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The weekend news that the troubled insurance giant AIG is paying $165 million in executive bonuses despite having received federal bailout money sparked a bipartisan “tweetstorm” by outraged members of Congress today.

Lawmakers from both parties ranted in 140 characters or less, linked to longer rants that wouldn’t fit within Twitter’s textual constraints, and floated legislative trial balloons designed to punish AIG or any other company receiving federal bailout funds that might want to pay bonuses in the future. “Introduced a bill that imposes a 100% tax on any executive bonus over $100,000 that was paid by a company receiving federal bailout funds,” @RepSteveIsrael wrote.

Here is a recap of other AIG-inspired tweets from lawmakers using the mini-blog service:

• Like @RepSteveIsrael, @repblumenauer said he is working on a bill to place a tax surcharge on executive bonuses to recoup tax dollars from firms like AIG.
• On MSNBC’s “Hardball,” @DarrellIssa blasted “AIG/Bush/Obama boneheads who dropped $170 billion with no strings attached.”
• @SenChrisDodd: “A car mechanic or teacher in Connecticut shouldn’t have to subsidize the bad decisions of AIG’s executives.”
• @russfeingold wrote a letter of complaint to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner.
• @gopconference called for an “exit strategy” on government bailouts after news of the AIG bonuses.
• And @SenatorMenendez posted to YouTube the clip of his MSNBC appearance to decry AIG.

AIG wasn’t the only thing on lawmakers’ minds, though. Among other things, they tweeted about earmarks, the oversight of federal stimulus projects and government contracts, “card check” legislation to govern votes for labor unions, taxes on health benefits, and public lands.

They also chatted about the NCAA basketball tournament that starts this week. And they linked to articles about lawmakers who tweet. Apparently every journalist in America is writing one of those stories these days.

To get Capitol Hill’s inside scoop from Twitter, subscribe to “Hill Tweet News.” It’s the best and quickest way to learn who sniped at whom, and why; what lawmakers did and said in committee, on the floor, on the news shows and elsewhere; and what articles, shows, Internet videos and more grabbed their attention.

Categories: Producer's Picks, Health, Labor, Budget, Taxes, Economy, Government Waste, Banking, Government Reform, Financial Services, Natural Resources, Bailouts, Hill Tweet News

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The Sunlight Foundation, an open-government group, has been pushing hard for the past few years to force a vote on legislation that would compel Senate candidates to post their campaign finance reports electronically. Sunlight took its cause to Twitter this week by telling people to “tweet” their support for the idea to senators who can make it happen.

The new media tactic caught the attention of two Democratic senators, @clairecmc of Missouri and @Barbara_Boxer of California. Boxer noted that she co-sponsored a previous bill on the topic and will do so again. And Claire McCaskill wrote: “I’ve supported electronic filing of campaign reports for a long time. It’s embarrassing that we are not required to file electronically.”

“In less than 24 hours, two out of 15 of the senators on Twitter who had not co-sponsored are now cosponsors,” Blumenthal noted on Sunlight’s blog. “In terms of grassroots outreach that is an amazing turn around.”

Here is a sampling of other Hill tweets from today:

• Why did the public lands bill fail in the House? According to @GOPLeader, it was a Second Amendment fight.
• @Senate_GOPs complained that labor unions turned a Senate hearing on “card check” into pep rally.
• @DeanHeller wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., about card check. “It could cost us 600,000 jobs by end of 2010.”
• @edlabordems posted videos from today’s hearing about lost educational opportunities in alternative settings.
• @SenJohnMcCain found a Washington Post article on Democratic thoughts about taxing health benefits “very interesting.” President Obama scoffed at the idea in the 2008 presidential campaign.

To get Capitol Hill’s inside scoop from Twitter, subscribe to “Hill Tweet News.” It’s the best and quickest way to learn who sniped at whom, and why; what lawmakers did and said in committee, on the floor, on the news shows and elsewhere; and what articles, shows, Internet videos and more grabbed their attention.

Categories: California, Missouri, Gun Rights, Politics, Health, Labor, Technology, Education, Taxes, Natural Resources, Claire McCaskill, Hill Tweet News, Barbara Boxer

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President Obama’s decision to reverse U.S. policy on embryonic stem-cell research triggered a round of policy tweets from lawmakers both for and against the idea.

Obama lifted restrictions on the research and issued a presidential memorandum designed to insulate scientists from political interference. @LEETERRYNE said embryonic stem-cell research is “inappropriate and immoral” and added that other stem-cell research is a viable option. @SenatorMenendez countered that Obama’s action signals a “new era of hope.”

Others tweeting on the topic included @GOPLeader, @RepMaryFallin, @bobinglis and @RepTomPrice.

Here is a sampling of other Hill tweets from today:

• @edlabordems discussed a bill to change the mileage deduction for charities while on Good Morning America.
• @TomLatham of Iowa said rural states like his know all about the nation’s nursing shortage.
• @clairecmc spoke to whistleblowers, who honored her for backing tough protections. “Need their help to keep contractors honest.”
• @kevinomccarthy invited conservatives on Twitter to read a Washington Times profile of him.
• @jasoninthehouse noted that actor Rob Lowe was in the House to watch lawmakers vote on school breakfasts.

To get Capitol Hill’s inside scoop from Twitter, subscribe to “Hill Tweet News.” It’s the best and quickest way to learn who sniped at whom, and why; what lawmakers did and said in committee, on the floor, on the news shows and elsewhere; and what articles, shows, Internet videos and more grabbed their attention.

Categories: California, Georgia, Iowa, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Utah, Health, Kevin McCarthy, Robert Menendez, Education, Taxes, John Boehner, Social Policy, Tom Price, Claire McCaskill, Hill Tweet News, Tom Latham, Jason Chaffetz, Bob Inglis

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President Obama today lifted restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research that his predecessor imposed years ago. He also issued a presidential memorandum designed to prevent political interference in the scientific realm.

Categories: Producer's Picks, White House, Health, Technology, Social Policy, Culture

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Wanna know what lawmakers did today? What they said in committee, on the floor, on the news shows and elsewhere? What articles, shows, Internet videos and more grabbed their attention? Who sniped at whom, and why? Get the inside scoop at “Hill Tweet News,” a Twitter-based service of AirCongress.

Here are today’s Top 5 tweets, followed by the rest of today’s edition of “Hill Tweet News“:

• Via @Senate_GOPs, the Senate passed a short-term spending bill to fund the federal government through Wednesday.
• @MicheleBachmann warned that Congress could be “killing the housing industry once and for all.”
• @RepMikeHonda defended his “pork” for a Japanese museum in San Jose in response to an @SenJohnMcCain tweet. Honda said it will create jobs.
• @michaelcburgess wrote 15 straight tweets about yesterday’s White House healthcare summit. Here’s an excerpt from one: “High marks for style. Substance, not so much.”
• @petehoekstra mused, “Twitter founder going to White House. Does this now make it acceptable?”

More after the jump »

Categories: California, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, Health, Technology, Michele Bachmann, Budget, Economy, Housing, Mike Honda, Hill Tweet News, Michael Burgess, Pete Hoekstra

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