This Week on Capitol Hill

Budget '09: The Senate continues its slo-mo march toward passage of a budget for fiscal year 09 (which we're 5 months into). The "omnibus" budget bill, HR 1105 - which bundles nine spending bills Congress left hanging last year - was put on hold last week as senators voted on twelve amendments that aimed to, among other things, cut out "pork" projects, limit EPA protection of polar bears, prevent UN funding for abortions and dry up investment in Iran. All twelve amendments were shot down, as the next dozen - including items on Gaza and DC student vouchers - are expected to be this week.

• more about the '09 Budget

Water Recycling: As House committees get down to business outlining a budget for '10, action on the floor is light this week with only a $13 billion water treatment bill, HR 1262, scheduled for a vote.

If you want to let your Congressfolk know where you stand on any of the issues above, you can email them through Congress.org, because...

Hey, it's your democracy too.

- teamJoe

Next update: March 16, 2009.