Chat Details

TWT congressional reporter S.A. Miller 01-14-09

This chat will begin at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 14, 2009.

Read the transcript of the live chat with S.A. Miller, a congressional reporter for The Washington Times, who took questions on Tuesday, Jan. 14.

Transcript

1. • S.A. Miller, a congressional reporter for The Washington Times, joins www.WashingtonTimes.com from Capitol Hill for a live chat. Good morning, Steven. Thanks for taking time to be with us today. by Jeffrey Lea
   • Answer: Great to be here. Let's get to the questions. by S.A. Miller
2. • Which group do you think will wield the most power on Capitol Hill during the Obama administration? Whom must he win over to have a successful term? Senate Democrats Senate Republicans House Democrats House Republicans Thanks! by Washington DC
   • Answer: House Democrats will likely set the agenda on Capitol Hill and wield much power as they push it through the chamber. Senate Democrats will be a force as well, as they will ultimately be the gatekeepers for what reaches Mr. Obama's desk. Mr. Obama must pull in some support from Senate Republicans to avoid getting his agenda stalled in that chamber, where the minority still can tie procedural knots. by S.A. Miller
3. • Why does the media give credibility to members of Congress such as John Conyers? Based on my experience with him a few years ago, he could not tell time unless his staff put it on paper. His current desire to investigate the Bush administration is being led by his staff of overzealous partisans. Why is there no media coverage of senile members like Conyers? by Pataskala, Ohio
   • Answer: Reporters cover Mr. Conyers because he is an elected representative of the people of Michigan and the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Even if he appears to be senile to readers such as yourself, he still has the support of voters in his district and of the Democratic Caucus that votes for him to keep the chairman post. The committee's investigation of the Bush administration, and other moves by the Democrat-led Congress, may well be driven by partisan concerns, but that can be said of most goings-on in Washington. If the press did not cover their activities, people wouldn't know about it and wouldn't be in a position to form opinions about it. by S.A. Miller
4. • Steven, what stories might we expect to see come out of Capitol Hill today? by Jeffrey Lea
   • Answer: The big stories are playing out behind closed doors as Capttol Hill Democrats and President-elect Barack Obama's economic team negotiate the release of the second serving of $350 billion for the Wall Street bailout and the details of the potentially $1 trillion economic recovery. Also, the House is voting on a long-stalled bill to expand government-financed health insurance for poor children, the SCHIP bill. The Senate is voting to advance a massive land-use bill that also has been stalled by a few Republicans. It is a more than 1,000-page omnibus package that consists of more than 160 various land-use issues, which among other things designate more than 2 million acres of wilderness across nine states as a national historic sites. It should pass the Senate with strong bipartisan support. by S.A. Miller
5. • When do you expect the D.C. voting rights bill to pick up substantial steam and come up for a vote? by Washington, DC
   • Answer: March. by S.A. Miller
6. • It was reported recently that Congress and President-elect Obama will change the law that repeals the estate tax in 2010. How likely is it that the estate tax will be reinstated? by Washington, DC
   • Answer: Mr. Obama repeatedly promises to raise taxes on the rich. The estate tax could be raised in ways to accomplish that goal. He wants to do a lot, and it is going to cost a lot. The estate tax is one way to help pay for his ambitious agenda. by S.A. Miller
7. • What you think the first few orders of business of the 111th Congress will be under President Obama. What's on the immediate radar screen for them to tackle? by Washington, DC
   • Answer: The economy will dominate the start of the Obama administration as he tries to move the roughly $1 trillion rescue through Congress. After that, there will be movement on energy legislation, which likely will be touted as further aid for the economy. Health care bills are coming together faster than anticipated, and there is a push to move sooner rather than later to address Social Security and Medicare. It's a full plate. by S.A. Miller
8. • How has Timothy Geithner's disclosure yesterday that he failed to pay almost $35,000 in income tax in 2001-04 and that he briefly employed a housekeeper not legally allowed to work in the U.S. affected his chances for confirmation as secretary of the Treasury? by Jeffrey Lea
   • Answer: It is certainly a speed bump on his road to confirmation. He's going to face some tough grilling at his confirmation hearing. Is it enough to derail his nomination? It is too early to tell. However, it is worth noting that the economic crisis will make it hard for Mr. Geithner's opponents -- if there are any true opponents -- to block someone with his credentials, which include currently running the New York Federal Reserve Bank. by S.A. Miller
9. • Do the other Obama nominees seem on track for confirmation by the Senate? by Jeffrey Lea
   • Answer: All of the nominees appear on course for confirmation, despite concerns about Attorney General-designee Eric Holder's work on pardons in the Clinton Justice Department and Secretary of State-designee Hillary Rodham Clinton's financial ties to foreign countries through her husband's work. by S.A. Miller
12. • What is your greatest joy as a congressional reporter and at the same time the challenges or downsides of the same? by Blantyre, Malawi
    • Answer: My greatest joy is the satisfaction that comes from supplying Washington news -- accurately and hopefully with some insight -- to our readers. The only down side is the hours. by S.A. Miller
13. • Aside from Geithner's credentials, why is the fact that the potential head of the IRS has conveniently remembered, in November, that he forgot to pay taxes for his maid? Also, why is he getting a "pass" that it seems very few would get for a "mistake" like this? by Washington, DC
    • Answer: I do not think Mr. Geithner is getting a pass. His tax and housekeeper problems were widely reported, and his confirmation hearing has been blocked from proceeding as planned Friday. The story just got out, and it remains to be seen how much steam it gathers. Senate Democrats and the Obama team are working hard to push past this snag, and Senate Republicans are still deciding if this is the right battle to pick with Mr. Obama. by S.A. Miller
14. • Steven, we're coming to the end of our chat. Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to be with us. Any last words for our readers? by Jeffrey Lea
    • Answer: It was a pleasure. Great questions. I hope you all continue to keep the press's and the politicians' feet to the fire. by S.A. Miller