The Democratic Convention starts in Denver today. The official convention schedule is here. News releases from the convention will be posted here. Sen. Obama’s record on NAM key votes is available here, and Sen. Biden’s key vote record, which is longer, is available here.

President Bush returns to the White House from Texas on Wednesday and meets with the President of Tanzania on Friday. Secretary of State Rice is in the Middle East today, seeking an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.

Congress is out until September 8th, save for the Senate pro forma sessions on Tuesday and Friday.

Economic reports: Existing home sales today from the National Association of Realtors. Second quarter GDP from Commerce on Thursday and July personal income on Friday. More here.

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership program has helped small and medium-sized manufacturers stay competitive and create jobs for almost 20 years. Despite its benefits, MEP supporters often have to scramble to get federal funds.

Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), a guest on this week’s edition of “America’s Business with Mike Hambrick” radio program, explains how he and other program supporters recently pushed to get the program funding.

“We did it by having individuals with the MEP talk to people in their district, wherever it might be, whatever state it might be in,” he says. “And that drummed up a lot of support because those members of Congress living in those states did not want to lose out.”

Higher energy prices are putting a financial pinch on manufacturers and made more Americans eager to embrace alternative energy sources. Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) will discuss his plan to extend tax credits that encourage development of alternative fuels such as solar and wind.

High energy prices also make shipping more expensive. CIBC World Markets Chief Economist Jeff Rubin will talk about his recent report on how energy costs affect global trade flow.

Canada is one of our nation’s closest allies. Canadian Ambassador to the United States Michael Wilson will join Mike to discuss the trade and other economic ties that bind the United States to its neighbor to the north.

In our regular segments, Renee Giachino of American Justice Partnership gives us the latest on tort reform and commentator Hank Cox recalls “The Way It Was.” This week “America’s Business” is launching a new regular segment featuring NAM Executive Vice President Jay Timmons. Jay, who has been intimately involved in politics for years, will give us his take on 2008 political races that manufacturers should watch.

And our program will close with “The Last Word” from the National Association of Manufacturers President Gov. John Engler will close the program with “The Last Word.”

For more about “America’s Business with Mike Hambrick” and to listen to the program online, please click here. And for video highlights and more, check out www.americasbusiness.org.

Energy! If we may be so direct.

The Senate convenes at 3 p.m. and goes into consideration the motion to proceed to  S. 3268, the energy speculation bill and all that it may entail. (Expect no votes until Tuesday.) The House meets in pro forma session today and then convenes at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.  Bills on the floor agenda are H.R. 3221 the housing rescue, bailout, salvage bill; H.R. 3999, the bridge reconstruction and inspection bill; and the global AIDS bill.  Figure energy legislation comes into the mix, too. For the floor schedule, see here.

The Manufacturing Council meets Wednesday at the Department of Commerce. Secretary Gutierrez will speak, as will NAM President John Engler.

The latest round of WTO Doha Development Agenda talks gets under way today in Geneva. NAM’s Vice President for International Economic Affairs, Frank Vargo, is on hand, and this news release gives the NAM’s views on the session.

For a full list of committee hearings for the week, start here.

Senate Hearings: The full Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday marks up Stimulus II,  a second supplemental appropriations bill for FY08, focusing on infrastructure and natural disasters. On Thursday, the committee marks up appropriations for Interior, DOD and the legislative branch. Senate Environment and Public Works holds a hearing Tuesday, “An Update on the Science of Global Warming and its Implications,” hitting the White House for having “suppressed testimony.” The suppressed former Associate Deputy EPA Administrator Jason Burnett will testify. Homeland Security on Tuesday discusses energy security, with T. Boone Pickens testifying. On Wednesday, Energy and Natural Resources examines existing federal programs to reduce gasoline demand in the near term; on Thursday, the committee holds a hearing on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Also Wednesday, the full Senate Finance Committee marks up Trade Adjustment Assistance legislation. The full Judiciary Committee holds a hearing, “Courting Big Business: The Supreme Court’s Recent Decisions on Corporate Misconduct and Laws Regulating Corporations.” Senate Finance on Thursday holds a hearing on the Cayman Islands, offshore tax issues and tax compliance, reviewing the GAO report on the subject. Also Thursday, Finance holds a hearing, “Tax and Financing Aspects of Highway Public-Private Partnerships.”

House hearings: House Education and Labor on Tuesday holds a hearing “Innovation in Education through Business and Education STEM,” including testimony from Phil Mickelson, co-founder of the Mickelson Exxon Mobil Teachers Academy, and representatives of Texas Instruments, Merck Institute, IBM and Raytheon. On Wednesday, an Agriculture subcommittee considers rural health care. Another Ag subcommittee on Thursday considers carbon sequestration. The full Financial Services Committee on Thursday holds a hearing, “Financial Market Regulatory Restructuring” with testimony from SEC Chairman Chris Cox;  also Thursday a hearing on the “weaker dollar” and oil prices. In Small Business on Thursday a hearing on economic stimulus for small business. A House Transportation subcommittee reviews aviation security. The full Transportation Committee on Thursday reviews FMCSA’s medical oversight of commercial drivers. The Health Subcommittee of Ways & Means on Thursday examines health IT.

Executive Branch: President Bush marks Colombia Independence Day on Tuesday, an opportunity to push for the U.S.-Colombia FTA. Treasury Secretary Paulson speaks Tuesday morning at the New York Public Library on the economy. Commerce Secretary Gutierrez speaks Thursday as the Consumer Electronics Association kicks off the “America Wins with Trade” bus tour.

Americans for Tax Reform today marks the annual Cost of Government Day, when the average taxpayer has earned enough for the year to pay his government obligations and start working for himself.

Cost of Government Day falls four days later in 2008 than last year’s revised date of July 12.  In 2008, the average American will have to work an additional 17 days out of the year to pay off his or her cost of government compared to 2000, when the COGD was June 29. 

In fact, since 1977, COGD has fallen later than July 16 in only four of those 32 years - in 1982 and 1983, and in 1992 and 1993.  The driving factor for this development is the fact that all components of the cost of government – federal spending, state and local spending, and regulation – are now increasing faster than national income.

Index here.

Prices at the pump are downright painful. But Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) has a plan to wean America off expensive foreign oil by the Fourth of July 2015.

Part of the “American Energy Independence Act” calls for giving automakers incentives to build more gasoline-efficient cars or vehicles that run on alternative fuels, says Rogers, a guest on this week’s “America’s Business with Mike Hambrick” radio program.

“We’re going to offer you low-interest money so you can invest in green technology research,” Rogers says. “You can do hydrogen research. You can do lithium ion battery research. You can do hybrid fuel and biomass research.”

Health care costs are soaring for businesses and consumers. Len Nichols from the New America Foundation will tell Mike about his group’s report on what the nation’s leaders must do to fix this problem.

Teenage race car driver Brennan Palmiter is also a pretty handy welder and fabricator. Palmiter, whose race car is partly sponsored by the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, is encouraging other youth to pursue manufacturing-related jobs. He even has a fan Web site, www.gobrennan.com.

SPX Corporation has been around for almost a century, shifted its product line, and is still thriving. President and Chief Executive Officer Christopher Kearney will talk about how his company has managed to survive and succeed. And “America’s Business” will visit with Polyamide High Performance President Carlos Serrano. Serrano’s award-winning company is helping save thousands of lives by making the material used in car air bags.

In our regular segments, Renee Giachino of American Justice Partnership gives us the latest on tort reform and commentator Hank Cox recalls “The Way It Was.” And the National Association of Manufacturers President Gov. John Engler will close the program with “The Last Word.”

For more about “America’s Business with Mike Hambrick” and to listen to the program online, please click here. And for video highlights and more, check out www.americasbusiness.org.