In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:
First Vote of the Week... Monday 6:00 p.m.
Last Vote Predicted... Friday p.m.
MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2010
On Monday, the House will meet at 12:30 p.m. for Morning Hour debate and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business with votes postponed until 6:00 p.m.
Suspensions (8 Bills)
- H.Res. 1244 - Recognizing the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition for its now five-year effort to promote cyber security curriculum in institutions of higher learning (Rep. Rodriguez - Education and Labor)
- H.Con.Res. 284 - Recognizing the work and importance of special education teachers (Rep. Sessions - Education and Labor)
- H.Res. __ - Commending the University of Southern California Trojan men’s tennis team for its victory in the 2010 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Tennis Championship (Rep. Watson - Education and Labor)
- S. 1508 - Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010 (Sen. Carper - Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.R. 3913 - Major General David F. Wherley, Jr. District of Columbia National Guard Retention and College Access Act (Rep. Norton - Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.Res. 1439 - Congratulating the Chicago Blackhawks on winning the 2010 Stanley Cup Championship (Rep. Quigley - Oversight and Government Reform)
- S. 1510 - United States Secret Service Uniformed Division Modernization Act (Sen. Lieberman - Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.R. 5395 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 151 North Maitland Avenue in Maitland, Florida, as the "Paula Hawkins Post Office Building" (Rep. Mica - Oversight and Government Reform)
TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 2010 AND THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 10:30 a.m. for Morning Hour debate and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business. On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business. On Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business.
Suspensions (18 Bills)
- H.R. 4505 - To enable State homes to furnish nursing home care to parents any of whose children died while serving in the Armed Forces (Rep. Thornberry - Veterans' Affairs)
- H.Res. 1446 - Recognizing the residents of the City of Tracy, California, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the city's incorporation, for their century of dedicated service to the United States (Rep. McNerney - Veterans' Affairs)
- H.Res. 1228 - Honoring the veterans of Helicopter Attack Light Squadron Three and their families (Rep. Boozman - Veterans' Affairs)
- H.R. 4307 - To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Artesia, New Mexico, as the "Alejandro Renteria Ruiz Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic" (Rep. Teague - Veterans' Affairs)
- S.J.Res. 33 - A joint resolution to provide for the reconsideration and revision of the proposed constitution of the United States Virgin Islands to correct provisions inconsistent with the Constitution and Federal law (Sen. Bingaman - Natural Resources)
- H.R. 1554 - Fountainhead Property Land Transfer Act (Rep. Boren - Natural Resources)
- H.R. 4445 - Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Clarification Act (Rep. Heinrich - Natural Resources)
- H.R. 2340 - Salmon Lake Land Selection Resolution Act (Rep. Young (AK) - Natural Resources)
- H.Res. 1153 - Recognizing the heroic efforts of the West Virginia National Guard and local responders for their work rescuing 17 individuals from a downed military helicopter on a rugged, snow-covered mountain on the Pocahontas-Randolph county line (Rep. Rahall - Armed Services)
- H.Res. 1460 - Recognizing the important role pollinators play in supporting the ecosystem and supporting the goals and ideals of National Pollinator Week (Rep. Hastings (FL) - Agriculture)
- Senate Amendments to H.R. 3360 - Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (Rep. Matsui - Transportation and Infrastructure)
- H.R. __ - Extending the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund and extending the authorizations for the airport improvement program (Rep. Levin - Ways and Means)
- H.R. 5552 - Firearms Excise Tax Improvement Act of 2010 (Rep. Kind - Ways and Means)
- H.Res. 1321 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the political situation in Thailand be solved peacefully and through democratic means (Rep. Faleomavaega - Foreign Affairs)
- H.Res. 1412 - Congratulating the Government of South Africa upon its first two successful convictions for human trafficking (Rep. Smith (NJ) - Foreign Affairs)
- S. 3104 - Permanently authorizing Radio Free Asia (Sen. Lugar - Foreign Affairs)
- H.Res. 1405 - Congratulating the people of the 17 African nations that in 2010 are marking the 50th year of their national independence (Rep. Rush - Foreign Affairs)
- H.R. 5503 - Securing Protections for the Injured from Limitations on Liability Act (Rep. Conyers - Judiciary)
Conference Report on H.R. 4173 – Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 (Rep. Frank – Financial Services) (Subject to a Rule)
Further Action on H.R. 4899 - Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2010 (Rep. Obey - Appropriations) (Subject to a Rule)
- Conference Reports may be brought up at any time.
Motions to go to Conference should they become available.
Possible Motions to Instruct Conferees.
In the Senate, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:
Convenes: 2:00pm
Following any Leader remarks, there will be a period of morning business until 3:00pm with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.
Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to H.R.5297, Small Business Jobs bill.
At 5:00pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider the nomination of Gary Feinerman, of Illinois, to be United States District judge for the Northern District of Illinois. Debate until 5:30pm will be equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Sessions or their designees.
There will be a series of 2 roll call votes at 5:30pm on Monday. Those votes will be on the following:
- Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R.5297, Small Business Jobs; and
- Confirmation of the nomination of Gary Feinerman, of Illinois, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois.
Votes:
At 5:30pm on Monday, June 28, the Senate will proceed to a series of 2 roll call votes in relation to the following items:
- Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to HR5297, Small Business Lending Fund Program; and
- Confirmation of the nomination of Gary Feinerman, of Illinois, to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois.
Time will surely be taken out from the schedule this week to mark the passing of the longest serving Member of Congress in history, Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV). Expect the occasion to be a pretty big deal, and for memorial and funeral services to require the suspension of most if not all Congressional activity at the time.
The usual raft of suspension bills will occupy at least the first two days of the week in the House, and lately we've seen suspension activities stretching into the back end of the week as well. At the moment, there are just two substantive measures scheduled for consideration this week: the conference report on the Wall Street reform bill, and the supplemental appropriations bill.
The Wall Street reform bill, you'll notice, is now running under the name of the Dodd-Frank Act. Someone appears to consider this bill legacy-worthy enough to run with the big boys, among the Glass-Steagals and Sarbanes-Oxleys of the world. (Let's just hope it doesn't go the way of the Smoot-Hawleys of the world once it's all said and done.)
The supplemental has been out there and looming for some time, with its $33 billion in war funding of the type that we all recall we weren't going to pass anymore. Yet there it sits on the schedule once again, despite the promise we wouldn't see any more such bills, and despite the threats from Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI-07) to block its consideration in the House until the Senate had stepped up and done its part in passing the domestic priorities of financial relief for the states, unemployment insurance benefits extension, etc.
The fact that it's on the schedule doesn't by itself mean they'll actually move it to the floor, of course. Putting it on the schedule is up to Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD-05), who's doubtless considerably less comfortable delaying war funding than Obey is. But actually bringing it to the floor will still likely depend on the vote counters assuring Hoyer ahead of time that the thing can pass, and if that's not clear, they may have to wait. So that's where Obey's leverage lies: not in actually being able to block the bill from the floor, but in convincing like-minded colleagues to say they'll vote no if it arrives there before they're satisfied with Senate action. We'll see how that shakes out. But typically it doesn't take much more than the hint that "the troops" (as opposed to, say, various contractors and vendors) will run out of money to get people to move, and such hand-wringing has become the tradition, especially in advance of a recess, which can be used to embarrass Members into acting. And with another recess looming, you'll see for yourself whether the Congress jumps more quickly for "the troops" than they do for unemployed workers.
In the Senate, the week's picture is (as usual) not as clear. But what we do know is that they'll have to start the week with yet another cloture vote, this time on the motion to proceed on the small business lending bill the House recently sent over. Yes, another motion to proceed filibustered, which means yet another cloture vote on whether or not to end the debate on whether or not to begin debate. And -- as if to try to somehow de-emphasize the need for filibuster reform -- the Republicans are allowing one more judicial nomination to squeak through. Nothing to see here! Move along!
Speaking of nominations, Elena Kagan's nomination for the Supreme Court begins moving through the committee process this week, as does that of Generalissimo David "Magical September" Petraeus. Again. I believe that means we'll have six more weeks of summer. This week's full committee schedule appears below the fold, in convenient Google Calendar format. Just one BP OilcanoTM hearing this week. Were they overdoing it before? Or are they losing interest now? Ick! I feel like I just wrote a Dana Milbank column!