Recapping Last Week in Congress
Not an especially productive week last time around, but not the worst we've seen. The House made it through the Energy & Water appropriations bill, which is no small thing to get done when it comes to the floor under an open rule. But other than that, there just wasn't room for much more action. The biggest news of the week was probably their failed "attempt" at passing the "I'm Scared of the Newfangled Light Bulbs" bill, which initially failed under suspension of the rules, but later squeaked by as an amendment to the Energy & Water bill. Less noticed was what they were calling the Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act," essentially a bill blocking the EPA's ability to pre-empt state water quality laws, and rightly viewed as a sop to polluters.
The Senate, it should surprise no one to learn, spent the bulk of the week waiting out cloture motions—first on the Reid "shared sacrifice" sense of the Senate bill, and later on the motion to proceed to the MilCon/VA appropriations bill. That left them with the better part of the week to debate the debt ceiling and the budget, as had been demanded by Rand Paul (R-KY) and Ron Johnson (R-WI). Naturally, no one expects them to acknowledge that they had that opportunity. Rather, most anticipate still more generalized obstructionism from them.
This Week in Congress
This week's crown jewel in the House will be H.R. 2560, the "Cut, Cap, and Balance Act," a bill taking the horrors of the earlier-passed Ryan budget and combining it with the sort of terrible and virtually irreversible ideas that have more or less ruined California's ability to govern itself, most notably the "conservative" pipe dream of supermajority requirements for tax increases. Better yet, if you've got 90 seconds, you've got time for a 90 Second Summary of the bill:
Also lined up for action this week, the Legislative Branch appropriations bill.
The Senate picture, as always, is less clear. All we've got to go on at the moment is that they're cleared for action on the MilCon appropriations bill. But now that they're past the filibusters to get onto the bill, they'll likely need the bulk of the week to work through it and dispense with amendments. After a couple days on that task, we'll get some sign as to whether or not they'll have to play the cloture game all over again, this time to bring the bill to a vote on final passage. We still don't know for sure whether Rand Paul's been placated by having the last week to "debate" the debt and budget issues, not that anyone believes there's anything that would satisfy him, anyway. Or that he'd recognize it even if there were.
They'll take a brief detour this afternoon to confirm a District Court judge, though. So maybe they'll sprinkle this week's calendar with a few more non-controversial appointments just to break up the appropriations work.
In committee news, have you noticed that the calendar is using abbreviations for the various panels? That's an attempt to make it a little easier to see more of the title of the hearings they're holding, so you can get a better shot at being able to tell at a glance whether something you want to watch is coming up. And remember, nearly all of those hearings are viewable right from your computer, using the Main Street Insider Committee Dashboard.
Note, too, that this week there seems to be something of a slowdown in committee activity. Plenty of bill markups, but not much in the way of oversight and other investigative and fact-finding hearings. Are members already looking ahead to the August recess? And then the year-end run toward the end of the 1st session of the 112th Congress? Just wondering!
Full floor and committee schedules are below the fold.
In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Democratic Whip:
THE WEEKLY WHIP: FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2011
First Vote Of The Week: Monday 6:30 p.m.
Last Vote Predicted: Friday 3:00 p.m.
MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011
On Monday, the House will meet at 12:00 p.m. for Morning Hour debate and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business with votes postponed until 6:30 p.m.
Suspension (1 Bill)
- H.R. 33 - To amend the Securities Act of 1933 to specify when certain securities issued in connection with church plans are treated as exempted securities for purposes of that Act (Rep. Biggert - Financial Services)
TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for Morning Hour debate and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.
H.R. 2560 - Cut, Cap, and Balance Act (Rep. Chaffetz – Budget/Ways and Means) (Subject to a Rule)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2011 AND THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK
On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for Morning Hour debate and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business. On Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business with last votes no later than 3:00 p.m.
Suspension (1 Bill)
- H.J.Res. 66 - Approving the renewal of import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 (Rep. Crowley – Ways and Means)
H.R. 2553 – Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2011, Part IV (Rep. Mica - Transportation and Infrastructure/Science and Technology/Ways and Means) (Subject to a Rule)
H.R. 1315 - Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act of 2011, as amended (Rep. Duffy– Financial Services) (Subject to a Rule)
H.R. 2551 - Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2012 (Rep. Crenshaw - Appropriations) (Subject to a Rule)
In the Senate, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:
Senate Floor Schedule for Monday, July 18, 2011
Convenes: 2pm
Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in morning business until 3:30pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.
Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R.2055, the Military Construction, Veterans’ Affairs and related agencies Appropriations bill.
At 5:00pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Calendar #82, the nomination of J. Paul Oetken, of New York, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York with 30 minutes of debate equally divided between Senators Leahy and Grassley.
Upon the use or yielding of time (at approximately 5:30pm), the Senate will conduct a roll call vote on confirmation of the Oetken nomination.