OFF THE WIRE
The 10 Most Hopeless Bills on Capitol Hill
In Congress, some bills get a shot and others don't.
With more and more bills introduced each session, the number that actually make it to the president's desk is comparatively low.
During 2007 and 2008, 11,077 bills were introduced in Congress, while just 460 were signed into law. That means for every new law that session there were 23 bills that didn't make it out of Congress.
To be fair, some of those bills were resolutions congratulating sports teams that wouldn't have gone to the president or bills introduced just to make a point.
Still, some of those unenacted bills stand out for their sheer hopelessness.
Read the complete story or learn more about the individual bills below.
1) Opening trade with Cuba. 2) Electing shadow senators. 3) Changing presidential succession. 4) Allowing the president a third term. 5) Creating term limits for Congress. 6) Tracking gun purchases. 7) Decriminalizing personal use of marijuana. 8) Allowing everyone to join Medicare. 9) Abolishing the Federal Reserve. 10) Starting a U.S. Department of Peace.
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D.C. Decoder: Supreme Court Viewing Guide
Though it's unclear who will replace Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, what's certain is that activist groups plan to spend millions influencing that decision.
"We are absolutely prepared to take this head on," Mai Shiozaki, president of the liberal National Organization for Women said last week. On the other end of the spectrum, conservative groups made similar declarations to act.
The groups wield their power over the Senate — particularly the Judiciary Committee that oversees the confirmation process — by targeting constituents.
Read more about advocacy groups and Supreme Court nominations.
Watch an episode of "D.C. Decoder" with Craig Crawford on what to look for in the nomination fight.
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Congress Q&A: Appropriations
Do you have a question about Congress?
Every week, our research staff answers your questions about how Congress works, what's really in legislation being considered and where you can learn more on your own.
This week we answered a reader question about federal spending:
Who chairs Congressional appropriations committees?
If you have a question you'd like answered, e-mail editor@congress.org. You can also post it on our Facebook wall or write @congressorg on Twitter. Please include your name and hometown.
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Health: Illegal Immigrants Remain Uninsured
Along with abortion, the hot-button issue of illegal immigration nearly scuttled the Democratic health care overhaul.
Though controversy flared when Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) called President Obama a liar during a joint session of Congress, Democratic leaders managed to tamp the issue down by barring illegal immigrants from many of the new programs and benefits in the bill.
As a result, some advocates say insuring the country's 12 million illegal immigrants will soon be one of the biggest unsolved health care problems.
Under the new law, undocumented immigrants are exempt from the individual mandate requiring most Americans to buy health insurance or pay a fine. But they are also barred from receiving Medicaid, the federal insurance program for the poor, or even buying their own insurance through statewide exchanges to be set up in 2014.
