We're even stealing the This Week in Congress spotlight!
We'll be taking to the "air" again this week on
Daily Kos Radio, live from 9-11 EDT, and now finally making our way into podcast format as well. We'll doubtless be obsessing about not just the ACA ruling, but also the Arizona "papers, please" case, with help from Armando, Adam B, and perhaps still more members of our legal issues peanut gallery. Plus, we'll talk contempt of Congress, dive back into the weeds on any number of procedural issues, and generally do the things the rest of the radio dial won't touch. Join us Monday through Friday from 9-11, and bring the kiddies out to the park, why don't ya? Well, maybe not kids. But tell a friend, at least.
Recapping Last Week in Congress
The House delivered up its quota of Orwellianism in passing the "Conservation and Economic Growth Act" and the "Domestic Energy and Jobs Act." So congratulations to all of you who are reaping the benefits of the economic growth and new jobs.
The Senate spent its week on a boatload of farm bill amendments, finally wrapping that bill up in time to move on to slogging through the now-routine cloture motions on motions to proceed to the items on this week's agenda.
This Week in Congress
Everyone's eyes will be pointed across the street this week, toward the Supreme Court, which we all anticipate will be handing down its opinion on the Affordable Care Act. But there won't likely be any floor action in either house having to do with that. The band plays on. And there's a lot to play, some of which is not really reflected in the floor schedule. On top of the scheduled floor business for the week are the looming deadlines for reauthorizing surface transportation programs and for blocking the increase in interest rates on federally-supported student loans. Both will have to be addressed, but the pathway to the floor is not yet charted.
In the House, a bundle of suspensions (including five more post office namings), the Transportation/HUD and Agriculture appropriations bills (these not yet under specific veto threat), two postponed votes on motions to instruct conferees in the interminable surface transportation bill conference, and... the full House vote on the motion to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress.
In the Senate, it's business as usual. Which is to say that they'll begin the week by burning off post-cloture time on the motion to proceed to consideration of the flood insurance bill, even though they've already agreed to adopt the motion to proceed by unanimous consent some time before 5:30, so that they can get to the cloture vote on the motion to proceed to consideration of the House's amendment to the FDA user fees bill. Two cloture procedures on two motions to proceed. And it's only Monday.
Full floor and committee schedules are below the fold.
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In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Democratic Whip:
THE WEEKLY WHIP: FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2012
First Vote Of The Week:Tuesday 6:30 p.m.
Last Vote Predicted: Friday 3:00 p.m.
MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2012
On Monday, the House will meet at 2:00 p.m. in Pro Forma Session. No votes are expected in the House.
TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2012
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 2:00 p.m. for legislative business with votes postponed until 6:30 p.m. Members are advised that a second series of votes is expected at approximately 10:00 - 11:00 p.m.
Suspensions (16 bills)
- H.R. 4850 – Enabling Energy Saving Innovations Act (Rep. Aderholt – Energy and Commerce)
- H.R. 5625 – Collinsville Renewable Energy Promotion Act (Rep. Murphy (CT) – Energy and Commerce)
- H.R. 5889 – Nuclear Terrorism Conventions Implementation and Safety of Maritime Navigation Act of 2012, as amended (Rep. Smith (TX) – Judiciary)
- H.R. 4223 – Safe Doses Act (Rep. Sensenbrenner – Judiciary)
- H.R. 4018 – Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvements Act of 2012, as amended (Rep. Fitzpatrick – Judiciary)
- H.R. 3501 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 125 Kerr Avenue in Rome City, Indiana, as the "SPC Nicholas Scott Hartge Post Office" (Rep. Stutzman – Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.R. 3412 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1421 Veterans Memorial Drive in Abbeville, Louisiana, as the "Sergeant Richard Franklin Abshire Post Office Building" (Rep. Boustany – Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.R. 3593 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 787 State Route 17M in Monroe, New York, as the "National Clandestine Service of the Central Intelligence Agency NCS Officer Gregg David Wenzel Memorial Post Office" (Rep. Hayworth – Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.R. 3772 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 150 South Union Street in Canton, Mississippi, as the "First Sergeant Landres Cheeks Post Office Building" (Rep. Thompson (MS) – Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.R. 3276 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2810 East Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa, Florida, as the "Reverend Abe Brown Post Office Building (Rep. Castor – Oversight and Government Reform)
- Senate Amendment to H.R. 2297 – To promote the development of the Southwest waterfront in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes (Rep. Norton – Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.R. 4251 – Securing Maritime Activities through Risk–based Targeting for Port Security Act (Rep. Miller (MI) – Homeland Security)
- H.R. 4005 – GAPS Act (Rep. Hahn – Homeland Security)
- H.R. 1447 – Aviation Security Stakeholder Participation Act of 2011 (Rep. Thompson (MS) – Homeland Security)
- H.R. 5843 – To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to permit use of certain grant funds for training conducted in conjunction with a national laboratory or research facility (Rep. Lungren – Homeland Security)
- H.R. 3173 – To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to reform the process for the enrollment, activation, issuance, and renewal of a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) to require, in total, not more than one in–person visit to a designated enrollment center (Rep. Scalise – Homeland Security)
Begin Consideration of H.R. 5972 – Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (Rep. Latham – Appropriations Committee) (Subject to a Rule)
Postponed Votes (2 votes)
- Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 4348 – Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012, Part II (Rep. Hoyer)
- Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 4348 – Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012, Part II (Rep. Black)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 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. 5972 – Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (Rep. Latham – Appropriations Committee) (Subject to a Rule)
H.Res. – Resolution recommending that the House of Representatives find Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, in contempt of Congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Rep. Issa – Oversight and Government Reform) (Privileged Resolution)
H.R. 5973 – Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011 (Rep. Kingston – Appropriations) (Subject to a Rule)
Further Legislation Relating to H.R. 4628 – Interest Rate Reduction Act
Further Legislation Relating to 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 25, 2012
Convenes: 2:00pm
Following the prayer and pledge, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.1940, the Flood Insurance bill, post-cloture.
At a time to be determined but prior to 5:30pm on Monday, the motion to proceed to S.1940 will be adopted.
As a reminder to all Senators, cloture was filed on the motion to concur in the House message to accompany S.3187, the FDA bill on Thursday, June 21st. As a result, there will be a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur in the House message to accompany S.3187 at 5:30pm on Monday.
No committee meetings are scheduled for today.