CONGRESS: A HALFTIME SCORECARD

  • Updated: August 8, 2009 - 8:32 PM
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CONGRESS: A HALFTIME SCORECARD

Last week, the 111th Congress closed up shop for its summer recess. Here's a scorecard on what it has done -- and not done -- in the six months since President Obama took office:

Finished

Passed a $787 billion stimulus package of tax cuts, benefit increases and new spending on road, bridge and other job-producing projects aimed at countering the recession

Expanded health care subsidies for children of low-income parents to cover an additional 4 million children

Imposed government regulations on the content, marketing and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products

Passed a $1 billion program providing rebates of as much as $4,500 for older gas-guzzling cars and trucks traded it on new, more fuel-efficient models. The program proved so popular, it added $2 billion to extend the rebate offer to Labor Day.

NOT FINISHED:

Bills allocating where government money will be spent in the 2010 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1

Health care overhaul: Neither the House nor the Senate was able to meet Obama's target of early August for completing separate versions.

Climate change: The House passed a bill that for the first time would set limits on greenhouse gases, but Senate committees have yet to begin drafting a bill.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

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