Recapping Last Week in Congress
If there's an upside to coming back from a recess, it's that there's usually not much (if anything) to write about in the recap of the previous week. In this case there actually was some activity last week, but we'll have to reverse our usual order of reporting to cover it. On Monday, the Senate passed amended versions of two continuing appropriations bills and sent them back to the House—one keeping the government running until this Tuesday, October 4th; one lasting slightly longer, until November 18th.
The House, during its September 29th pro forma session, approved the shorter term bill—H.R. 2017—by unanimous consent, allowing the government to keep operating until the full House could return from the recess. That's where things stand on government shutdowns, and the sum total of the substantive work done in Congress last week.
This Week in Congress
This week, the House returns with the traditional first day slate of suspension bills, including the critical Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act and this week's BANANAS Alert contender, the Help to Access Land for the Education of Scouts or HALE Scouts Act. Why would anyone want to hale scouts? I have no idea. But after the easy stuff, it's on to the slightly longer-term continuing appropriations bill, when we'll see whether any Tea Party crazies want to cause the Republican leadership (and the country) more headaches. From there on, it's the usual House agenda: attempting to repeal parts of the stimulus bill (H.R. 1343) and/or some sort of health and safety regulations (the "Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act," and the "EPA Regulatory Relief Act").
The Senate begins the week with an executive session and the consideration of six judicial nominations (only one of which is at this point expected to be close enough to require a vote), and then a return to the all-too-normal routine of a cloture vote on a motion to proceed, this time to the Chinese currency manipulation bill, S.1619, formally the "Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act," the consideration of which will likely consume the better part of the week, if not more.
Full floor and committee schedules are below the fold.
In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Democratic Whip:
THE WEEKLY WHIP: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
First Vote Of The Week: Monday 6:30 p.m.
Last Vote Predicted: Thursday 3:00 p.m.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011
On Monday, the House will meet at 2:00 p.m. for legislative business with votes postponed until 6:30 p.m.
Suspensions (7 Bills)
- H.R. 686 - Utah National Guard Readiness Act (Rep. Bishop (UT) - Natural Resources)
- H.R. 765 - Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act of 2011 (Rep. Bishop (UT) - Natural Resources)
- H.R. 489 - To clarify the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior with respect to the C.C. Cragin Dam and Reservoir, and for other purposes (Rep. Gosar - Natural Resources)
- H.R. 473 – Help to Access Land for the Education (HALE) of Scouts Act (Rep. Boren - Natural Resources)
- H.R. 470 – Hoover Power Allocation Act of 2011, as amended (Rep. Heck - Natural Resources)
- H.R. 670 - To convey certain submerged lands to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in order to give that territory the same benefits in its submerged lands as Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa have in their submerged lands (Rep. Sablan - Natural Resources)
- S.Con.Res. 29 - Authorizing the use of the rotunda of the United States Capitol for an event to present 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 (Sen. Nelson (FL) – House Administration)
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for Morning Hour debate and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.
Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendments to H.R. 2608 - Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012(Rep. Rogers (KY) - Appropriations) (Subject to a Unanimous Consent Agreement)
H.Res. __ - Rule Providing for consideration of H.R. 2681 - the Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011, and H.R. 2250 - the EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011 (Rep. Nugent - Rules)
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011 AND THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK
On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for Morning Hour debate and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business. On Thursday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business with last votes no later than 3:00 p.m. On Friday, the House is not in session.
Suspension (1 Bill)
H.R. 1343 - To return unused or reclaimed funds made available for broadband awards in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to the Treasury of the United States (Rep. Bass (NH) – Energy and Commerce)
H.R. 2681 - Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011 (Rep. Sullivan – Energy and Commerce) (Subject to a Rule)
H.R. 2250 - EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011 (Rep. Griffith - Energy and Commerce)(Subject to a Rule)
In the Senate, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:
Senate Floor Schedule for Monday, October 3, 2011
The Senate will convene for a pro forma session only on Thursday, September 29, 2011 at 1:45pm.
Following the pro forma session, the Senate will adjourn until 2:00pm on Monday, October 3, 2011.
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 the motion to proceed to S.1619, the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act with the time until 4:30pm equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees.
At 4:30pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider the following nominations:
- Cal #113 Henry F. Floyd, of South Carolina, to be US Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit
- Cal #171 Nannette Jolivette Brown, of Louisiana, to be US District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana
- Cal #172 Nancy Torresen, of Maine, to be US District Judge for the District of Maine
- Cal #173 William Francis Kuntz, II, of New York, to be US District Judge for the Eastern District of New York
- Cal #184 Marina Garcia Marmolejo, of Texas, to be US District Judge for the Southern District of Texas
- Cal #357 Jennifer Guerin Zipps, of Arizona, to be US District Judge for the District of Arizona
With one hour of debate equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley or their designees. Calendar numbers 171, 172, 173, 184 and 357 will be confirmed by unanimous consent.
At 5:30pm, there will be 2 roll call votes in relation to the following:
- Confirmation of Calendar #113, Henry F. Floyd, of South Carolina, to be US Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit, and
- Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to Calendar #183, S.1619, the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act.