Congress geared up to start unusual lame-duck session Tuesday. Among the items during the session include the new Homeland Security Department proposal and who actually has control of the U.S. Senate this month.

Republican Rep. J.C. Watts, Norman, started the session with a meeting at the White House to discuss with Congressional leaders to compromise on the new Homeland Security Department. Greg McCarthy, Watts' press secretary, said Watts wants the department proposal to President George W. Bush and some of the appropriations bills to Bush before the session ends.

Rep. Ernest Istook, the Republican from Warr Acres, said he is also pushing for his capital gains bill. The bill would increase the deductibility of capital losses in the stock market from $3,000 to $20,000 a year.

Micah Swafford, Istook's press secretary, said he has not given up on getting it passed this session, but will also present the bill during the 108th Congress in January.

The unusual Senate situation

The U.S. Senate is currently controlled by the Democrats, but that could change in a week.

In Missouri, Republican Jim Talent defeated Sen. Jean Carnahan, D-MO., in the special election. Carnahan became senator after her husband, Mel, died before the election in 2000.

What makes the control change next week is the state cannot certify the election until Nov. 22. Until then, the Senate is at 49 Republicans, 49 Democrats and two independents. Sen. Jim Jeffords, I-Vt., working with the Democrats and the other independent, Sen. Dean Barkley of Minnesota, said he would not caucus with either party, leaving Democrats in control. When the election results in Missouri are certified, Talent will immediately be sworn in as senator and the Republicans will have control 50 to 48 with 2 independents.

Sen. Jim Inhofe's, R-Okla., office said there would be no change in the committee structure because of the short time that the lame-duck session is expected to last.

And the award goes to...

Republican Rep. Frank Lucas, Cheyenne, has been receiving a number of awards for his work during the past session.

In the past month, he was awarded the Property Rights Champion from the League of Private Property Voters, voting for private property rights 100 percent of the time. Lucas was also named the Guardian of Small Business from the National Federation of Independent Business, the Champion of Small Business from the Small Business Survival Committee and the Hero of the Taxpayer from the Americans for Tax Reform.

Each of the honors were awarded to him because of his 100 percent voting record for the respective groups' interests. Lucas said he was grateful for each of the awards, working toward private property rights and helping families during hard times.

"One of my priorities is to protect families' hard-earned income from a bigger tax burden," Lucas said.

The ACLU vs. Istook

The U.S. Supreme Court announced Wednesday they will hear the case regarding the constitutionality of a law requiring pornography filters on federally-funded school and library computers, a law authored by Istook.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the American Library Association filed suit against the law in March 2001, saying it would prohibit their First Amendment rights. Istook said he was pleased with the decision to hear the case.

"The Supreme Court has historically recognized that Congress is justified in restricting how our taxpayers' dollars are spent," Istook said. "It doesn't censor anything, but it does refuse to subsidize pornography that's aimed at kids."

In May, an appellate court in Philadelphia struck down the law, but the U.S. Department of Justice appealed the decision in June.
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