Recapping yesterday's action:
Lots of voting action in both houses yesterday. The House considered and passed the "Pro-Growth Budgeting Act" (Pig-Bah), with a two-hour detour for rejecting five amendments, letting two be withdrawn by their sponsors, and accepting just one by voice vote.
The Senate also held a flurry of votes yesterday, ten on amendments to the STOCK Act, and an 11th on passage of the bill.
Looking ahead to today:
The House will be bolstering its "days in session" stats today, coming in for a couple hours of work and two votes, including one they delayed from yesterday. The votes? The conference report on the latest in the long-running series of FAA authorization bills (this one including the objectionable anti-union provisions), and the postponed vote on the "Baseline Reform Act."
What's that do? Well, among other things, it eliminates the current automatic indexing for inflation in year-to-year budgeting for continuing programs. Which means Republicans can cut the budget, but still point to numbers that look the same on a per-program basis and say they didn't cut them.
Of course, they might also cut them, as well. You never know. Point is, it's about budget gimmicks. Though that's really all any budget is ever about.
The Senate is... gone for the weekend.
Today's floor and committee schedules appear below the fold.
In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Democratic Whip:
THE NIGHTLY WHIP: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012
TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK
On Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business.
First votes expected: 10:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Last votes expected: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
“One Minutes” (5 per side)
Conference Report on H.R. 658 - FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act (Rep. Mica - Transportation and Infrastructure/Science, Space, and Technology/Judiciary)
Complete Consideration of H.R. 3578 - Baseline Reform Act of 2011 (Rep. Woodall - Budget)
2/2 wrap-up:
Senate Floor Wrap Up for Thursday, February 2, 2012
ROLL CALL VOTES
1) Paul amendment #1484 (non-trading certification); Not Agreed To: 37-61
2) Paul amendment #1487 (prohibits executive staff rule-making)(60-vote threshold); Not Agreed To: 48-51
3) Lieberman amendment #1511 (extends STOCK Act to senior level executive branch employees); Agreed To: 81-18
4) Shelby amendment #1491, as modified (extends STOCK Act to senior level executive branch employees); Agreed To: 58-41
5) Toomey-McCaskill amendment #1472 (earmark prohibition)(60-vote threshold); Not Agreed To: 40-59
6) Inhofe amendment #1500 (earmark prohibition)(60-vote threshold); Not Agreed To: 26-73
7) Coburn amendment #1473 (duplicative/overlapping programs)(2/3rds threshold); Not Agreed To: 60-39
8) DeMint amendment #1488 (SoS Constitutional amendment re: term limits)(60-vote threshold); Not Agreed To: 24-75
9) Grassley amendment #1493 (political intelligence disclosure)(60 vote-threshold); Agreed To: 60-39
10) Brown (OH) amendment #1481, as modified (divestiture)(60-vote threshold); Not Agreed To: 26-73
11) Passage of S.2038, STOCK Act, as amended; Passed: 96-3
LEGISLATIVE ITEMS
Adopted S.Res.367, designating January 2012 as “National Mentoring Month”.
Began the Rule 14 process of S.2064, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to terminate certain energy tax subsidies and lower the corporate income tax rate (DeMint).
Today's House committee schedule:
ARMED SERVICES------------------------------------------11:30-Open
Military Personnel Subc. and Oversight and Investigations Subc. Joint hrng. on accountability at Arlington National Cemetery. Dept. witnesses. 2118 RHOB.
ENERGY & COMMERCE----------------------------------------------------9:30-Open
Environment and the Economy Subc. On evaluating internal operation and implementation of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards program by the Department of Homeland Security. Dept. witnesses. 2123 RHOB.
ENERGY & COMMERCE---------------------------------------------------10:00-Open
Energy and Power Subc. On H.R. 3548 – North American Energy Access Act. Dept. and public witnesses. 2322 RHOB.
HOMELAND SECURITY---------------------------------------------------10:00-Open
Oversight, Investigations, and Management Subc. On whether the Department of Homeland Security is effectively implementing a strategy to counter emerging threats. Public witnesses. 311 CHOB.
JUDICIARY---------------------------------------------------------------9:30-Open
Courts, Commercial, and Administrative Law Subc. On H.R. 3041 – Federal Consent Decree Fairness Act, and H.R. 3862 – Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act. Public witnesses. 2141 RHOB.
NATURAL RESOURCES----------------------------------------------------9:30-Open
National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subc. On H.R. 491 – To modify the boundaries of Cibola National Forest in the State of New Mexico, to transfer certain Bureau of Land Management land for inclusion in the National Forest, H.R. 3685 - To amend the Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group Forest Recovery Act to extend and expand the scope of the pilot forest management project required by that Act, and S. 271 – Wallowa Forest Service Compound Conveyance Act. 1324 LHOB.
RULES------------------------------------------------------------------9:30-Open
Full Committee. On H.R. 1734 – Civilian Property Realignment Act. H-313 Capitol.
SCIENCE, SPACE, & TECHNOLOGY----------------------------------------10:00-Open
Energy and Environment Subc. On fostering quality science at the EPA. Public witnesses. 2318 RHOB.
WAYS & MEANS---------------------------------------------------------9:00-Open
Full Committee. Markup of H.R. 3864 – American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Financing Act. 1100 LHOB.
Today's Senate committee schedule:
9:30 am
Joint Economic Committee
Hearings to examine the employment situation for January 2012.
CHOB-210