Earmark Collecting Done!

Our earmarks contest has collected over 41,000 earmark requests and we’ve brought it to a close. Next comes quality control and tagging the earmark requests that make it into the spending bills Congress will vote on this month. Read about it in a blog post called “The Earmark Hunt is Over! Sorta . . . .”

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Featured Items

The House and Senate return from their August recess this week (and the WashingtonWatch.com email newsletter returns from its one-week hiatus).

The House is scheduled to consider H.R. 965, the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Continuing Authorization Act.

The bill would amend the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998 to provide for the continuing authorization of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network.

No cost estimate for the bill is available yet.

The Senate is scheduled to take up S. 1023, the Travel Promotion Act of 2009.

The bill would establish a non-profit corporation to communicate policies for entering the United States and to otherwise promote leisure, business, and scholarly travel to the United States.

Passage of S. 1023 would cost the average U.S. family a little over $22.

H.R. 965
The Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Continuing Authorization Act

S. 1023
The Travel Promotion Act of 2009
Costs $22.77 per family

What People Think

The Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Continuing Authorization Act 57% For, 43% Against Vote on this Bill

The Travel Promotion Act of 2009 12% For, 88% Against Vote on this Bill

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

New Items

S. 251
The Safe Prisons Communications Act of 2009
Costs $0.15 per family

S. 952
The Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2009
Costs $1.47 per family

H.R. 3245
The Fairness in Cocaine Sentencing Act of 2009
Saves $0.03 per family

H.R. 1881
The Transportation Security Workforce Enhancement Act of 2009
Costs $6.00 per family

S. 801
The Family Caregiver Program Act of 2009
Costs $56.20 per family

H.R. 1053
The Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act of 2009
Costs $0.08 per family

S. 1078
The AmericaView Geospatial Imagery Mapping Program Act
Costs $1.29 per family

H.R. 481
The North Country National Scenic Trail Route Adjustment Act of 2009
Costs $0.04 per family

S. 728
The Veterans’ Insurance and Benefits Enhancement Act of 2009
Costs $6.08 per family

S. 1308
The Maritime Administration Authorization Act of 2010
Costs $2.88 per family

H.R. 3246
The Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2009
Costs $20.99 per family

S. 30
The Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009
Costs $0.19 per family

H.R. 1129
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide an annual grant to facilitate an iron working training program for Native Americans
Costs $0.02 per family

H.R. 1771
The Chesapeake Bay Science, Education, and Ecosystem Enhancement Act of 2009
Costs $0.57 per family

S. 736
The Federal Hiring Process Improvement Act of 2009
Costs $0.36 per family

H.R. 1002
The Pisgah National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act of 2009
Costs $0.01 per family

P.L. 111-42
Approving the renewal of import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003, and for other purposes
Costs $2.84 per family

H.R. 3029
To establish a research, development, and technology demonstration program to improve the efficiency of gas turbines used in combined cycle power generation systems
Costs $1.87 per family

H.R. 3165
The Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2009
Costs $7.64 per family

H.R. 3360
The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2009
Costs $0.04 per family

Updated Items

P.L. 111-31
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act
Costs $10.67 per family

Passed Items

none