In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Democratic Whip:
FLOOR SCHEDULE FOR JANUARY 5, 2011
On Wednesday, the House will convene for the start of the 112th Congress at 12:00 p.m. Members are advised that there will be a recorded quorum call at 12:00 p.m. following the Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance. Last votes are expected between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m.
Election of the Speaker of the House. This election is held by manual roll call vote, with each Member called individually, in alphabetical order, by the clerk.
Swearing-in of Members. After the Speaker is elected, the Oath of Office is administered to Members and Delegates.
H.Res. 5 - A resolution providing for the House Rules of the 112th Congress (Privileged Resolution)
In the Senate, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:
Convenes: 12:00 noon
Following the presentation of the certificates of election and the swearing in of elected members, there will be a required live quorum. All senators are asked to report to the floor at that time. The Senate will then be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.
I'm still trying to figure out the system I'm going to use to find and report the basic House floor information for you for the next two years. My inclination is to take the info from its source, and that's the Majority Leader's office. But to this point, of course, that's been Steny Hoyer, and will now be Eric Cantor instead. And I just don't know where Cantor's going to park that info yet. So for now, I'm using Hoyer's. As I prepare this, the night before publication, Hoyer still occupies majorityleader.gov, though he's also begun using democraticwhip.gov. Cantor hasn't taken on a new domain name that I'm aware of yet, but when he does, I'll look to see how he presents floor schedule information.
There's not much to add to these schedules. The first day is usually just about swearing in new members, some light housekeeping (adopting resolutions notifying the President and the other house that they've convened, appointing members to their committees, etc.) adopting a rules package in the House (and maybe the same, later on, in the Senate -- a rarity) and electing the Speaker. The vote for Speaker is always worth watching, just for the spectacle of it. It's the only time they ever call out the roll of the entire House and ask each member to vote aloud.
House rules changes will be adopted by majority vote, and more to the point, along party lines. In case you missed it, here's a little commentary about some of the wackiness involved.
On the Senate side, usually even less is done. There's the same sort of housekeeping, but since the Senate doesn't ordinarily adopt its rules with each new Congress, they usually break things up pretty quickly and get on to the social agenda. This time around, of course, Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) plans to step in to try to change that, by formally objecting to the continuance of the old rules, as is usually the case, and to reserve the right of the Senate to debate and adopt changes instead. For more about the theory and precedents he's invoking -- and why it might stretch out well beyond today -- see this post from Monday.
And now, still more ICYMI materials for your reading pleasure:
- The First Day of a New Congress: A Guide to Proceedings on the Senate Floor (PDF)
- The First Day of a New Congress: A Guide to Proceedings on the House Floor (PDF)
Last but not least, let me remind you that if you're planning on being at the Capitol for today's events, please wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and antibacterial soap, and cover your mouth and nose with the elbow of your sleeve if you cough or sneeze in the presence of Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD-01), as he may well be without any health care coverage -- despite starting a new job this very day! -- and it would be a real tragedy if a guy like him had to deal with the complexities and indignities of seeking medical treatment while between coverage providers.
Well, it would be if he didn't also have access to the Office of the Attending Physician, I guess. But he does!
OAP provides members of Congress with physicals and routine examinations, on-site X-rays and lab work, physical therapy and referrals to medical specialists from military hospitals and private medical practices. When specialists are needed, they are brought to the Capitol, often at no charge to members of Congress.
Members of Congress do not pay for the individual services they receive at the OAP, nor do they submit claims through their federal employee health insurance policies. Instead, as of 2009, members pay a flat, annual fee of $503 for all the care they receive. The rest of the cost of their care is paid for by federal funding, from the U.S. Navy budget. The annual fee has not changed significantly since 1992.
Please enjoy this profile of the OAP by ABC news while you wait out the countdown with poor, dear Andy.