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At last, there’s talk of making airline security rational and sensible.

Featured Items

Congress continues its August recess and will not return to Washington for several weeks.

When it returns in September, there will be just three weeks until the beginning of the 2009 fiscal year October 1st. As yet, not a single FY 2009 spending bill has passed both houses. You can follow the the FY 2009 budget and spending process on this page.

The president signed several bills into law over the past week.

Public Law 110-315, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007 amends and extends the Higher Education Act of 1965. Just a few provisions of the bill were discussed in the WashingtonWatch.com blog post “Good and Bad in the Big Education Bill.”

Its implementation will cost the average U.S. family over $1,200.

Public Law 110-314 is the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act. The law establishes consumer product safety standards and other safety requirements for children’s products, and it continues the operations of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The cost of implementing the law is just under thirty cents per U.S. family.

The Animal Drug User Fee Amendments of 2008 (Public Law 110-316) revises and extends the animal drug user fee program in the Food and Drug Administration. The program allows FDA to charge animal drug manufacturers for its reviews of their products.

The cost of implementing the law will be a little over $1.50 per average U.S. family.

P.L. 110-315
The College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007
Costs $1,209.34 per family

P.L. 110-314
The Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act
Costs $0.29 per family

P.L. 110-316
The Animal Drug User Fee Amendments of 2008
Costs $1.66 per family

What People Think

The College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007 33% For, 67% Against Vote on this Bill

The Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act 48% For, 52% Against Vote on this Bill

The Animal Drug User Fee Amendments of 2008 38% For, 62% Against Vote on this Bill

Displayed below are new, updated, and passed items with their cost or savings per family.

New Items

H.R. 3068
The Federal Protective Service Guard Contracting Reform Act of 2007
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 3328
A bill to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for a one-year extension of other transaction authority
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 4779
To enact certain laws relating to public contracts as title 41, United States Code, “Public Contracts”
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 2969
The Veterans’ Medical Personnel Recruitment and Retention Act of 2008
Costs $60.67 per family

S. 3192
A bill to amend the Act of August 9, 1955, to authorize the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, the Coquille Indian Tribe, and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians of Oregon to obtain 99-year lease authority for trust land
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 6577
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact
Costs $0.00 per family

P.L. 110-314
The Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act
Costs $0.29 per family

S. 3052
The Naval Vessel Transfer Act of 2008
Costs $0.00 per family

P.L. 110-287
Approving the renewal of import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003
Saves $0.03 per family

H.R. 6460
The Great Lakes Legacy Reauthorization Act of 2008
Costs $5.46 per family

S. 199
A bill to amend the Safe Drinking Water Amendments of 1996 to modify the grant program to improve sanitation in rural and Native villages in the State of Alaska
Costs $0.76 per family

H.R. 6608
The House Reservists Pay Adjustment Act of 2008
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 1211
The Saving Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act of 2007
Costs $0.01 per family

H.R. 6503
The Missing Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Alert Program Reauthorization of 2008
Costs $0.14 per family

Updated Items

P.L. 110-315
The College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007
Costs $1,209.34 per family

Passed Items

P.L. 110-301
The Libyan Claims Resolution Act

P.L. 110-312
The United States Parole Commission Extension Act of 2008

P.L. 110-313
A bill to amend title 35, United States Code, and the Trademark Act of 1946 to provide that the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, shall appoint administrative patent judges and administrative trademark judges, and for other purposes

P.L. 110-314
The Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act
Costs $0.29 per family

P.L. 110-315
The College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007
Costs $1,209.34 per family

P.L. 110-316
The Animal Drug User Fee Amendments of 2008
Costs $1.66 per family