The Hill Articles: February 17, 2011

Latino support for GOP party is gaining strength Senators push drilling on word of new containment system Administration asks judge to tell the states that healthcare law isn’t optional OVERNIGHT HEALTH: Where does 1099 go from here? Weyants World: February 17, 2011 Senate to move to final passage on aviation bill House Dems will not offer their own spending plan Happy-hour havens in Capitol Hill SCOTUS needs its poker face House Republican decries conservative budget amendment CTIA estimate faces tough questions Yes to the line-item veto Biden passes reins of economic stimulus to Lew House delays holiday to continue work on spending plan Senate votes down amendment to eliminate rural flight subsidy Freshman Republican: ‘I’ve never worked harder’ House funding debate draws out SEC weaknesses Government shutdown would be failure of GOP leadership, says Pelosi Minnesota expands Medicaid coverage DAY’S END ROUNDUP Durbin accuses Bernanke of falling for banks’ ‘talking points’ on interchange Federal judge gives Interior 30 days to decide on deepwater drilling permits Advice to freshmen: Don’t be a jerk Regulator skepticism starts fresh fight on interchange fees Senate Finance announces March 9 hearing on trade agreements GOP senators slammed for budget negotiations Pro-Boeing lawmakers tie tanker decision to job-creation goals Sen. Brown revealed abuse ‘to be honest’ Upton targets DOE solar loan guarantee More votes piling up in House tonight Afghan escalation fails to deliver Slashing international assistance hurts women and girls Intellectual property lawyer appointed to patent office Boehner wades into Wisconsin labor battle, backing GOP governor Supporting the transition in Egypt Memo to the President Obama heads west for meeting with tech set Palin on 2012: ‘I’m still thinking of leading this country’ Mortgages in foreclosure hit record high, while home loan delinquencies drop Black Caucus goes after Obama, GOP for ‘draconian’ cuts Slots deal made cloture on aviation bill possible Lakers’ Ron Artest tells Congress: ‘It’s normal to have a mental-health issue’ Aviation bill cleared for takeoff Huntsman decision coming ‘in the next couple of weeks’ Spill commission: BP long aware of contractor woes Toomey makes good on Super Bowl bet Pelosi: Amendment needed to end ‘secret’ corporate money in campaigns 1099 repeal gets trickier with House bill 1099 repeal gets trickier with House bill Blackburn to hold Genachowski to his word on peering disputes Silicon Valley Dem: Net neutrality repeal would spark ‘revolution’ Poll: ‘Moderate’ Republican has better chance against Obama Speak up for the people of Iran Obama budget director believes spending deal still possible ‘Faith-based revolution’: Israel’s Moshe Feiglin on the Egyptian uprising Lawmakers to work across aisle, chambers on government waste Regulating debate on regulating the Internet Exxon-led group says oil well containment system is ready Proponents of D.C. voting rights visit House Speaker’s home The Chris Christie canonization Lawmakers: White House wrongly offered to compromise support for Israel Obama to make state visit to UK in May Rep. Napolitano gets celebrity support for mental health bill FCC Internet regulation up for House vote Thursday Senate still deadlocked over proceeding on extending trade programs FDA challenges medical device approval comparisons with Europe Latest GOP repeal tactic: Starve the IRS Boxer ‘right up with the Founding Fathers,’ jokes Rockefeller Putting consumers first this Congress NTIA: Broadband map proves stimulus wasn’t waste Countering America’s regulatory burden: Congress sees jobs as topmost priority Senators look to expand Medicare’s mental healthcare Birthers ‘ought to get off this kick,’ says Rep. Flake Bill would prohibit lawmakers, president from being paid if government shuts down Ex-Rep. McMahon touts stimulus anniversary It’s time to bring our troops home Counter point: Robert Poole’s analysis is off course Green group ranks lawmakers’ environmental voting records Refugees International alarmed at funding cuts Bernanke: Small banks might be forced to meet interchange limits The path to a more efficient Pentagon Report: Chinese equivalent of Twitter censors Hillary Clinton House cuts NEA, education, park funding in Thursday votes McConnell: Stimulus has become ‘national punch line’ Boehner: ‘I don’t want anyone to lose their job’ Senate set to vote on deal to resolve D.C. airport fight We need tough choices in tough times Vet group backs activist for ex-Rep. Lee seat Rep. Smith: Iraq ‘highly likely’ to ask U.S. troops to remain Jobless rate creeps back up above 400,000 House honors military, Rep. Johnson Rep. Ryan: Wisconsin protests like Egypt Report: Disabled taxpayers unaware of credits, deductions House sends Patriot Act to Obama Pelosi confidant praises Republicans for ‘retro’ floor debate on spending bill Merchants blast Visa for misquote in interchange testimony Obama to sit down with tech CEOs Thursday Inside the budget battle Rockefeller: Spectrum bill is the top priority for Senate Commerce Pawlenty courts Florida, stays out of primary dispute Rubio at odds with RNC over Florida primary date Interchange Price Cap Rule News bites: BP complains about spill payments, climate change causes extreme rain, and more House slashes $8.4M from EPA program House returns at 9 a.m. for Patriot Act, spending Gallup finds Obama deadlocked against generic Republican Obama has slight edge over GOP challenger in Pennsylvania Obama says DNC chairman would be ‘great’ Virginia senator Thune: GOP can’t ‘minimize’ social issues in picking president Where’s John Thune? Can you hear America now? Take 2 GOP uses stimulus anniversary to hit vulnerable Dems Bachmann on Obama’s birthplace: ‘That isn’t for me to state’ Report: China’s state-owned oil companies have ‘high degree of independence’ Vanishing seats mean new rivals House adds $500 million in cuts Obama should lead on tough spending cuts to entitlements, tax reform Congress, the president need to step up to painful choices ahead on budget America’s crossroads The Hill Exclusive: Debt leaders call for more cuts to avert fiscal ‘disaster’ MORNING READ House finishes read-through of FY 2011 spending bill Democrat offers a spending cut, Republican opposes Republicans shoot down several Dem spending amendments Alaska’s Rep. Young bristles at earmark charge GOP proposes cuts to state grants, shifting of funds for special ed House working on deal to speed up amendment process Boehner has ‘real doubts’ about prospect for budget agreement Republicans turn sights on arts funding Democrats split on spending Bin Laden would be held at Gitmo if caught GOP seeks Napolitano papers as political ammo ahead of possible Senate run OVERNIGHT ENERGY: GOP sharpens climate message before vote Texas Republican: ‘Intentional ambush’ of ICE agent is a ‘game changer’ Hillary Clinton donors indicted GOP memo urges purity on repeal House amendment scraps $450 million slated for alternative F-35 engine EADS confident final tanker bid will outdo rivals Unlikely partners Chamber, AFL-CIO: Raise gas tax to fund infrastructure fixes Rep. Inslee: Republicans want kids to get asthma OVERNIGHT TECH: National Broadband Map comes out Thursday OVERNIGHT MONEY: The CR wrangle United by liberty and freedom House accepts two more cost-cutting amendments to 2011 funding bill Inside the office of Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas): Margarita Lea Valdez ‘Superman’ actor loves Iowa caucuses Lautenberg, Leahy, Sanders: Save the bats! Chaffetz: Sleeping in my office is good for the environment