Recapping Last Week in Congress
The House put in a short work week last week, coming back from the Memorial Day weekend on Wednesday. And though they passed an intelligence authorization bill, a military construction and veterans' affairs appropriations bill, and started work on an energy and water development appropriations bill, what attention they got last week came from the failed attempt to pass the nonsensical PRE(TE)NDA Act under suspension of the rules. So the failed bill got all the eyeballs, and the appropriations bills are all under veto threat. What a productive week!
Speaking of productive weeks, the Senate was in recess last week.
This Week in Congress
There's not much different on tap this week in the House. Another bunch of suspension bills to start things off on Tuesday, though nothing as obviously exciting as the Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass and also Superman and Batman and then Superman, again Act. And the follow up is more work on more appropriations bills (including the conclusion of the energy and water development bill from last week) that are still likely veto targets, plus the all-too-tantalizingly named Protect Medical Innovation Act. Woo! See if you can guess how they're going to protect medical innovation! No, seriously, go ahead, take a.... Oh, you're guessing a tax cut? Damn it, did someone tell you? Come on!
The Senate schedule for the week so far consists of continued deliberation of the motion to proceed to the Paycheck Fairness Act, a confirmation vote on the judicial nomination of Timothy S. Hillman to the District of Massachusetts, and then on Tuesday, a cloture vote on that Paycheck Fairness motion to proceed. That's not expected to go anywhere, though, and the word is that after that, it might be on to a farm bill.
Now, on to a bit of housekeeping of our own for just a moment. It's time this week for Netroots Nation, and that also means it's time for the launch of Daily Kos Radio, for which we owe a great debt to the help of our fellow Kossacks who are the force behind our very own Netroots Radio group, where they've already been putting out a fantastic stream of online radio programming for over a year now. Be sure to check out their offerings, because not only do they speak your language, but it's an opportunity for you to join in the fun, and do some of that speaking yourself, too.
Anyhow, the point here is that the availability of the Daily Kos Radio outlet means we'll be rethinking and reconfiguring how we deliver you the news and commentary that have been a part of Today in Congress for the past couple of years. The radio format, I hope, will make it even easier to give additional insight, discussion and nuance on what's happening in Congress that the blog format can sometimes constrain (as hard as that might be to believe). But it'll likely also mean that the blog format for Today in Congress will be curtailed and phased out, replaced with a reminder to tune in at 9:00 Eastern (or download podcasts later, if you choose) for that info and more. We'll be playing it by ear for a while, and working out the details of how the future of this particular feature will look, but for right now, I'll just say the prospects are pretty exciting on this end.
So thanks for sitting through all this, everyone! Here's hoping that radio gives us some more room to have fun with what can be (we all have to admit) some dry, sometimes impenetrable, and often frustrating material that it just so happens we can't afford to ignore.
And yes, you'll find your full floor schedules below the fold.
In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Democratic Whip:
THE WEEKLY WHIP: FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 2012
First Vote Of The Week: Tuesday 6:30 p.m.
Last Vote Predicted: Friday 3:00 p.m.
***MEMBERS ARE ADVISED THAT CLOSE VOTES, INCLUDING A POTENTIAL VOTE ON AN AMENDMENT RELATED TO PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS (PLAs), ARE EXPECTED NEXT WEEK AND THAT ANY EXPECTED ABSENCES SHOULD BE REPORTED TO THE WHIP’S OFFICE AT x5-3130.
***Members are also advised that the GOP leadership has announced that votes could occur after 7:00 p.m. when the House is considering Appropriations bills.
MONDAY, JUNE 4, 2012
On Monday, the House is not in session.
TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 2012
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 12:00 p.m. Morning Hour debate and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business with votes postponed until 6:30 p.m. More than one vote series is expected after 6:30 p.m.
Continue Consideration of H.R. 5325 – Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (Rep. Frelinghuysen – Appropriations)
The House will continue reading the bill by paragraph and debating amendments beginning on page 21 at 2:00 p.m. If Members wish to offer an amendment, they should be prepared to offer their amendment at the appropriate place in the bill and be on the Floor at the appropriate time.
Suspensions (10 bills)
- H.R. 2060 – Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act (Rep. Walden – Natural Resources)
- H.R. 2336 – York River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2011 (Rep. Pingree – Natural Resources)
- H.R. 1740 – To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of Illabot Creek in Skagit County, Washington, as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (Rep. Larsen – Natural Resources)
- H.R. 3263 – Lake Thunderbird Efficient Use Act of 2011 (Rep. Cole – Natural Resources)
- H.R. 241 – To authorize the conveyance of certain National Forest System lands in the Los Padres National Forest in California (Rep. Gallegly – Natural Resources)
- H.R. 2512 – Three Kids Mine Remediation and Reclamation Act (Rep. Heck – Natural Resources)
- H.R. 4222 – To provide for the conveyance of certain land inholdings owned by the United States to the Tucson Unified School District and to the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, and for other purposes (Rep. Grijalva – Natural Resources)
- S. 363 – A bill to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to convey property of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to the City of Pascagoula, Mississippi, and for other purposes (Sen. Wicker – Natural Resources)
- S. 292 – Salmon Lake Land Selection Resolution Act (Sen. Murkowski – Natural Resources)
- H.R. 4282 – International Child Support Recovery Improvement Act of 2012 (Rep. Berg – Ways and Means)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 2012 AND THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK
On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for 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.
Complete Consideration of H.R. 5325 – Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (Rep. Frelinghuysen – Appropriations)
H.R. 436 – Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2011 (Rep. Paulsen – Ways and Means) (Subject to a Rule)
Possible Consideration of H.R. 5855 – Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2013 (Rep. Aderholt – Appropriations)
Possible Consideration of H.R. 5882 – Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2013 (Rep. Crenshaw – Appropriations) (Subject to a Rule)
Possible Motions to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 4348 – Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012, Part II
In the Senate, courtesy of the
Office of the Majority Leader:
Senate Floor Schedule for Monday, June 4, 2012
Convenes: 2:00pm
Following the prayer and pledge, the Majority Leader will be recognized. It is the Majority Leader’s intention to resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.3220, the Paycheck Fairness Act.
At 5:00pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Executive Calendar #613, the nomination of Timothy S. Hillman, of MA, to be United States District Judge for the District of Massachusetts. There will be up to 30 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley or their designees. Upon the use or yielding back of time (at approximately 5:30pm), there will be a roll call vote on confirmation of the Hillman nomination.
As a reminder to all Senators, cloture was filed on the motion to proceed to S.3220, the Paycheck Fairness Act on Thursday, May 24th. That cloture vote will occur at 2:15pm on Tuesday, June 5th.
No committee meetings are scheduled for today.