It’s Monday, and the Cape Wind meeting with Sec Salazar, Tribes and Energy Management happens today, the Senate is back in session battling it out on Ui benefits and more around 2pmET watch it live-stream; the House is not in session today.

The impact of just one Senator, Bunning, has put a complete stop to all types of construction projects, including Medicare programs that will need to be put on hold and leaving people who need a doctor without; putting not just construction workers out of work temporarily, but doctors will be losing 21%payments and they won’t be taking new patients.

The President along with Colin Powell/wife and Sec of Ed Arne Duncan will be announcing the 900million dollars in grants for the education program called Helping a America become a Grad Nation in association with Americas Promise Alliance.

PATTY MURRAY (D-WA):

“I’ve been consistently supportive of a public option so that Washington’s families and businesses have choices in their health care options and so insurance companies are finally forced to compete for the business of the American people. Nothing has changed that support. I don’t know whether the votes exist in the Senate right now, but if the public option came up for a vote as we move ahead with reform, including under reconciliation, I would vote yes.”

Thank you Patty Murray

on CSPAN today …

Partisan Divide Affects Unemployment Benefits

Sen. Maj. Ldr. Reid (D-NV) plans to introduce a bill in the Senate to extend federal unemployment and other benefits. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) blocked passage of the House-approved package of provisions on Friday. The benefits began to phase out yesterday, potentially leaving some people without unemployment and health benefits until a final Senate vote.

CNN Politics: Lone Senator Blocks Unemployment

Congressional Agenda: Now on C-SPAN

Rep. Hoyer on Fiscal Responsibility and PAYGO legislation

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) will talk about fiscal responsibility in a speech at the Brookings Institution. He’s expected to discuss the new bipartisan fiscal commission charged with recommending solutions for reducing the federal deficit, and also the “PAYGO” legislation recently enacted into law that requires federal spending or tax cuts to be offset by savings or revenue increases.        Brookings Institute: C-SPAN at 1pm ET

Additional Event Information

Commission Evaluates Teamwork Among Contractors

The Commission on Wartime Contracting will hold a hearing on how to improve cooperation among contract agencies in Iraq and Afghanistan. This hearing builds on previous testimony that exposed problems with planning and organizing contract projects. Government witnesses are set to testify on their actions to promote interagency coordination.

Hearing: C-SPAN2 at 9:30am ET     Wartime Contracting Hearing (2/22)
Commission on Wartime Contracting

The Cato Institute hosted a panel of legal scholars to preview the Supreme Court case McDonald v. Chicago and its implications for gun rights and other constitutional liberties. Washington, DC                    Cato Institute Panel