Hit the Ground Sprinting

President Obama is working so hard that the National Archives had to change the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents to the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents!! Just kidding -- they had planned to change its frequency anyway, with the incoming administration, now that the Government Printing Office's snazzy new Federal Digital System makes insta-publishing so easy for government agencies. The Compilation includes all of the proclamations, executive orders, speeches, and other presidential goodies released by the White House Press Secretary, and is the historical record of that office. (So far though, the official White House site still seems to be providing the important docs in a more timely fashion...)

And while the POTUS has been busy, Congress has been no slouch. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich) reintroduced his bill to provide universal healthcare yesterday (it died in committee in the 110th Congress, but could have a different fate in this one) and the House will vote this week on the much-anticipated economic stimulus package. The Senate has recently passed its version of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 and sent it back to the House.

To find the text of any bill you hear about in the news, search the Thomas database at the Library of Congress website. If it isn't yet posted there (like a couple of the above) try the websites of the bill's sponsor or the associated congressional committee. If it's in the news, chances are that it's available electronically in some form!