U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge still isn't saying whether he intends to challenge U.S. Sen. Richard Burr next year.

But he's not saying no, either, The (Dunn) Daily Record reports. Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat was asked during a visit to the paper about whether he intends to run against Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican.

"I don’t know about that," Rep. Etheridge said with a wide grin.

He said he has been in contact with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee over the past few months.

"They’re doing a lot of talking," he said.

The paper notes that the stakes are high for Etheridge, who now sits on the powerful Ways and Means Committee in the House.

Etheridge's answer will likely help others decide whether to take a shot. Kenneth Lewis, a Durham lawyer, has announced his candidacy. But others, including former state Sen. Cal Cunningham, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy have all expressed interest but haven't committed yet. Democrats have also been courting former Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker.

Update: Later, Etheridge told Dome that it had been at least two weeks since he had spoken to the DSCC. A follow-up question was met with, "Gotta go…"

And during a conference call on health reform last Tuesday, he was similarly vague to a reporter from a Capitol Hill newspaper.

"Today is not the day I plan to talk about it. Thank you very much, though," Etheridge said.

A national liberal group is airing a TV ad urging Rep. Bob Etheridge to support President Obama's budget.

The ad, which begins airing in Raleigh tomorrow, praises the Lillington Democrat, but argues he's being pressured to oppose it by special interests.

"When it comes to creating and protecting jobs, Congressman Bob Etheridge has always stood up for the people of Carolina, but now special interests in Washington are squeezing him to oppose the president's budget."

The ad urges viewers to call Etheridge and urge him to support the budget. 

In a press release, the group says it is airing five ads "in the districts of 'Blue Dog' Democrats who serve on the House Budget Committee."

While Etheridge serves on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, he is not on the House Appropriations Committee nor is he a member of the Blue Dog Coalition.

The ad is being run by USAction, a grassroots liberal group.

Update: A spokeswoman for Etheridge says he is on the Budget Committee.

"Rep. Etheridge supports the priorities in President Obama's budget proposal, and agrees with the President that by investing in education, clean energy and health care we can transform our economy," said Joanne Peters. "Rep. Etheridge looks forward to working on the House Budget Committee to produce a budget resolution that will invest in these priorities and return the country to a path of fiscal discipline."

The Senate has cut a school construction program championed by U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge.

A bipartisan amendment to the stimulus package already passed by the House would trim a program to help local school districts get zero-interest construction bonds from $25 billion to $13 billion.

Etheridge has long pushed the tax credits as an efficient way to help build new schools while leaving construction under local control.

It's not clear whether the spending cut will remain yet, since Congressional leaders have not decided how to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the bill, which differ by more than $100 billion in spending.

"We don't know yet what the next step will be," said spokeswoman Joanne Peters.

She said House Ways and Means Committee chairman Rep. Charles Rangel is working with Etheridge to try to restore the full funding to the final version of the bill.

More than a decade ago in his first term, U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge introduced a bill to give tax credits to school districts for new construction.

Thursday, in his first vote as a member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, Etheridge said "aye" to legislation including his proposal, Barb Barrett reports.

The Ways and Means Committee approved the House version of the economic stimulus package by a 24-13 vote. Included in it is $25 billion to help local school districts get zero-interest construction bonds.

According to Etheridge’s office, North Carolina would get $448 million in the bonds, which could create or sustain 10,752 jobs.

The package must still go to the full House for a vote, and then on to the Senate.

As a former state superintendent of public instruction in North Carolina, Etheridge has a particular interest in schools.

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge says some economic stimulus money may build schools.

In a conference call with reporters this afternoon, the Lillington Democrat said that a bill he has long pushed to provide zero-interest school construction bonds has been included in the House version of an economic stimulus package.

Earlier this month, Etheridge wrote President-elect Barack Obama a letter asking that school construction be included in the stimulus package.

His efforts got a boost from his recent appointment to the House Ways and Means Committee, which is overseeing the stimulus bill. He also attributed it to being at the right place in the right time.

"I had a piece of legislation that fitted the needs," he said. "It was timely, it was needed and the president-elect thought it would be most appropriate for his package."

He said that the bill currently includes some direct appropriations and some bonds. He estimated the bill would provide $448 million for North Carolina and create or sustain an estimated 10,752 jobs here.

Overall, Etheridge's proposal would provide for $26 billion for school construction.

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge will focus on trade matters and oversight issues in his first term on the influential Ways and Means Committee in the House of Representatives.

Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat, is the first North Carolinian named to the committee since 1953. The committee is the source of all tax bills and has jurisdiction over Medicare and Social Security, Barb Barrett reports.

Etheridge was named today to the subcommittees on Trade and Oversight.

The oversight panel will give Etheridge a position to help shape the economic recovery plan being pushed by President-elect Barack Obama. Etheridge this week wrote Obama asking him to including Etheridge's school construction proposal in the plan.

On the trade subcommittee, Etheridge said he wants to not only enforce current agreements but make sure new agreements support North Carolina's workers and products.

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge says a House ethics investigation should take its course.

As one of the newest members of the House Ways and Means Committee, Etheridge will soon be working closely with Rep. Charlie Rangel, a New York Democrat who chairs in the influential committee.

The House ethics committee is investigating whether Rangel helped preserve a lucractive tax break that benefited an oil-drilling company while its CEO was pledging $1 million to a college center in his honor. Rangel has called the allegations "ridiculous."

Etheridge said he'll refrain from comment while the investigation continues.

"Normally, when it's in the Ethics committee, you kind of stay away from it until they get through with all their work," he told Dome. "Some of those charges are pretty serious if they're true and we'll probably get an answer on those in the next several months."

Should Rangel step aside in the meantime? 

"If they found out as they do the ethics work how much of it is true or if it was tied to his responsibilities as a member of Congress, then appropriate action will be taken," Etheridge said.

A retirement in New York and an Obama appointment boosted Rep. Bob Etheridge.

The Lillington Democrat was one of at least 20 members of Congress who hoped to snag one of two open seats on the 40-member House Ways and Means Committee next session.

One was vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Thomas Reynolds of New York; the other, by Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, who is leaving Congress to become President-elect Barack Obama's chief of staff.

The positions are highly coveted because of the important role the committee plays in setting policies on taxes, health care and other major areas of policy.

Etheridge argued he should get the seat because North Carolina has not had a Democratic representative on the committee since 1953. He also benefited from a restructuring of the geographic regions the committee typically uses.

Previously, Rep. John Tanner of Tennessee had represented the region including his home state, the Carolinas, Alabama and Louisiana. The new region opened up a possible seat for North Carolina.

"We thought (North Carolina) was underrepresented," he said. "We made that argument to leadership ... and they were willing to listen." 

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge will push for the federal government to build new schools and expand rural Internet access.

As a newly appointed member of the House Ways and Means Committee, the Lillington Democrat will be in a key position to influence new infrastructure spending in Congress.

A former state schools superintendent, he argued that the federal government should spend more building schools, a task typically left to state and local government.

"I think you will see that as part of a broader package hopefully we will bring out early next year," he told Dome. "Number one, to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure from schools to roads to bridges to highways to water and sewer, but more importantly to put people back to work."

He also said he would push to extend fiber optic cable in rural America to boost Internet access.

"That really is the highway of the 21st century," he said. "Unless you have access to that highway in rural America, you really aren't able to get on the Interstate. It is critical that we (expand fiber optic cable) all across America. We did it in the '20s and '30s for telephones and rural electrification. I think the time has come now when we need to do the same thing for high-speed Internet."

Etheridge said he envisions public-private partnerships, but he did not yet have an opinion on what role the government should then play in providing Internet services.

Listen to a podcast with Etheridge here.