>> The Senate might have to work all weekend, in advance of a possible vote on Sunday on whether to take up a $50 billion war funding bill that calls for a troop withdrawal from Iraq in 12 months, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) warned. Be prepared to hear all your Senate staffer friends complain about this at happy hour tonight. [The Hill] >> Foxhall Road will be closed to traffic between MacArthur Boulevard…

Morning, Washington. We hope you were out enjoying the fantastic weather, especially since the environment has been front and center in the news this weekend. As you must have heard, our former Vice President turned Global Warming Guru had to shove over the Oscar on his mantle to make space for half of a Nobel Peace Prize. Maybe after the news you were inspired to go check out the 20 amazing houses built on the…

Here’s one more United States senator to add to your list of annoying congresscritters sticking their nose in the District’s business. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has created an income test for participation in D.C.’s Tuition Assistance Grant Program, which provides financial aid for residents at all public and some private universities around the country. The program is designed to ensure that D.C. residents have the same opportunities as all other Americans to attend a university…

And so it was — the U.S. Senate voted today 57-42 in favor of closing debate on legislation that would grant the District a voting seat in the House of Representatives, three short of what was needed to prevent a Republican-led filibuster. The measure, which passed the House in April, is now likely dead, and another attempt to correct a 200-year injustice has been thwarted. Of course, the legislation could be re-introduced, but it won’t…

2:11 p.m. OK, we should be about ready to get going here. We’ve been told there will only be about 15 minutes of debate on this before a vote takes place to prevent a filibuster — as you all know by now, we need 60 for the bill to move forward. I’ll be posting updates as things get going, and Martin may pop in with his two cents if he can, so stay with us…

>> D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton’s plans to hold a “major Katrina anniversary hearing in New Orleans” on Aug. 27 fell apart due to congressional vacation schedules. A new date for the hearings has not been set. [City Desk] >> Former Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn (R-Wash.) died unexpectedly Tuesday night in Alexandria from a pulmonary embolism. As we mentioned earlier, Rep. Paul Gillmor (R-Ohio) also passed away last night unexpectedly, reportedly from natural causes, in…

Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) made national news last week when he asked President Bush to start bringing the troops home in time for Christmas. But of more importance locally has been the continued speculation as to whether Warner would run for another term in 2008, and if not, who would replace him. By way of FreeRide, we find out today that yesterday the Post’s Sunday Fix briefly noted that Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) has been…

Just this week, GQ published their annual “50 Most Powerful People in D.C.” list. Populated by the likes of Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Karl Rove and Tim Russert, the list better describes the movers and shakers in “Washington”, but not the District. And since we’re snobs about local news and happenings, we threw together a little list of the people who really exercise influence in or over the lives of people who live and work…

Construction of the temporary building at Eastern Market has begun, though somewhat behind schedule. The Examiner reports that the estimated opening date of the temporary building that will house the South Market vendors has been pushed back to mid-August, even though Mayor Fenty promised the vendors they’d have a new home by the end of July. According to the article, delays in construction have been caused by delays in manufacturing of the steel for the…

Even though voting rights activists have pushed as hard as they can, it looks like legislation granting the District a voting seat in the House of Representatives may not come to the floor of the U.S. Senate before its month-long August recess kicks off at the end of next week. According to a press release from D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, discussions with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) have yielded no concrete scheduled time…