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The article explores some technology measures that make it difficult for the U.S. Congress to keep them relevant. It notes that legislators are slow in debating technology policy, but advances in the sector are growing rapidly. It suggests that the Congress should focus on cybersecurity policies to prevent risks to privacy, copyrights and national security.

The article reports that leading U.S. Senators will speak at the national convention of the Democratic Party that will be held at the Pepsi Center Arena in Denver, Colorado in August 2008. They include South Dakota's Tom Daschle and Nevada's Harry Reid. The paper provides information on the political views and political career of Daschle and Reid. They are scheduled to speak on August 27.

The article presents the complete U.S. House and Senate rosters for the 112th Congress, second session, and offers a guide to the committees and subcommittees. It outlines the responsibilities and jurisdiction of the Senate and House committees including the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Appropriations, Armed Services, and the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. Also presented are the House Education and the Workforce, Energy and Commerce, Ethics, and Financial Services.

Reports on a complaint filed by legislator Peter Deutsch (D-Fla.) against Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) regarding the disqualified absentee ballots of several service members in the United States. Details of the story published in 'The New York Times'; Response of Buyer to the charges.

Highlights the dispute among United States legislators about the potential remedies to link online stock trading systems. Legislation linking stock exchanges and electronic networks; Views of Senate Banking Chairman Phil Gramm (R-Tex.) on a centralized system for stock exchanges and electronic networks; Forecast on changes in stock exchanges.

Discusses the reaction of U.S. congressional Republicans to the proposed U.S. fiscal 2005 budget by U.S. President George W. Bush and the projected budget deficits in 2005. Arguments presented by Republican legislators regarding the proposed fiscal budget; Estimated deficits from 2004 to 2013 according to the Congressional Budget Office; Comparison of the 2004 and 2005 fiscal budget .

Presents the records of voting in the U.S. Congress on bills and amendments. Voting records in the U.S. House; Voting records in the U.S. Senate; Legislators who voted on the bills and amendments.

Part III. Profiles U.S. Representative Richard Andrew Gephardt (D-Mo.). Educational background; Plan to seek for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination; Highlights of his political career. INSETS: Rep. Richard Andrew Gephardt of Missouri;Gephardt's Inner Circle;Gephardt's Key Votes.

Presents the rosters and seniority for all U.S. House and U.S. Senate committees and subcommittees for the first session of the 108th Congress. Chairman and ranking minority member of agriculture in general; Subcommittees of revenue appropriation; Committees of civil and criminal judicial proceedings.

Profiles U.S. legislators who won Congressional seats at the 2002 election. Representative Jo Bonner (R-Alabama); Representative Trent Franks (R-Arizona); Representative Dennis Cardoza (D-California).

Focuses on a landmark bill which aims to regulate the U.S. accounting industry and to crack down corporate fraud. Reason for the decision of U.S. lawmakers to focus on the landmark bill; Impetus for the legislation. INSETS: Corporate Accountability Bills Compared;Box Score;SEC Budget Skyrockets, by Jennifer A. Dlouhy.

Reports on the opposition of former members of the U.S. House of Representative on various legislative proposals. Information on the concern raised by former Representative Bill Paxon (R-N.Y.); Process of passing legislative bills in the U.S.; Discussion on the privileges of retired members of the U.S. House and Senate; Concept of bipartisanship in supporting legislative bills; List of former legislators who have become lobbyists as their second career. INSET: Lobbying After Legislating: Where Former Members Are Working.

Deals with the impact of the redistricting plan of incumbents in the United States Congress. Significance of a bipartisan congressional district plan negotiated by Representatives J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and William O. Lipinski (D-Ill.); Criticisms on the redistricting map; Details on redistricting status.

Reports that lawmakers in the United States (U.S.) both in the Republican Party and Democratic Party remain leery of mandating national standards for state-run election systems. Comments from Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee about the outcome of the 2000 election; Election reform-related bills; What might prompt U.S. Congress to help states upgrade their voting machines.

Features the chairmen of various committees of the United States Senate and their agenda under the leadership of the Democrats. Political career of the chairmen; Religion and education; Social issues that will be promoted under the Democrat-controlled Senate.

Highlights how United States Republican legislators had failed to urge President Bill Clinton to pass their legislative bills. Views of Clinton on taxation; Legislation that granted China permanent normal trading status by the U.S.; Progress on legislation on social issues.

Features Representative Bill Thomas (R-Calif.), who is expected to challenge Philip M. Crane (R-Ill.) to become chairman of the Ways and Means Committee in 2000. Credentials of Thomas; Perceived shortcomings; Views on the Thomas; Health care interest of Thomas; Alliance with Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.).

Focuses on the partnership between U.S. legislators Philip M. Crane (R.-Ill.) and Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), which shaped the Corporate Tax Bill. Similarities between Crane and Rangel; Factor which prompted the partnership between the two; Launch of Crane and Rangel's alternative tax plan.

Reports on the plan of the U.S. Congress concerning an energy policy and a Medicare drug benefit bill in the U.S. Provisions of the bills; Factors affecting the approval of the two bills; Importance of the Medicare bills for Republican lawmakers. INSET: Moving Deadlines.

Deals with the efforts of the U.S. Democrats to win back the control of the Senate in the 2004 elections. Obstacle for the Democrats; Democrat candidates who may face serious Republican opposition; Contention of Democratic strategists regarding their candidates.

Presents information on several Democratic legislators who are planning to run for president in the 2004 election. John Edwards; John Kerry; Richard A. Gerphardt.

Focuses on the expected problems concerning the enactment of the proposed fiscal 2003 omnibus appropriations bill of the U.S. Senate. Amount of the proposed budget; Amendments proposed by several legislators; Applications of the budget; Target date of the completion of debates concerning the appropriations.

Discusses the lessons to be learned by the 108th U.S. Congress from the previous Congress regarding legislative bills. Difference of the challenges that lawmakers will face for two years beginning January 2, 2003; Advice to Republicans on accounting regulation; Mistakes that the 108th Congress should avoid in order to break the deadlock over prescription drug coverage.

Discusses the plan of U.S. House minority leader Richard A. Gephardt to run for president in the U.S. Career background; Contributions of Gephardt to the U.S. Congress; Information on his campaign strategy.

Discusses the opposition of the Republican Party legislators in the United States (U.S.) Congress against changes in fuel efficiency standards. Highlights on the bill which seeks changes in automobile fuel efficiency standards; Issues surrounding the bill; How the United States can reduce its dependence on foreign oil; Competitors of the U.S. in the automobile industry.

Offers a look on the move of United States (US) lawmakers who went to Seattle, Washington to monitor the World Trade Organization (WTO) talks to come up with a two-track strategy on agricultural policy. Status of the rural economy of the US; What lawmakers expect from WTO; Issue of biotechnology.

The article reports that Republican congressmen created House Resolution 5652, a bill that would cancel 98 billion U.S. dollars in automatic cuts to discretionary funding set to take effect in January 2013. These cuts would affect defense spending. These automatic cuts, or sequesters, will be replaced with a 19 billion U.S. dollar cut in the discretionary cap for fiscal 2013 and with reconciliation savings proposed by six House committees that they hope would pare more than 310 billion dollars.

The article focuses on a Web-based protest against online piracy bills in January 2012 that has prompted U.S. lawmakers to reconsider measures and defer floor action. It cites some websites that have posted prominent statements of opposition to the piracy legislation, including Wikipedia. Critics said these bills would give the government broad censorship powers. It gives an overview of this protest, that was called by Tiffiniy Cheng of Fight for The Future as a grass-roots Internet uprising.

Deals with the dispute among lawmakers surrounding the energy bill in the U.S. Lawmakers at the heart of the dispute; Root of the dispute among legislators over the bill; Cost of the tax package approved by both Republican and Democrats in the bill; Steps taken by the Bush administration towards peacemaking; Importance of Senator Charles E. Grassley's (R-Iowa) vote for the bill.

Discusses the preparations of lawmakers and lobbyists regarding the campaigns for and against the potential nominees of U.S. President George W. Bush for a vacancy in the U.S. Supreme Court. Information on U.S. Supreme Court who will retire; Details on the potential nominees for the U.S. Supreme Court; Actions taken by liberal and conservative groups in preparation for the vacancy. INSET: Supreme Court Process Varies.

Features Stephen Moore, president of the renegade political group Club for Growth in the U.S. Information on a television advertisement sponsored by the group against Republican Senators George Voinivich and Olympia J. Snowe; Core mission of the group.

Reports on the selection of U.S. Representative Richard K. Armey (R-Tex.) by Speaker J. Dennis Hastert to lead the House deliberations on the administration's homeland security department proposal in June 2002. Responsibilities of Armey; Members of the Select Committee on Homeland Security.

Reports on the eagerness of Republican legislators in the U.S. to raise the legal limit of the national debt. Factors attributed to the rise in national debt; Consequences of inaction to limit debts; History of federal debt; Solution found by Republicans for the debt limit issue.

Profiles Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R., Wis.). Description of Sensenbrenner; Educational background of Sensenbrenner; Information on the naming of Sensenbrenner as chairman of the Judiciary Committee. INSET: Word for Word.

Deals with the plan of the Democratic senators in the United States (U.S.) to block the passage of the anti-missile policy proposed by U.S. President George W. Bush. Impact of the policy on the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty; Benefits of the proposed policy to the government; Limitations imposed by the ABM Treaty.

Reports that both Democrats and Republicans in the United States (U.S.) Senate are still nowhere close to address the issue of funding programs under the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act. What the programs received in fiscal 2001; What the Democrats insist; Bill approved by the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in March 2001.

Explores the efforts of lawmakers in the United States to reconcile the fiscal 2001 agriculture spending bill that would allow the importation of Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs from nations that cap prices. Impact of re-importation on patient safety according to the advertisements of The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America; Importance of the issue to incumbent Republican senators; Amendments to the agriculture bill in relation to drug importation.

The article previews the composition and order of business of the Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee of the 114th session of the U.S. Senate, with Senator John Thune of South Dakota expected to be named as committee chairman.

The article presents an outlook of the Budget Committee of the 114th session of the U.S. Senate. It claims that Republican Senator Jeff Session is favored to head the committee. Former chairperson Patty Murray of Washington is expected to resign as member to become the top Democrat in the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

The article previews the composition of the Energy & Natural Resources Committee of the 114th session of the U.S. Senate, with Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski expected to be named as chairman.

Provides information on some issues concerning legislation and legislators in the United States (US) as of October 1999. Issues concerning the nomination of federal judges; Details on the prosecution immunity granted to John Huang, key figure in the 1996 presidential campaign finance scandal; Retirement of Bill Barrett of Nebraska, the second most senior Republican on the US House Agriculture Committee.

The article explores the use of the random walk theory of financial economics to analyze the fiscal policy decisions of lawmakers in the U.S. The author claims that, as random-walk theory predicts, it is frequently appears as if lawmakers flipped a coin to decide how to deal with the budget crisis yesterday, and then flipped it again today without considering the outcome. The author adds there is a dearth of strategic choices and long-term planning.

The article presents a study by the New York-based newspaper "Jewish Daily Forward," which showed that the percentage of the Jewish members of the U.S. Congress could possibly drop by almost 25%. The reason for the decline is the lesser election opportunities in the Northeast region, where the majority of Jewish communities are located. Among the Jewish legislators are Barney Frank of Massachusetts, Senator Herb Kohl of Wisconsin and Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut.

The article focuses on the protest of Senators Bill Nelson and Herb Kohl of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging on the budget-cutting measures of the Social Security Administration (SSA) in stopping the mailing of annual benefit statements. According to Social Commissioner Michael J. Astrue, they are spending 70 million U.S. dollars a year for the printing and mailing of benefit statements. It also notes the plan to launch an online service of SSA for taxpayers.

The article focuses on Congressmen who favor cuts in the federal budget but argues about downsizing proposals in their districts. It mentions the plan of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to close 259 U.S. postal offices including the Farm Service Agency. It also notes several lawmakers protesting that closures can lead to more difficulties for farmers to access services of USDA including Senators Mark Pryor, Kirsten Gillibrand and Sherrod Brown.

The article reports on the democracy gap between what the U.S. Congress allows its members and what those members actually do with the advent of digital technology such as smartphones and tablet computers.

Criticizes the blue slip policy, a method by which U.S. senators signal their approval or disapproval of nominees from their own states. Advantages of the policy to senators; Comments from Judicial member Mike DeWine, (R-Ohio) on the policy.

Explains that a U.S. Senate bipartisan compromise on a generic drug bill is expected to factor into ongoing negotiations over creating a Midicare prescription drug benefit. Legislators who are involved in the negotiations; Budget designated by the U.S. Congress for Medicare reform; Highlights on the bill; Passage of a bill on electronic processing of checks in the U.S. House.

Presents information on the proposal of several U.S. legislators regarding the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. John W. Warner (R-Va.); Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.); Tom Lantos (D-Calif.)

Presents updates on the senatorial and congressional election in the U.S. as of November 16, 2002. Victory of Democrat South Dakota senatorial candidate Tim Johnson; Information on the tabulation of the votes for the congressional election in the 7th district of Colorado; Details on the senatorial and congressional candidates in Louisiana.