Wisc. in Washington: Hurricane stops business in congress By Morgan Felchner News-Chronicle Washington - Hurricane Isabel halted nearly all business in the nation's capitol late last week. The federal government shut down onThursday and Friday, forcing most Congressmen to their home states and staffers to their homes in Washington. Evidence of the storm was noticeable near the Capitol where downed trees littered the ground but business resumed as usual Monday when federal employees returned to work, some for the first time in four days. The House concluded business for the week on Wednesday allowing most members to get home before the storm hit. U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Green Bay, left shortly after the House adjourned Wednesday, so he was safe in Wisconsin. Despite the official closing of Congressional offices both Thursday and Friday, Green's staffers braved the storm and there was a full staff both days. Green will return to Washington today. U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, also made it home before the storm hit. He was in La Crosse Friday for a news conference announcing grants for the La Crosse County Drug Court. The Senate announced on Wednesday there would be no votes Thursday and Friday so Senators were able to get home before the storm. Wisconsin Democrat Herb Kohl was able to leave town Wednesday. Last week before the storm hit, the Senate debated and passed the Energy appropriations bill. The House and Senate passed significantly different versions of this bill, neither of which are identical to the requests from the President. The bill funds the Department of Energy, nuclear weapons programs and federal water projects. The Senate also passed the Congressional Review Act, the resolution to overturn the new Federal Communications Commission media ownership rules. The resolution has to be passed by the House and signed by the President to go into effect. The Senate will begin debate on the Department of the Interior Appropriations bill this week and the House schedule has not been determined. Obey Book to Challenge Thompson The Washington Post reported U.S. Rep. David Obey, D-Wausau, is writing a book on his political accomplishments and career. He hopes to be finished by the end of the year. The Post reported that Obey said his book with the possible title "Like Hell" is a response to "Power to the People: An American State at Work" by former Gov. Tommy Thompson in which Obey says Thompson claims Republicans are the heir to the tradition of former Wisconsin progressive Sen. Robert LaFollette. Felchner, the Washington Correspondent for WisPolitics.com, is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the associate editor of Campaigns and Elections magazine in Washington. She can be reached at [email protected].