In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Democratic Whip:
TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK
On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for Morning Hour debate and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.
First/Last votes are expected between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.
"One Minutes" (15 per side)
Suspensions (2 Bills)
- S. 188 - A bill to designate the United States courthouse under construction at 98 West First Street, Yuma, Arizona, as the "John M. Roll United States Courthouse" (Sen. John McCain- Transportation and Infrastructure)
- H.R. 519 - To cut the United Nations Tax Equalization Fund (Rep. Ros-Lehtinen - Foreign Affairs)
In the Senate, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:
The Senate will not be in session on Wednesday, February 9.
Hmm. Wow. Well, uh... yeah. Jobs?
It's Wednesday. It's early February. It's a brand new Congress. It's even a new majority that's been waiting for years to implement a new agenda.
But instead, we have two suspensions. And the Senate, where we do not have a new majority, isn't even meeting. But they're meeting tomorrow. No votes, but they're meeting. I don't know if I can recall another time when the Senate just didn't meet in the middle of the week.
There's a government shutdown crisis looming over a tug-of-war on the debt ceiling. There's a new government shutdown crisis looming over a tug-of-war on healthcare implementation funding in the CR -- and that's not even to mention that the CR is itself a looming government shutdown crisis. It's all very odd.
It seems to me there are things I'd want to do after four years out of power, and having ridden a wave of anger premised on the notion that the very essence of America was somehow being stolen away. But I guess not.
Plenty of time for a second hearing on legislation to allow the Congress to reach into your pocket and declare all your money to be "fungible" with taxpayer dollars, and thus subject to federal control, though. It's presumed that that's all good with the teabaggers, though, since the premise for the intrusion is abortion, and yadda yadda... some blanket assumption about conservatives, etc., and presto! Everybody's happy with certain narrow kinds of government intrusion.
Unless they're not. See the unexpected and bipartisan rejection of the USA PATRIOT Act renewal yesterday.
Strange days.
Today's committee schedule appears below.
UPDATE: From today's Daily Whip (via e-mail, not yet posted online):
Suspensions (2 Bills)
- S. 188 - A bill to designate the United States courthouse under construction at 98 West First Street, Yuma, Arizona, as the "John M. Roll United States Courthouse" (Sen. McCain - Transportation and Infrastructure)
- H.R. 519 - To cut the United Nations Tax Equalization Fund (Rep. Ros-Lehtinen - Foreign Affairs) This bill would direct the United Nations to return $179 million from the United Nations Tax Equalization Fund to the United States. It also requires that an equal amount of future U.S. dues to the U.N. be withheld if the return payment is not made.
The United Nations has already designated $100 million of this money for security enhancements at the U.N., requested by the New York Police Department in light of terrorist and other threats. The remaining funds will be used to pay down U.S. dues for peacekeeping missions around the world. Since the money has already been designated for these purposes, the cutting language is a dangerous gimmick and the certification is unattainable for the U.N. The Congressional Budget Office estimates no savings from enactment of this legislation. Members are urged to vote NO