skreidle: (Default)
skreidle ([personal profile] skreidle) wrote2004-04-20 05:43 pm

What the gubmint's been up to

On the one hand: Pittsburgh International could become the nation's first major airport to get the OK to abandon the post-September 11 rule that says only ticketed passengers are allowed past security checkpoints. (via [livejournal.com profile] deusinnomen)

On the other hand: Legality of government protecting "state secrets" based on government lies 50 years ago. (Long article/story, but worth the read.) (via [livejournal.com profile] learath)

And how about this? Via [livejournal.com profile] djkangal, US Preparing for Military Draft in Spring 2005. (Actually, that's not new news, it's just a variation on the "required military service" link I posted a little while ago. It does, however, add that higher education is no longer a shelter, and that college students could only delay service by a semester or two.)



On a lighter note: An ironic Google search. (via [livejournal.com profile] vinz_klortho)

Egad! From a Conversatron thread: When a low-margin winery loves a target demographic very very much...
blaisepascal: (Default)

Draft....

[personal profile] blaisepascal 2004-04-20 05:41 pm (UTC)(link)
If you check the Thomas.loc.gov website (which is the official government site for tracking bills) you will find that the legislative history of the bill is simple:

It was introduced into both houses of Congress on 1/7/2003 by Senator Hollings (SC) and Rep. Charles Rangel (NY-15). Five representatives immediately co-sponsored it. Three weeks later, eight more representatives co-sponsored it.

So only 15 members of congress have formally endorsed it, and only one of those is a senator.

In both Houses it was immediately referred to their respective Armed Services Committee on 7 January 2003.

In the Senate nothing further has happened.

In the House, it got referred to a subcommittee on February 3, 2003, which asked for comment from the Department of Defence.

And that is the last to have happened to it in over a year.

I don't think anything is going to happen to it more. Everything that has happened so far appears to be "bill dies in committee" type stuff.

Re: Draft....

[identity profile] fuzzyamy.livejournal.com 2004-04-20 08:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Tracking Bills online is hot! Thanks for the link, I'll use it in the future.

I also enjoy seeing where the Bill is right now --

2/3/2003: Referred to the Subcommittee on Total Force

... which makes me think of All Your Base Are Belong to Us.