership rival of Pelosi, Hoyer blamed Republicans for the continued focus on the speaker, saying, "It continues to be a Republican tactic to distract the public from focusing on what was done, what the justification for doing it was, and for ... President Bush's comment that we don't torture."

Pressed further on how the speaker could put the issue behind her, the majority leader tried to turn the tables on the press. "Republicans are going to stay on it as long as you guys keep printing it, as long as it continues to be a television item - not about the substance, but about the distraction," he said. "As long as you want to feed on it, the Republicans will continue to feed you."

Hoyer characterized the speaker's support among House Democrats as "solid" and said not a single member has raised the issue with him on the House floor or in meetings.

Congressional Democrats are dropping the administration's request for $80 million to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Pushing back at a request from President Obama, congressional Democrats are dropping the administration's request for $80 million to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, who is drafting an emergency war funding bill, told reporters he supported the president's plan to close the prison, but said more details were needed. "So far as we can tell there is yet no concrete program for that," said the Wisconsin Democrat. "And while I don't mind defending a concrete program, I'm not much interested in wasting my energy defending a theoretical program. So when they have the plan they're welcome to come back and talk to us about it."

According to Democratic aides, the Obama administration requested $50 million for the Defense Department and $30 million for the Justice Department to close down Guantanamo prison.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - House and Senate Democrats reached agreement late Monday on a budget resolution for 2010, which includes key spending priorities for the young Obama administration.

"This budget is a major accomplishment," Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad said in a statement. "We are meeting President Obama's goals of reducing our dependence on foreign energy, striving for excellence in education, reforming our health care system, and providing middle-class tax relief."

The agreement came as lawmakers were reconciling the House and Senate versions of the budget package. The president's budget request is $3.67 trillion.

The full Senate and House are each expected to vote on the fiscal 2010 budget resolution this week. The House vote could come as soon as Tuesday.

Budget negotiators have fast-tracked part of the budget process. Major health reform is likely to pass this year, because the special process - known as budget reconciliation - won't allow Republicans to filibuster the legislation, as was widely expected.

Democrats, who currently control 58 seats in the Senate, will be able to pass it with a simple majority vote, instead of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster.

Separately, conservative Democrats in the House, who have been pushing for a strong statement from leadership on fiscal responsibility in the budget, may have some of their concerns addressed.

A Democratic aide told CNN that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Whip Steny Hoyer are drafting a letter to Senate leaders "throwing down the gauntlet" to insist that a pay-as-you-go system be followed, which
would require new federal spending to be offset with budget cuts or tax increases.

President Barack Obama called for the so-called "PAYGO" legislation in his weekend radio address.

The budget resolution would limit increases in non-defense discretionary spending to 2.9 percent through 2014, according to Conrad.

"While the budget resolution takes important steps in the near-term of cutting the deficit in half by 2012 and by two-thirds by 2014, it is clear that more will be needed to address the long-term fiscal imbalance confronting the
nation beyond the five-year budget window," said Conrad.

President Barack Obama gathered his Cabinet members last week and challenged them to cut a total of $100 million in the next 90 days.

In the context of the federal budget, $100 million in savings is a tiny amount, critics said. It is the equivalent, according to one example, of having a car dealer offer to shave $1 from the cost of a $36,700 vehicle.

"Any amount of savings is obviously welcome," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said at the time. "But ($100 million is) about the average amount we'll spend every single day just covering the interest on the
stimulus package that we passed earlier this year."

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said ordinary Americans would nevertheless appreciate the savings effort.

"Only in Washington, D.C., is $100 million dollars not a lot of money. It is where I'm from. It is where I grew up. And I think it is for hundreds of millions of Americans."

Paul Ryan is among the congressional Republicans criticizing the final details of a proposed budget deal

WASHINGTON (CNN) - As the final details of a proposed budget deal were worked out Monday, Republican lawmakers slammed Democrats for including special rules to speed up legislation for health-care reform.

"You won the election. You've got the votes. This is your right to do this and you are doing it. But let's not kid ourselves that there is some kind of bipartisan collaboration occurring here," Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin.

"Let's not kid ourselves that this isn't a negotiation with a gun in one hand."

Both the House and Senate are expected to vote this week on a fiscal 2010 budget resolution. The legislation includes a procedural rule known as reconciliation, which prevents Republicans from blocking legislation, limits debate and allows Democrats to pass the bill with a simple majority.

"You know, I can understand shaking Hugo Chavez's hand, but can't understand embracing his politics - basically shutting down the minority, which is essentially what this reconciliation issue is," Sen. Judd Gregg, R-New Hampshire, referring to President Barack Obama shaking the Venezuelan president's hand at the recent Summit of the Americas.

Ryan acknowledged that Democrats had authority to employ reconciliation, but said the tactic should be used to deal with spending issues - not major public policy proposals.

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-North Dakota, who chairs the budget committee, also opposed using reconciliation, but said it wasn't his call to include it in the budget.

"It's in because the president, the speaker and the majority leader in the Senate all want it in," he said. "That's a lot more power than I bring to the table."

Still, Conrad said he didn't believe the Senate would need to use reconciliation, saying, "It's there as an insurance policy."

Under the budget proposal, Congress has until October 15 to develop a health-care bill. If lawmakers are unable to negotiate a bipartisan approach by that date, the Senate will be allowed to move forward with the expedited process.

Speaker Pelosi said Wednesday that she had been informed that fellow Democrat Rep. Jane Harman had been picked up on a federal wiretap.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday she had been informed that Rep. Jane Harman had been picked up on a wiretap - after Tuesday telling reporters she didn't know.

According to a transcript of Pelosi's remarks at the Christian Science Monitor lunch provided by Pelosi's office, the speaker said, "A few years ago, maybe three years ago, they did brief me." She said she was not fully briefed on the nature of the conversation, but because of her leadership position she was told Harman had been overheard on a wiretap.

Pelosi did not say which agency had carried out the wiretap. A government official told CNN Harman's conversation was picked up by an FBI wiretap.

"In fact, I didn't even know if what they were talking about was real. All they said was that she was wiretapped," Pelosi said.

The speaker went on to defend Harman, a fellow California Democrat, telling reporters, "I have great confidence in Jane Harman, she is a patriotic American. She would never do anything to hurt her country."

Because the briefing was classified, Pelosi said, she was not in a position to share the information with Harman or anyone else.

The number two House Democrat, Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, told reporters that the stories about the government taping Harman's conversations gave him "great concern" and said the Justice Department needs to look into the matter.

"Hopefully they are. And I may have some conversations with the attorney general on that aspect," he said.

Hoyer also said he planned to talk to Pelosi about what action, if any, Congress needs to take.

– CNN's Jeanne Meserve contributed to this report.