Apr. 10, Feature - The three remaining major party presidential candidates are all U.S. Senators. That's politicized Congressional business even more than is usual for a major election year. Judith Siers-Poisson and Diane Farsetta of PRWatch dot org report.

The election's impact on Congress became clear last month, when the Senate was debating budget measures. A proposal to ban earmarks -- which provide federal funding for home-district projects -- for one year was especially controversial. While all three presidential candidates voted for and co-sponsored the ban, it was defeated by a wide margin. After being asked to do so, Barack Obama released a list of earmarks he had requested in 2005 through 2007. His campaign, along with John McCain's, challenged Hillary Clinton to follow suit. Her office has pledged to announce future earmark requests, but not previous ones.

The presidential posturing on the Senate floor continues. Over the next few months, Senate leaders are planning votes on such major issues as the Iraq war, immigration, wiretap surveillance and the economy. Congress is currently debating how to handle the housing crisis. Senators Clinton and Obama favor federal assistance for struggling homeowners, while McCain blasted their stance as taking "more money out of [Americans'] pockets."

That was Judith Siers-Poisson and Diane Farsetta of PRWatch dot org reporting.