Congress Takes Up Economy, Iraq and Immigration

Today Congress is back in session after a long Easter break. Three items are coming up that will be tricky votes for the three Senators running for the White House: the mortgage crisis, Iraq and immigration. A Senate vote is expected today on Democratic sponsored legislation that aims at easing the mortgage crunch. The legislation would grant bankruptcy judges more authority to modify mortgages, provide $200 million for mortgage counseling, permit state housing agencies to use revenue bonds for the purchase of homes in foreclosure and allow homebuilders to write off more losses from their taxes. The bill already fell to a Republican filibuster before the recess but the Democrats are going to give it another try.
The Democratic leadership has contended that the economy will dominate the debate in coming weeks, but next week Gen. Davis Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker are scheduled to testify to two committees which the three White House candidates serve on. This will definitely distract from the economic debate. As well Republicans are pushing for a vote on key immigration policy.
As the three most crucial issues come up it is apparent that Capitol Hill is where the presidential campaign will be waging its current battle. All three of these issues propose very tricky options for the candidates that will surely play out until November.