a congressional stroll down memory lane

When the House and the Senate come to some kind of a compromise on a law, a conference report is published with all the details. As we prepare to say "don't let the door hit you on the way out" to the 109th Congress, the GPO has posted both sessions Conference Reports, which includes some great moments in legislation like the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, the USA Patriot Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005, and the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

sign here

When the president signs a bill into law, it is sometimes customary that he includes a little message to go along with it: a signing statement. They don't become part of the law, but are findable on the GPO's electronic version of the Weekly Comp (just put "signing statement" in the search box).

This is a presidential privilege that kind of functions like having the last word. It's used more by some than others, particularly the current administration, it seems, to a degree that the custom was not intended. So... the American Bar Association issued a task force to determine the constitutionality of this practice: the Task Force on Presidential Signing Statements and the Separation of Powers Doctrine. Download the PDF of the task force's recommendations, or attend the ABA's annual meeting in Honolulu next month.

stem cell

Yesterday, the president vetoed HR 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005.

Read Bush's veto as published in the Daily Digest, and all actions on the bill, as well as how each rep voted on Thomas.

9/11 Commission Report becomes a Comic Book

It happens quite often with government documents... since they are in the public domain, there is a tendency to repackage the information found within the items and sell them for a fee. Sometimes, with databases like Lexis-Nexis Congressional (which is now available through Aladin!), it actually makes the information easier to find. With the case of a new version of the report released by the 9/11 Commission, a republishing might actually make it easier to comprehend. The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation by two greats of the comic industry, Sid Jacobson (who created Richie Rich) and Ernie Colon (he drew Richie Rich and Casper). It will be available next month from Hill & Wang.

protecting the assets

What's does the Hoover Dam, METRO, and a high stakes bingo palour have in common? Well, according to the National Asset Database, these are places that the DHS is concentrating on protecting from terrorist activity. This report details how it's all coming along. It's good to know that those keeping us safe are treating petting zoos and national monuments the same.

"it's a series of tubes"

The above title is a direct quote from Senator Ted Stevens' explanation of his vote on a recent net neutraility bill last month. While his written testimony gives some hint of his perception of the internet, it's his comments published by wired.com that are incredibly intriguing. It seems the Senator from Alaska feels that his own personal internet is getting tangled up with people who are watching ten movies at a time, and that the internet is not a truck, it's a series of tubes, and the Defense department has their own Internet "because they have to have theirs delivered immediately. They can't afford getting delayed by other people."

there oughta be a law...

The Law Librarian's Society of Washington DC has created a website called the LLSDC's Legislative Source Book, with a page all for laws related to federal agency operations. The interface is a little too simple, and kind of suggests that you should know what you're looking at before you look at it. Still, if you're wanting lots of information all in one place, this is as good as it gets. Examples of laws and bills featured: the E-Government Act of 2002, the Sunshine Act of 1976, and the Freedom of Information Act.

GovDocs in SecondLife

The MMORG Second Life (think World of Warcraft without so much of the Dungeons and Dragons) is in the process of building an on-line virtual library for those avatars who want a little education mixed in with their gaming. One of the stories in the brand new, ten-story building that sits upon info island is exclusive to government documents. It's maintained by Alaskan Nighbor, a.k.a. Daniel Cornwall, a GovDocs librarian in Alaska (of course!). So if you happen to be "in-world" fly on up ton the sixth floor for a looksee.