Recapping yesterday's action:
The House got things off to a rip-roaring start by awarding Congressional Gold Medals to Raoul Wallenberg, and... Jack Nicklaus.
The Senate confirmed a judicial nomination today, and a circuit court judge at that, by an overwhelming vote. So that's a good thing. Later, however, they fell nine votes short on cloture on the motion to proceed to the "Paying a Fair Share Act." That is to say, they had a majority of 51, but as we know, the Senate hamstrings itself on these things, and requires 60 votes to agree to end debate on whether or not to begin debate on a bill that would tax bazillionaires more than bus drivers.
Looking ahead to today:
Well, there's no real chance that there's ever going to be a budget passed this year, so the House might as well spend their time on the euphemistically-named "Sportsmen's Heritage Act." I don't know why Republicans still feel the need to hide behind the "sportsman" dodge. Why not just admit that the bill demands opening up all federal land to fishing and hunting, and allows people to import polar bear parts (yes, parts) "harvested" (by shooting them) in Canada? Is that embarrassing? More so than the rest of the crap they usually spend their time on, and are happy to cop to? I don't know. I don't get these guys. Whatever.
But here's the best part! Late last night, they decided to use the rule for the bill to bury The Return of the Son of Zombie "Demon Pass!"
Oh, and they'll also be honoring Lena Horne and Mark Twain with a Congressional Gold Medal and a commemorative coin, respectively. So, great.
The Senate takes a roundabout procedural path to a relatively simple day. They'll be voting on a motion to proceed to the postal reform bill. That's Joe Lieberman's baby, so maybe this will get him over his Buffett Rule temper tantrum. You may recall that this is actually the second attempt at cloture on the motion to proceed to this bill. The last one failed back at the end of march, and procedure nuts (like you, if you're reading this) will enjoy noting that they actually come to the vote today by way of making and then agreeing to deem adopted both a motion to proceed to a motion to reconsider the motion to proceed, and that underlying motion to reconsider. That puts us right back at a vote on the motion to proceed to the bill itself. Cool, huh? Isn't that just, like, so sensible and stuff? Seriously, though, I know it sounds completely bonkers, but you don't just automatically get to redo a vote just because someone feels like it. You've got to make a motion and get agreement to it in order to make something the pending business.
Anyway, that leaves the Senate in a position to give this postal reform bill another go. Yeah, your regular newspaper could have told you that in a quarter of the time and print space, but then you wouldn't have this throbbing headache. And what fun would that be?
Today's floor and committee schedules appear below the fold.
In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Democratic Whip:
THE NIGHTLY WHIP: MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2012
TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for Morning Hour debate and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.
First votes expected: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Last votes expected: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
“One Minutes” (15 per side)
H.R. 4089 – Sportmen's Heritage Act of 2012 (Rep. Miller (FL) – Natural Resources/ Agriculture/Energy and Commerce) (Subject to Rule)
The Rule provides for one hour of general debate and makes in order the following amendments:
Rep. Hastings (WA) Manager’s Amendment (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. Holt Amendment (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. Grijalva Amendment (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. Peters Amendment (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. Fleming Amendment (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. Bishop (NY) Amendment (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. Heinrich Amendment (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. Foxx Amendment (10 minutes of debate)
Postponed Suspensions (2 Bills)
- H.R. 1815 – Lena Horne Recognition Act (Rep. Hastings (FL) – Financial Services)
- H.R. 2453 – Mark Twain Commemorative Coin Act, as amended (Rep. Luetkemeyer – Financial Services)
In the Senate, courtesy of the
Office of the Majority Leader:
Senate Floor Schedule for Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Convenes: 10:00am
Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in morning business until 11:00am with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each with the Republicans controlling the first half and the Majority controlling the final half.
Following morning business, the Senate will consider the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.1789, the Postal Reform bill with up to 10 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees. By consent, the motion to proceed to the motion to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to S.1789 (on March 27, 2012) will be agreed to and the motion to reconsider will be also be agreed to. Upon the use or yielding back of time (at approximately 11:10am), there will be a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.1789, the Postal Reform bill, upon reconsideration.
The Senate will recess from 12:30pm until 2:15pm to allow for the weekly caucus meetings.
4/16 wrap-up:
Senate Floor Wrap Up for Monday, April 16, 2012
ROLL CALL VOTES
1) Confirmation of the nomination of Stephanie Dawn Thacker, of West Virginia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit; Confirmed: 91-3
2) Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.2230, the Paying a Fair Share Act; Not Invoked: 51-45
No LEGISLATIVE ITEMS
No EXECUTIVE ITEMS
Today's House committee schedule:
ARMED SERVICES-----------------------------------------------10:00-Open
Full Committee. On H.R. _ - FY 2013 Defense Authorization Act. 2118 RHOB.
ARMED SERVICES------------------------------------------------3:00-Open
Strategic Forces Subc. On the FY 2012 budget request for atomic energy defense activities and nuclear forces programs. Madelyn Creedon, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic, Defense Department; Gen. Robert Kehler, Commande, U.S. Strategic Command; Thomas P. D’Agostino, Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration; David G. Huizenga, Energy Department Senior Advisor for Environmental Management; Peter S. Winokur, Chairman, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. 2212 RHOB.
BUDGET--------------------------------------------------------10:00-Open
Full Committee. On strengthening the safety net. Casey Mullican, University of Chicago Professor of Economics; Ron Haskins, Co-Director of the Brookings Institution Center on Children and Families; Robert Rector, Heritage Foundation Senior Research Fellow. 210 CHOB.
EDUCATION & WORKFORCE--------------------------------------10:00-Open
Full Committee. On H.R. 4297 - Workforce Investment Improvement Act. Norma Noble, Deputy Secretary of Commerce for Workforce Development. 2175 RHOB.
ENERGY & COMMERCE-------------------------------------------10:00-Open
Energy and Power Subc. Mark up of pending legislation. 2123 RHOB.
FINANCIAL SERVICES-------------------------------------------10:00-Open
Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology Subc. Hrng. on coinage production. 2128 RHOB.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS------------------------------------------------2:00-Open
Africa, Global Health and Human Rights Subc. Hrng. on H.R. 4221 – Increasing American Jobs Through Greater Exports to Africa Act. 2172 RHOB.
HOMELAND SECURITY-------------------------------------------10:00-Open
Border and Maritime Security Subc. Hrng. on how to utilize the National Guard to achieve operational control. 311 CHOB.
HOMELAND SECURITY--------------------------------------------2:00-Open
Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications Subc. Hrng. on taking measure of countermeasures, protecting the protectors. Dept. and public witnesses. 311 CHOB.
JUDICIARY-------------------------------------------------------3:30-Open
Full Committee. Mark up of budget reconciliation recommendations. 2141 RHOB.
NATURAL RESOURCES-------------------------------------------10:00-Open
National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subc. On pending legislation. 1324 LHOB.
NATURAL RESOURCES--------------------------------------------2:00-Open
Water and Power Subc. On pending legislation. 1324 LHOB.
OVERSIGHT & GOVERNMENT REFORM-----------------------------10:00-Open
TARP, Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs Subc. On the Securities and Exchange Commissions aversion to cost-benefit analysis. 2154 RHOB.
RULES-----------------------------------------------------------3:00-Open
Full Committee. On H.R. 9 - Small Business Tax Cut Act and H.R. _ - Surface Transportation Extension act of 2012, Part II. H-313 Capitol.
SCIENCE, SPACE & TECHNOLOGY--------------------------------10:00-Open
Full Committee. Hrng on tapping America’s unconventional oil resources for job creation and affordable domestic energy. Andrew Slaughter, Chairman, Resource and Supply Task Group, National Petroleum Council Report on Prudent Development and Karen Harbert, President, Institute for 21st Century Energy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 2318 RHOB.
TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE----------------------------8:30-Open
Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Subc. On General Service Administration’s (GSA) squandering of taxpayer dollars. Martha Johnson, Former Administrator, GSA; Bob Peck, Former Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, GSA; and David Foley, Former Deputy Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, GSA. 2167 RHOB.
WAYS & MEANS------------------------------------------------10:00-Open
Full Committee. Hrng. on possible changes to tax-favored retirement savings plans. 1100 LHOB.
The Senate committee schedule page still shows no committee meetings for today. I suspect that's actually an error, but that's what it says. It actually looks like somebody forgot to restart the Interwebs Machines after the recess yesterday. So we're outta luck on that score for the time being.