Congressman Ehlers will meet with his constituents in a series of three town meetings to listen to their concerns and to report on his activities in Washington. The meetings will take place on April 29 in Ionia and Hastings and on May 6 in Grand Rapids.

Seeking to raise awareness about the plight of the Great Lakes, Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers brought a Congressional field hearing to Grand Rapids Friday afternoon to discuss current and future efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes and their watershed. Ehlers, chairman of the House Science Committee’s Subcommittee on Environment, Standards and Technology, held the briefing at Grand Valley State University’s Eberhard Center in downtown Grand Rapids, where he heard from six experts. Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids, is the author of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Implementation Act (H.R. 5100).

The U.S. House of Representatives took an important step to restore fairness to campaign finance regulations April 5, Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids, said. House members voted 218-209 to approve the 527 Reform Act (H.R. 513), which would require so-called 527 groups – political advocacy groups so named because of their tax code designation – to follow the same rules that other organizations attempting to influence federal elections have to follow under the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA).

On Monday, the House is not in session.

On Tuesday, the House will meet at 2 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.

Suspensions (8 bills):

(Bills on suspension are generally considered non-controversial and have reduced debate time, but require a two-thirds majority vote to be passed.)

1. H.J.Res. 83 - To memorialize and honor the contribution of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist: Authorizes and directs the Curator of the Supreme Court, subject to the direction and approval of the Chief Justice of the United States, to procure a marble bust, including pedestal, of the late Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, and to cause them to be placed in the Supreme Court building to honor his memory and legacy to the Supreme Court of the United States.
2. S.J.Res. 28 - A joint resolution approving the location of the commemorative work in the District of Columbia honoring former President Dwight D. Eisenhower: Approves the location on federal land within the District of Columbia recommended by the Secretary of the Interior for the commemorative work to honor Dwight D. Eisenhower. 
3. S. 592 - Glendo Unit of the Missouri River Basin Project Contract Extension Act of 2005: Amends the Irrigation Project Contract Extension Act of 1998 to extend each of the water service or repayment contracts identified in the Act for the Glendo Unit of the Missouri River Basin Project, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Colorado, until December 31, 2007.
4. H.R. 2341 - To amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the design, planning, and construction of a project to reclaim and reuse wastewater within and outside of the service area of the City of Austin Water and Wastewater Utility, Texas
5. H.R. 4709 - Law Enforcement and Phone Privacy Protection Act of 2006: Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the obtaining of confidential phone records information from a telecommunications carrier or IP-enabled voice service provider ("covered entity") by: making false or fraudulent statements to an employee of a covered entity or to a customer of a covered entity; providing false or fraudulent documents to a covered entity; or accessing customer accounts of a covered entity through the Internet without prior authorization. The measure imposes a fine and/or imprisonment of up to 20 years.
6. H.Con.Res. 357 - Supporting the goals and ideals of National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month: Honors the goals and ideals of National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month and promotes further public awareness and understanding of cystic fibrosis. The resolution advocates increased support for people who have cystic fibrosis and their families while encouraging early diagnosis and access to quality care for people with cystic fibrosis to improve the quality of their lives. The  resolution also supports research to find a cure for cystic fibrosis by fostering an enhanced research program through a strong Federal commitment and expanded public-private partnerships. 
7. H.Con.Res. 349 - Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby: Permits The Greater Washington Soap Box Derby Association to sponsor a public event, soap box derby races, on the Capitol Grounds on June 17, 2006, or on such other date as the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate may jointly designate.
8. H.R. 4916 - To authorize United States participation in, and appropriations for, the United States contribution to the first replenishment of the resources of the Enterprise for the Americas Multilateral Investment Fund: Authorizes continued United States participation in, and appropriations for, the Multilateral Investment Fund. The total U.S. pledged contribution for MIF II – the current round of funding for which the Committee must authorize funds already committed to by the Treasury Department – is $150 million over six years. The other 36 countries involved in MIF have pledged an additional $352 million. The first installment payment of $25 million is due in October 2007 and the President’s FY 2007 Budget includes a request for this amount.

On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10 a.m. for legislative business. On Thursday, the House will meet at 9 a.m. for Former Members Day and approximately 10:45 a.m. for legislative business.

Suspensions (2 bills):

1. H.Con.Res. 365 - Urging the Government of China to reinstate all licenses of Gao Zhisheng and his law firm, remove all legal and political obstacles for lawyers attempting to defend criminal cases in China, including politically sensitive cases, and revise law and practice in China so that it conforms to international standards: Urges the Government of the People's Republic of China, at all levels, to cease its harassment of Mr. Gao Zhisheng, overturn the suspension of his license to practice law, and restore his legal right to represent the clients of his choosing as protected by China's own Constitution, its Criminal Procedure Law, and its Lawyers Law. The measure also urges the Government of the People's Republic of China to repeal Article 306 of the Criminal Code of China, which provides penalties for lawyers whose clients are accused of perjury and has been used to curtail the active legal defense of individuals accused of political crimes.
2. H.R. 282 - Iran Freedom Support Act: A summary of this legislation was not available at time of publication.

H.R. 5020 - Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007: Directs resources to improve our human intelligence, intelligence analysis, and infrastructure, as well as more resources for bolstering counterintelligence capabilities. Specifically, the bill authorizes appropriations for FY 2007 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, including: the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force, the Department of State, the Department of Treasury, the Department of Energy, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Reconnaissance Office, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Drug Enforcement Agency Office of National Security Intelligence; the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System. 

H.R. 4975 - Lobbying Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006: Amends, strengthens, and enhances the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. The bill requires quarterly filing by lobbyists, up from twice a year. These filings are required to be electronic and will be accessible through a searchable and sortable online, public database. Registered lobbyists must disclose contributions to Federal candidates, leadership PACs and other PACs, political party committees, the amount and date of any gift that counts toward the cumulative limit (i.e. $50/$100) and the date, recipient, and amount of funds contributed to (or on behalf of) an entity named for a Member or established, financed, maintained, or controlled by a Member. This legislation raises the civil penalty for failure to report from $50,000 to $100,000 and adds a criminal penalty of up to three years for "willingly" and "knowingly" failing to comply with the provisions of the Act.

The measure requires Members to notify and inform the Standards of Official Conduct Committee when a Member begins salary negotiations with an employer within five days, and requires a Member to refrain from voting if it creates a conflict of interest. The Act reiterates current rules that Members may not conduct official acts based on the employment decision of an outside entity. The Act maintains the post-employment ban at one year for Members and senior staff, but requires the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to notify the Member, officer, or employee and the covered offices of the beginning and ending dates of the post-employment restrictions.

The Lobbying Accountability and Transparency Act suspends privately funded travel for the remainder of the 109th Congress and requires the Ethics Committee to report recommendations on gift and travel rules to the Rules Committee by December 15, 2006. Registered lobbyists are prohibited from traveling with Members on corporate flights and requires the price of sporting or entertainment tickets to be valued at the highest price of the event if no face value of the ticket is listed.

The measure increases the oversight of lobbying and enforcement of the laws. The legislation requires random audits of lobbying reports filed by lobbyists by the House Inspector General and permits the House Inspector General to refer violations by lobbyists to the Department of Justice for prosecution. The Act requires the House Inspector General to review lobbying disclosure and issue annual reports to the House.

The Act institutes institutional reforms and creates more transparency and information for Members and staff. The Act requires a list of earmarks, including the sponsor's name, to be included in a general appropriations bill or a report accompanying that bill's report. This bill requires the statement of managers accompanying a conference report including a listing of earmarks not included in either the House or Senate bill, not included in the list of earmarks accompanying the House report, or not included in the Senate report of the companion bill.

H.R. 4975 creates mandatory ethics training for employees each Congress, and new employees must complete ethics training within 30 days of being hired. A program for regular ethics training for Members is established and Members are encouraged to participate. The Act requires the publication of a new Ethics manual, including updates to changes in policies for every Congress.

The Lobbying Accountability and Transparency Act strips Members of government-contributions to Congressional pensions if convicted of bribery, acting as a foreign agent, or conspiracy to commit bribery or act as a foreign agent, while the individual is a Member. 

On Friday, there are no votes expected in the House. 

• Possible Motions to go to Conference
• Possible Motions to Instruct Conferees