In '08, a curtailed agenda for Congress

IN '08, A CURTAILED AGENDA FOR CONGRESS
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Gail Russell Chaddock]
Congress returns to Washington and here's the agenda: fix a glitch in the 2008 defense policy bill, which President Bush sent back to the House on Dec. 28; by Feb 1, renew a controversial terrorist-surveillance program, including whether to shield telecommunications companies from lawsuits alleging violations of privacy; an economic stimulus package that is "timely, targeted, and temporary"; and renewal of the No Child Left Behind Act. While legislative prospects may be iffy in an election year, prospects for vigorous oversight and investigation by a Democratic-controlled Congress are booming. In coming weeks, congressional panels are taking up issues ranging from the destruction of CIA interrogation videotapes and the political censorship of scientists studying climate change to multimillion-dollar pay packages for CEOs involved in the subprime mortgage crisis.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0116/p02s01-uspo.html