Republicans on Saturday blocked the Senate from considering a bill next week that would nearly double federal aid to help the poor pay heating and air-conditioning bills.
The Senate was expected to approve a massive housing market rescue bill on Saturday and President George W. Bush was ready to sign it soon, amid questions about how much it will help.
When there's an urgent need to trace fruits and vegetables in a crisis like the salmonella outbreak, a lot of the pieces for a rapid-response system already exist.
