Recapping Last Week in Congress
There just wasn't much to speak of in terms of legislative accomplishments in Congress last week. A handful of suspensions bills in the House, and the rejection of the motion to proceed to the resolution of disapproval of the debt ceiling hike in the Senate. Man, the Senate even makes it a mouthful to tell you how they didn't do anything!
Outside of the strictly legislative stuff, there was the Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) resignation, and the State of the Union address. Remember that? That was awesome.
This Week in Congress
A little heavier lifting this week, starting with the schedule full of Orwellianism in the House. Can you tell what's on their minds? "The Fiscal Responsibility and Retirement Security Act." The "Pro-Growth Budgeting Act." The "Baseline Reform Act." Yes, it's time again to pretend the country is buying what Republicans are selling in the budget department. The ground has shifted a little since the last time around on that subject (thanks, OWS), but Republicans will be looking to push back with their pro-austerity, pro-locust program, convincing The Village that it's Very Serious (and "bold," and "courageous," yadda, yadda) to keep squeezing the 99%, and the game starts this week.
In the Senate, by contrast, the week kicks off with the motion to proceed to the "Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act." Well, at least the acronym isn't completely awful. We'll give it a BANANAS (Bad Acronym Naming and Nomenclature Assessment Scale) score of just 1. Anyway, it's pretty much the opposite direction from the one in which the House is setting out. Which naturally means that there's no agreement on voting on the motion to proceed, and we'll instead have a vote on the 49th cloture motion filed in the 112th Congress. For those keeping score at home, we're running at about 70% the rate of cloture filings from the last Congress. So that's what the Gentlemen's Agreement has bought us. Less is good, and a 30% reduction is nothing to sneeze at. But there's clearly more work to be done. If it's important that the Occupy movement got a nod in the State of the Union, then it's important that filibuster reform got one, too.
Let the games begin.
Full floor schedules are below the fold.
In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Democratic Whip:
THE WEEKLY WHIP: FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2012
First Vote Of The Week: Tuesday 6:30 p.m.
Last Vote Predicted: Friday 3:00 p.m.
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012
On Monday, the House is not in session.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2012
On Tuesday, 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.
Motion to go to Conference on H.R. 658 - FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act
H.Res. 522 - Rule providing for consideration of the bill H.R. 1173 - The Fiscal Responsibility and Retirement Security Act of 2011 (Rep. Sessions – Rules) (One Hour of Debate)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2012
On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. Morning Hour debate and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.
Suspensions (3 Bills)
- H.R. 3835 - To extend the pay limitation for Members of Congress and Federal Employees (Rep. Duffy – Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.Res. 496 - Adjusting the amount provided for the expenses of certain committees of the House of Representatives in the One Hundred Twelfth Congress (Rep. Lungren – House Administration)
- H.R. 3567 - Welfare Integrity Now for Children and Families Act of 2011, as amended (Rep. Boustany – Ways and Means)
H.R. 1173 - The Fiscal Responsibility and Retirement Security Act of 2011 (Rep. Boustany – Energy and Commerce/Ways and Means) (Subject to a Rule)
The Rule provides for one hour of general debate and makes in order only those amendments that have been preprinted in the Congressional Record no later than the legislative day of Tuesday, January 31, 2012. The Rule also provides that the bill shall be considered for amendment for a period not to exceed three hours.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012 AND FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2012
On Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. 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 expected no later than 3:00 p.m.
H.R. 3582 - Pro-Growth Budgeting Act of 2011 (Rep. Price (GA) - Budget/Rules) (Subject to a Rule)
H.R. 3578 - Baseline Reform Act of 2011 (Rep. Woodall - Budget) (Subject to a Rule)
Members are advised that Conference Reports may be brought up at any time
In the Senate, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:
Senate Floor Schedule for Monday, January 30, 2012
Convenes: 2pm
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.
At 4:30pm, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar #301, S.2038, the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act with the time until 5:30pm equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees.
At 5:30pm, the Senate will conduct a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.2038, the STOCK Act.
No committee meetings are scheduled for today.