Congressional negotiators worked to clear the last remaining hurdles as they moved within sight of completion of the most sweeping changes to the pension system in years. House and Senate staffers were drafting language through the night in anticipation of lawmakers signing off on the bill Thursday morning. Barring further disputes, that could make it possible for the House to formally approve the legislation on Friday, before it departs for its August recess. The Senate is in session one more week before its summer break.
See "Congress Works on Pension System Overhaul", Jim Abrams, San Francisco Chronicle, July 26, 2006