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The article reports on the intent of the U.S. House and Senate negotiators to generate an agreement for the regulation of the FY08 budget blueprint in May 15, 2007. The said budget blueprint has been expected to evaluate the usage of reconciliation for new spending among education committees to produce filibuster-proof expansions of collegiate access programs. However, Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad, along with some Representatives, is planning to oppose the passage of the said policy.

The article states that U.S. House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller, on May 9, 2007, disclosed new evidence of the relationship that JPMorgan Chase & Co. cultivated with financial aid officers of colleges and universities. The disclosures came as the U.S. House gave approval to a bipartisan bill designed to bring more transparency to the student loan industry.

The article focuses on issues concerning budgets that the U.S. Senate and House would be considering in the third week of March 2007. The Senate would be taking up its $2.9 trillion FY08 budget resolution and the House would be considering a nearly $125 billion FY07 emergency spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, hurricane and drought relief and other items.

The article offers information on various bills that will be moved to the U.S. House floor during the week. Apart from the five measures on government transparency the lineup includes legislation to speed the government's response to Freedom of Information Act requests and two bills focusing on presidential libraries and legislation requiring federal agencies to announce within 14 days their reasons for awarding no-bid contracts and a bill to enhance protection for whistleblowers.

The article reports on the request of U.S. Representatives George Miller and Barney Frank for information concerning the sale of about $18 million stocks of Sallie Mae Inc. The two representatives address their concern to company chairman Albert Lord. The concern of Miller and Frank is on the concurrence of the sale and the release of the budget proposal of President George W. Bush that aims to reduce lender subsidies.

The article reports that the U.S. House is poised to approve legislation that would cut the interest rate on student loans in half over five years despite Republican cries that the bill was unfairly being considered on a closed rule. House Education and Labor Committee ranking member Howard McKeon contends that the Democrats' education legislation would have little effect on college affordability because it would serve borrowers after they have graduated from college.

The article reports on the U.S. lending community's concern over U.S. House Democrats' proposal to halve student loan interest rates. They demanded that Democrats will have to offset the cost of their student loan plan by cutting the government subsidies that traditionally keep the fees charged to students low and protect lenders from losing money on defaulted loans.

The article presents information about different exit polls conducted in the U.S. after the November 2006 midterm Congressional elections. An exit poll of 13,208 voters, conducted by the television network CNN, revealed that independents voted 57-39 percent in favor of the Democratic Party's candidates for seats in the House.

The article informs that the U.S. House will vote on a legislation by Kansas Representative Todd Tiahrt, designed to eliminate inefficient and unnecessary federal programs. Tiahrt's bill would create seven-member bipartisan commissions to conduct one-year reviews of federal programs and the manager's amendment will permit any savings to be used for anything considered a priority. There is a possibility that proposed commissions could study and recommend changes to entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

The article reports that the negotiations have stalled over the United States Congress House and the United States Congress Senate legislation to overhaul the U.S. Postal Service following a meeting with White House officials. At issue is the Postal Service's labor costs, which consume 80 percent of the agency's budget. Gene Del Polito, president of the Association for Postal Commerce, said White House advisers, headed by Deputy Chief of Staff Joel Kaplan, are pushing for a final bill to include Senate language that would require all labor negotiations to go through the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

The article reports on presentation of legislative bills by the U.S. Senators for the financial year 2007. The U.S. senators are focusing their attention marriage and repealing the estate tax bills while legislators are focusing on telecommunication bill. United States Congress House members might see an unusual Friday vote on the telecom legislation. Democrats see amendment in marriage bill and repealing of estate tax as election-year attempts to appeal to the GOP's conservative base. Democrats are in favor of rolling back the estate tax.

This article reports that the U.S. House Financial Services Housing Subcommittee approved legislation that would provide low-income residents in rural areas rent subsidies from a voucher program. The bill, approved by voice vote, would allow owners of subsidized housing units to opt out of their government contracts to pursue other business interests with their property. While the bill would let owners prepay the remaining balance of their existing contracts, it also provides a source of funding for the tenants affected by the loss of housing.

The article states that a U.S. House subcommittee version of the legislation to improve coal mining safety will probably be introduced within a week as of May 23, 2006 and could give the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration power to subpoena witnesses. U.S. House Education and the Workforce Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chairman Charlie Norwood, and Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman Buck McKeon met to smooth out details of the bill that McKeon has said would be marked up after the Memorial Day recess.

The article reports that U.S. House members working to advance a Postal Service overhaul bill continue to put off naming conferees to negotiate a compromise that will meet the White House's approval. The House passed its bill in July, but a veto threat has stymied the bill as White House aides push lawmakers to eliminate provisions that were part of both the Senate and House bills. Senate conferees were appointed last February, just after that chamber passed the legislation. Under debate is language that would shift to the Treasury Department the cost of funding pension benefits relating to military service of postal workers.

This article reports that U.S.-based Democrat Francine Busby garnered 44 percent of the vote in Tuesday's special election to replace former House Representative Randy Cunningham, but she did not exceed the 50 percent needed to win the seat outright. As a result, the school board member will face former GOP Representative Brian Bilbray in the June 6, 2006 runoff in the strongly Republican 50th District. Of the 14 GOP candidates, Bilbray led with 15 percent, slightly ahead of investment banker Eric Roach, who trailed by 900 votes. The winner of the runoff will serve out the remaining six months of Cunningham's term. He resigned after pleading guilty to corruption charges. Busby, who campaigned heavily on ethics reform, stockpiled $100,000 to spend on the June runoff, while Bilbray emptied his treasury.