Legislation

New York Sens. Chuck Schumer (D) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) have introduced legislation to rename a road near the Buffalo Bills' stadium after Tim Russert. A House version has been introduced by Rep. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.).

The former "Meet The Press" host was known to end broadcasts by urging on the Bills, his hometown football team. If the resolution passes, the portion of U.S. Route 20A that runs near Ralph Wilson Stadium would be renamed "Timothy J. Russert Highway."

According to Rasmussen, 67 percent of Americans support oil drilling off the nation's coasts and 64 percent think it will lower gas prices.

House Minority Leader John Boehner's (R-Ohio) office circulated the poll today as House Republicans push drilling as their solution to high gas prices.

The federal government prohibits offshore drilling, and Republicans have called for the ban to be lifted. Rep. John Peterson (R-Pa.) will offer an amendment to lift the ban tomorrow at an Appropriations Committee markup, the leadership office said.

Republicans have accused Democrats of inaction on gas prices, while House Democrats have blamed oil companies and market manipulation for high prices. House Dems have passed legislation to create a Department of Justice task force to investigate and prosecute oil cartels, and Democratic senators have called for regulation of oil futures speculation.

Rasmussen surveyed 1,000 "likely voters" on June 13 for the poll.

Senate Republicans blocked an attempt Wednesday by Democrats to move a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits. The GOP objection to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) unanimous consent request virtually ensures that Democrats will add the politically popular measure to the supplemental war bill that the House plans to pass this week. President Bush has threatened to veto the bill over the unemployment-insurance extension.

-Manu Raju

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) is asking for 1,000 more visas for foreign models. The bachelor congressman says that his bill is aimed at boosting New York City's fashion industry.

"From Fashion Week to our vibrant publishing industry to the many designers that call New York City home, fashion is a vital part of our economy that drives thousands of jobs," Weiner said in an interview with the New York Daily News.

The 43-year-old Weiner, a former and prospective future mayoral candidate, is currently dating Huma Abedin, aide-de-camp of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.).

From The Hill's Jessica Holzer:

House Democrats will take another shot at raising taxes on a large portion of private equity and hedge fund managers

House Democrats will push for an extension of unemployment benefits this afternoon in response to a lagging U.S. economy.

A bill authored by Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) will come up for a vote this afternoon; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Democratic leaders will hold a press conference following the vote. The bill would extend unemployment benefits for workers whose current unemployment compensation has run out.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' May jobs report showed unemployment having risen from 5 percent to 5.5 percent. Democrats have posed McDermott's bill, called the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008, as a response.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich's (D-Ohio) move to impeach President Bush was defeated in the House of Representatives today.

Kucinich introduced articles of impeachment against Bush on Monday, successfully forcing a vote on them today. The House voted 251 to 166 today to send them to the Judiciary Committee, where it will likely languish.

Despite opposition from Democratic leaders, Kucinich's bill saw a vote because it was introduced as a privilege resolution, a type of legislation that must be voted on.

Kucinich's articles of impeachment were similar to those he introduced last year against Vice President Dick Cheney. In them, Kucinich alleged that Bush manufactured a false case for war before the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

See CSPAN video of the vote, and analysis from The Hill's Bob Cusack, here.

House Republicans, in their push to ease restrictions on oil drilling, are crying foul that China drills for oil 50 miles off the coast of Florida while U.S. companies must sit on the sidelines.

The House GOP leadership office today circulated an op-ed Rep. George Radanovich (R-Ca.) has published in the Modesto Bee, in which Radanovich says, "China, thanks to a lease issued by Cuba, is drilling for oil just 50 miles off Florida's coast...Suffice to say that China doesn Read more...

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), formerly a 2008 GOP presidential candidate, is calling for all new U.S. cars to run on gasoline/alternative fuel blends by 2018.

Tancredo plans to introduce legislation today that would institute such a requirement, his office announced this afternoon in a press release. Tancredo's bill would mandate that all passenger cars run on flex-fuel blends, such as E-85, of gasoline and alcohol-based fuels such as ethanol. The requirement would begin to take effect on cars produced in model year 2018.

Tancredo made a name for himself in the 2008 presidential race by running on a hard-line immigration platform, making passionate calls for increased border security. Tancredo ran television ads in Iowa that used images of Central American gang murders and predicted terrorist attacks, arguing that illegal immigration poses a frightening security threat to U.S. citizens.

Tancredo's release today said cars that run on flex fuel blends cost about $100 more to manufacture.

"More than 17 million new cars roll onto America's highways each year, most of them capable of running only on gasoline that now costs more than $4 per gallon," the release said. "These vehicles will have an average life span of nearly 20 years, guaranteeing that American motorists will be sending more and more of their hard earned money to places like Venezuela and Saudi Arabia unless some action is taken to develop domestic oil supplies and reduce consumption of oil imports."

A leading group of manufacturers is telling lawmakers to vote against a bill that seeks to roll back taxes on oil companies and institute a windfall profits tax.

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) said that Consumer First- Energy Act, being pushed by Senate Democrats, would lead to higher energy costs, fewer energy supplies, a weakened domestic energy industry and more job losses for U.S. factory workers.

"American manufacturers already face a 31.7 percent cost disadvantage when compared to our major trading partners," according to an NAM release. "This bill would drive the cost disadvantage even higher, putting quality American jobs at risk."

The group added that it would consider any votes on procedural motions that moves the bill forward as support for the bill itself.

Democratic Sens. Harry Reid (Nev.), Max Baucus (Mont.), Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), Jeff Bingaman (N.M.) and Byron Dorgan (N.D.), in addition to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), have been pushing for measure.