Recapping yesterday's action:
I got some push-back yesterday when I said it was the lamest day ever, but what's convincing me that I was right is facing the task of having to recap it. Nothing tops off a heaping helping of lame like having to write about it twice.
The House debated the rule for tomorrow's debate on the two-bill combo, featuring both the government contractors' 3% withholding tax repeal, and the Medicaid eligibility cuts to pay for it. Then it was a detour for the debate on and passage of the copper mining land swap bill, defeating all three Democratic amendments along the way (protecting Native American sites, requiring royalty payments on minerals extracted from the swapped land, and local hiring requirements). A quick U-turn for passage of the rule debated earlier, and then finally disposing of the suspension bill vote held over from yesterday.
The Senate was not in session.
Looking ahead to today:
The dual bills repealing the contractors' withholding tax and cutting Medicaid to pay for it are the only items on the agenda for today. No amendments are permitted, so you'll see them closing up shop around lunch time today and heading out of town for the weekend. (You know, the weekend. That thing that starts 36 hours later, for all the rest of us.)
One procedural note of interest. The rule for today's debate covers both bills, and directs that upon the passage of both, the text of H.R. 2576 (the Medicaid cut) is to be appended to the text of H.R. 674 (the withholding tax repeal) during the engrossment process (that is, the process of printing the bill up formally for presentation to the Senate). Then, H.R. 2576 itself is to be tabled, and only H.R. 674 (with its new addition) will go on to the Senate.
Today's floor and committee schedules appear below the fold.
In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Democratic Whip:
THE NIGHTLY WHIP: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011
TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK
On Thursday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business.
First/Last votes are expected between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
“One Minutes” (5 per side)
H.R. 674 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the imposition of 3 percent withholding on certain payments made to vendors by government entities (Rep. Herger - Ways and Means)
H.R. 2576 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the calculation of modified adjusted gross income for purposes of determining eligibility for certain healthcare-related programs (Rep. Black - Ways and Means)
The Senate is not in session today.