The White House wants Congress to agree to a line-item veto bill soon. If the Senate does vote on the line-item veto this year, it will probably happen during the November lame-duck session.

Per a report today in Congressional Quarterly, House and Senate Appropriations Committee chairs Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) and Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) told their respective leaders House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) this week: While progress is being made with ... two [out of 12] major bills, we want to reiterate our commitment to moving each of the individual appropriations subcommittee conference reports at the earliest possible date this year.

The U.S. has lost its spot atop a ranking of the world's most "competitive" economies. Why? In part, our deficit is too high. The US trade deficit is expected to top last year's record level of $717bn (£378bn; 565bn euros) in 2006, while the budget shortfall, although expected to be significantly lower than last year, is still forecast to be close to $300bn. "US competitiveness is threatened by large macroeconomic imbalances, particularly rising levels of public indebtedness associated with repeated fiscal deficits," the report said.

Sen. Frist has promised to finish work on the Homeland Security and Defense appropriations bills before Congress goes on recess. Will he deliver? Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) promised lawmakers an aggressive work week Sept. 25, saying he is planning to use the next six days to finish critical appropriations bills, border security legislation, and measures dealing with President Bush's electronic surveillance program and military tribunals.....