Recapping Last Week in Congress
The main event in the House last week was of course the passage of the doomed continuing appropriations bill. I keep calling it a continuing appropriations bill rather than using the "CR" shorthand only because CR stands for "continuing resolution," and for whatever reason, this is one of those times when the legislative vehicle they're using isn't styled a resolution. I believe this was the case the last time around, too. So just for the sake of accuracy, I'm avoiding using "CR." It sure would be a lot easier, though!
Along the way, the House also adopted the The Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation (TRAIN) Act, and renewed a few key programs (like TANF and autism research) with bipartisan support, under suspension of the rules.
The Senate completed action on H.R.2832, the Generalized System of Preferences Act, before receiving the continuing appropriations bill from the House on Friday, and voting to table it.
Note also the extensive list of executive appointments and military promotions approved on Friday and listed in the 9/23 wrap-up appearing in the extended entry. That's usually something done immediately prior to an expected recess, and is an indication that the Senate originally had no intention of being in session at all this week.
This Week in Congress
The House, as we know, flew the coop for the week, having stuck around just long enough to see its continuing appropriations bill derailed in the Senate. But they left anyway, and plan only two pro forma sessions this week, even as the end of the fiscal year on September 30th (and consequently, a government shutdown) now loom.
The Senate, by contrast, returns to work this week despite having originally scheduled a recess in concert with the House. All they've got scheduled at the moment is some maneuvering to set up a vote on passing an amended version of the House's continuing appropriations bill. On Monday, that means a 5:30 vote on a motion to invoke cloture on a motion to concur in the House message accompanying H.R.2608 with an amendment. In other words, cloture on a motion to agree to the House's amendment to H.R. 2608 and amend it further.
What does that mean? Well, the House's message was that they had amended H.R. 2608 (originally the "Small Business Program Extension and Reform Act of 2011") and turned it into a continuing appropriations bill by adopting a substitute for the entire text of the original bill. But if the Senate doesn't like what the House did, why would they agree to the House's amendment? Only as a prelude to amending it further. Rejecting the House's amendment outright (as opposed to tabling it as they did last week) takes the bill out of consideration, and simply puts the two chambers in disagreement, which is usually the prelude to a conference. But there's no time (or desire, at the moment) for a conference. Instead, the Senate will temporarily "agree" to the House's amendment in order to give itself a chance to amend the bill all over again by substituting an entirely different text for what's in there now. At that point, it goes back to the House.
We've seen this move before, and although there are other ways to reach the same conclusion, this one also has the advantage of requiring only one cloture vote—that is, the one on the motion to concur with an amendment—instead of one on the motion to proceed to consideration of a new bill, and then another on the bill itself, once it's been considered.
Now, the House is not actually there to act on the Senate's change (assuming it succeeds). But that can change if the leadership calls them back. Or, the bill can languish and the government can shut down until the House returns to play the ball being put it its court.
The Senate's full floor schedule and wrap-up of Friday's activity are below the fold, but no committee activities are schedule for the week.
The House is not in working session this week. Two pro forma sessions are scheduled, but no votes are currently expected, despite the looming expiration of governmental spending authority at the end of the fiscal year.
In the Senate, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:
Senate Floor Schedule for Monday, September 26, 2011
Convenes: 3:30pm
Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 4:30pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.
Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to concur in the House message to accompany H.R.2608 with an amendment, which is a 6-week continuing resolution with the time until 5:30pm equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees.
The filing deadline for second degree amendments to the motion to concur in the House message to accompany H.R.2608 is at 5:00pm on Monday.
The next roll call vote will be at 5:30pm on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur in the House message to accompany H.R.2608 with an amendment.
Other Business
Senate Floor Wrap Up for Friday, September 23, 2011
Passed H.R.2646, the Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act of 2011.
Passed H.R.2943: Short-term TANF Extension Act.
Adopted S.Con.Res.27, a concurrent resolution honoring the service of Sergeant First Class Leroy Arthur Petry, a native of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the second living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War.
Adopted S.Con.Res.29, authorizing the use of the Rotunda of the United States Capitol for an event to award the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr., Michael Collins, and John Herschel Glenn, Jr., in recognition of their significant contributions to society.
Discharged HELP and adopted S.Res.248, supporting the goals and ideals of “Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month”.
Discharged Judiciary and adopted S.Res.273, congratulating the Nunaka Valley Little League junior girls softball team on their performance in the Junior League Softball World Series.
Discharged Judiciary and adopted S.Res.261, designating the month of October 2011 as “National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month”.
Adopted S.Res.276, expressing support for the goals and ideals of National Infant Mortality Awareness Month 2011
Adopted S.Res.277, Recognizing the month of October 2011 as “National Principals Month”.
Adopted S.Res.278, designating September 2011 as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
Adopted S.Res.279, expressing support for the designation of September 24, 2011, as “Worldwide Day of Play”.
Adopted S.Res.280, designating the week beginning September 19, 2011, as “National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week and recognizing the achievements of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
Adopted S.Res.281, designating September 24, 2011, as “National Estuaries Day”.
Adopted S.Res.282, a resolution to authorize testimony in Kanelos v. County of Mohave, et al and Zanna, et al v. Mohave County, et al.
Confirmed the following Executive Calendar items:
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
#371 Ashton B. Carter – to be Deputy Secretary of Defense
AIR FORCE
#372 Col. Timothy J. Leahy – to be Brigadier General
#373 Capt. Rebecca J. McCormick-Boyle – to be Rear Admiral (lower half)
#374 Capt. Raquel C. Bono – to be Rear Admiral (lower half)
#375 Maj. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas – to be Lieutenant General
ARMY
#376 Maj. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho – to be Lieutenant General
NAVY
#377 Rear Adm. (lh) Douglas J. Venlet – to be Rear Admiral
#378 Rear Adm. (lh) David C. Johnson – to be Rear Admiral
#379 Rear Adm. (lh) Donald E. Gaddis – to be Rear Admiral
#381 Capt. Mark R. Whitney – to be Rear Admiral (lower half)
#382 Capt. Cindy L. Jaynes – to be Rear Admiral (lower half)
AIR FORCE
#383 Maj. Gen. Judith A. Fedder – to be Lieutenant General
#384 Maj. Gen. Michael T. Flynn – to be Lieutenant General
AIR FORCE
#385 Brig. Gen. Scott M. Hanson – to be Major General
#386 Maj. Gen. Clyde D. Moore, II – to be Lieutenant General
NAVY
#387 Vice Adm. Cecil E. D. Haney – to be Admiral
#388 Col. Robert F. Thomas – to be Brigadier General
#389 Brig. Gen. Allyson R. Solomon – to be Major General
#390 Col. Gary W. Keefe – to be Brigadier General
#391 Col. Frederick G. Hartwig;
Col. Donald L. Johnson;
Col. Kenneth W. Wisian – to be Brigadier General
#392 Brig. Gen. Joseph G. Balskus;
Brig. Gen. William S. Hadaway, III;
Brig. Gen. Mark R. Kraus;
Brig. Gen. Catherine S. Lutz – to be Major General
ARMY
#393 Maj. Gen. James L. Terry – to be Lieutenant General
#394 Maj. Gen. William T. Grisoli – to be Lieutenant General
#395 Brig. Gen. Margaret W. Boor – to be Major General
#396 Col. Raphael G. Peart – to be Brigadier General
#397 Brig. Gen. Terry M. Haston – to be Major General
NAVY
#398 Rear Adm. Michael S. Rogers – to be Vice Admiral
#399 Rear Adm. Frank C. Pandolfe – to be Vice Admiral
#400 Col. Randall R. Ball;
Col. John P. Bartholf;
Col. Steven J. Berryhill;
Col. Gretchen S. Dunkelberger;
Col. Greg A. Haase;
Col. Scott L. Kelly;
Col. Maureen McCarthy;
Col. Mark A. McCauley;
Col. Marsa L. Mitchell;
Col. Harry D. Montgomery, Jr.;
Col. Jon K. Mott;
Col. Brian C. Newby;
Col. David W. Newman;
Col. David Snyder;
Col. Dean L. Winslow – to be Brigadier General
ARMY
#401 Maj. Gen. Raymond V. Mason – to be Lieutenant General
#402 Maj. Gen. Terry A. Wolff – to be Lieutenant General
Discharged HELP and confirmed PN 924 Five hundred and sixty-seven nominations in the Public Health Service received by the Senate on September 8, 2011, beginning with Aysha Z. Akhtar, and ending with Mykah N. Wynter.