Congress

Congress must stop raiding Social Security fund To the editor: The U.S. Congress refuses to use future surpluses to repay debt while running it to $170 billion per year. They have no plan for repayment. They should stop raiding the Social Security surplus and start paying the trust fund. It's time to voice our opinion. Right now, Congress raids the S.S. Surplus to finance regular government expenses and pet projects for themselves. This risks the whole future of the retirement system.

WASHINGTON - Here's how area members of Congress voted on major roll call votes in the week ending Oct. 23: HOUSE Coast Guard budget Voting 385 for and 11 against, the House on Oct. 23 passed a bill (HR 3619) authorizing $10 billion for the Coast Guard in fiscal 2010, about two-thirds of which would fund core missions such as conducting searches and rescues, combating drug smugglers and defending the U.S. coast against terrorist threats. The bill, which increases Coast Guard personnel by 1,500 positions to a force of 47,000, awaits Senate action.

Those who are convinced that Twitter is a passing fancy with no redeeming social value need only point to this as evidence: It's wildly popular with Congress. This makes sense, since everything the average Congress member knows about everything can neatly fit within the 140-character format. The site TweetCongress touts Twitter as a way to "get our men and women in Congress to open up and have a real conversation with us. " Here is an example of a real, congressional conversation: "Great HS football games this Friday night -- Stockdale at BHS and Liberty at Centennial.

Editor's note: The Herald-Mail invites readers to answer poll questions on its Web site, www.herald-mail.com. Readers also may submit comments when voting. A sampling of edited reader comments will run on The Herald-Mail's Opinion page on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. The question posted Friday on The Herald-Mail's Web site was: Do you agree with the decision by both houses of Congress to deny federal funding for ACORN? "It's about time. How much voter fraud, housing fraud and just all-around trouble can one group get into before it's not OK?

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Here's a look at health care legislation taking shape in the House and Senate as President Barack Obama pushes to overhaul the system, cover nearly 50 million uninsured Americans and contain rising costs. Details are still being negotiated and any final health care bill would have to meld proposals from the House and Senate. ------ Baucus proposal A look at a health care overhaul plan proposed by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont.

WASHINGTON - Here's how area members of Congress voted on major roll call votes in the week ending July 24. HOUSE Pay as you go Voting 265 for and 166 against, the House on July 22 passed a bill (HR 2920) putting Congress' pay-as-you-go budget rules into permanent law and giving presidents power to sequester funds when Congress breaks those rules. The bill awaits Senate action. A yes vote was to pass the bill. Maryland Roscoe Bartlett, R-6, no Pennsylvania Bill Shuster, R-9, no West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito, R-2, no Republican alternative Voting 169 for and 259 against, the House on July 22 defeated a Republican plan to replace HR 2920 with a law setting permanent caps on annual spending and deficit levels while leaving tax cuts uncapped.

U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., filed on Tuesday to run for a 10th two-year term in Congress. The filing period for the 2010 election opened Monday. Bartlett, 83, lives in Frederick County. He represents Maryland's 6th District, which includes Washington County. As of Wednesday, no other candidates had filed, according to the Maryland State Board of Election's Web site. Andrew Duck, a Democrat who twice ran unsuccessfully for Bartlett's seat, has said he's running again in 2010.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- All-Star shortstop Miguel Tejada has been sentenced to one year of probation for misleading Congress about the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Federal Magistrate Judge Alan Kay issued the sentence of one year of unsupervised release, 100 hours of community service and a $5,000 fine. The Houston Astros player apologized to Congress and the court during a brief statement at the U.S. District courthouse in Washington and said he "learned a very important lesson.