In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:
First Vote of the Week... Wednesday 10:00 a.m.
Last Vote Predicted... ???
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2010
On Monday, no votes are expected in the House.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2010
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 10:30 a.m. for Morning Hour debate and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business. No votes are expected in the House, which is a change to the previously announced schedule.
Suspensions (63 Bills)
- H.Res. 1630 - Expressing support for National POW/MIA Recognition Day (Rep. Lipinski - Armed Services)
- H.Con.Res. 319 - Recognizing the anniversary of the tragic shootings that occurred at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009 (Rep. Carter - Armed Services)
- H.Res. 1605 - Recognizing the service of the medical and air crews in helping our wounded warriors make the expeditious and safe trip home to the United States and commending the personnel of the Air Force for their commitment to the well-being of all our service men and women (Rep. Thompson (CA) - Armed Services)
- H.R. 5993 - SAVINGS Act of 2010 (Rep. Halvorson - Veterans' Affairs)
- H.R. 5360 - Blinded Veterans Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2010 (Rep. Herseth Sandlin - Veterans' Affairs)
- H.R. 6132 - Veterans Benefits and Economic Welfare Improvement Act of 2010 (Rep. Filner - Veterans' Affairs)
- H.R. 3685 - To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to include on the main page of the Internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs a hyperlink to the VetSuccess Internet website and to publicize such Internet website (Rep. Stearns - Veterans' Affairs)
- H.R. 3787 - To amend title 38, United States Code, to deem certain service in the reserve components as active service for purposes of laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Rep. Walz - Veterans' Affairs)
- H.R. 5630 - To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for qualifications for vocational rehabilitation counselors and vocational rehabilitation employment coordinators employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (Rep. Boozman - Veterans' Affairs)
- H.R. 5458 - Christopher Bryski Student Loan Protection Act (Rep. Adler - Financial Services)
- H.R. 3421 - Medical Debt Relief Act (Rep. Kilroy - Financial Services)
- H.R. __ - To amend the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 to include certain construction and land development loans in the definition of small business lending (Rep. Miller (NC) - Financial Services)
- H.R. 6058 - Wounded Warrior and Military Survivor Housing Assistance Act of 2010 (Rep. Paulsen - Financial Services)
- H.Res. 1631 - Calling for the protection of religious sites and artifacts from and in Turkish-occupied areas of northern Cyprus as well as for general respect for religious freedom (Rep. Bilirakis - Foreign Affairs)
- H.Res. 1326 - Calling on the Government of Japan to immediately address the growing problem of abduction to and retention of United States citizen minor children in Japan, to work closely with the Government of the United States to return these children to their custodial parent or to the original jurisdiction for a custody determination in the United States, to provide left-behind parents immediate access to their children, and to adopt without delay the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (Rep. Moran (VA) - Foreign Affairs)
- H.Res. 1588 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on the importance of the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to help ensure peace and stability in Sudan during and after mandated referenda (Rep. Capuano - Foreign Affairs)
- H.Res. __ - Honoring the lives of the brave and selfless aid workers, doctors, and nurses who died in the tragic attack of August 5, 2010, in northern Afghanistan (Rep. Pitts - Foreign Affairs)
- S. 3304 - Equal Access to 21st Century Communications Act (Sen. Pryor - Energy and Commerce)
- S. 3828 - Making technical corrections in the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 and the amendments made by that Act. (Sen. Pryor - Energy and Commerce)
- H.R. 758 - Pediatric Research Consortia Establishment Act (Rep. DeGette - Energy and Commerce)
- H.R. 2999 - Veterinary Public Health Workforce and Education Act (Rep. Baldwin - Energy and Commerce)
- H.R. 2941 - To reauthorize and enhance Johanna's Law to increase public awareness and knowledge with respect to gynecologic cancers (Rep. DeLauro - Energy and Commerce)
- H.R. 5354 - GEDI Act (Rep. Engel - Energy and Commerce)
- H.R. 2818 - Methamphetamine Education, Treatment, and Hope Act (Rep. McNerney - Energy and Commerce)
- H.Res. 1485 - Expressing support for designation of September 2010 as "National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month" (Rep. Neugebauer - Energy and Commerce)
- H.R. 6012 - To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review uptake and utilization of diabetes screening benefits and establish an outreach program with respect to such benefits (Rep. Space - Energy and Commerce)
- H.R. 1362 - National MS and Parkinson's Disease Registries Act (Rep. Van Hollen - Energy and Commerce)
- H.R. 6081 - Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2010 (Rep. Young (FL) - Energy and Commerce)
- H.R. 6160 - Rare Earths and Critical Materials Revitalization Act of 2010 (Rep. Dahlkemper - Science and Technology)
- H.Res. 1639 - Recognizing the contributions of the National Waterways Conference on the occasion of its 50th anniversary (Rep. Hare - Transportation and Infrastructure)
- H.R. 3960 - Residential and Commuter Toll Fairness Act (Rep. McMahon - Transportation and Infrastructure)
- H.R. 5591 - To designate the facility of the Federal Aviation Administration located at Spokane International Airport in Spokane, Washington, as the "Ray Daves Air Traffic Control Tower" (Rep. McMorris Rodgers - Transportation and Infrastructure)
- H.R. 4387 - To designate the Federal building located at 100 North Palafox Street in Pensacola, Florida, as the "Winston E. Arnow Federal Building" (Rep. Miller (FL) - Transportation and Infrastructure)
- H.R. 4714 - National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2010 (Rep. Oberstar - Transportation and Infrastructure)
- H.R. 3427 - State Ethics Law Protection Act (Rep. Quigley - Transportation and Infrastructure)
- H.R. 6008 - CLEAN Act (Rep. Schauer - Transportation and Infrastructure)
- H.R. 6016 - Audit the BP Fund Act of 2010 (Rep. Brady (TX) - Transportation and Infrastructure)
- H.R. 6200 - WIPA and PABSS Extension Act of 2010 (Rep. Pomeroy - Ways and Means)
- H.R. 4337 - Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act (Rep. Rangel - Ways and Means)
- Senate Amendment to H.R. 3980 - Redundancy Elimination and Enhanced Performance for Preparedness Grants Act (Rep. Cuellar - Homeland Security)
- H.Con.Res. __ - Recognizing the goals and ideals of sickle cell disease awareness month (Rep. Fudge - Education and Labor)
- H.Res. 1637 - Supporting the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2010 and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should continue to raise awareness of domestic violence in the United States and its devastating effects on families and communities, and support programs and practices designed to prevent and end domestic violence (Rep. Poe - Education and Labor)
- H.Res. 1645 - Expressing support for designation of the week beginning on November 8, 2010, as National School Psychology Week (Rep. Loebsack - Education and Labor)
- H.R. 4072 - AMERICA Works Act (Rep. Minnick - Education and Labor)
- H.R. 2853 - All-American Flag Act (Rep. Braley - Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.R. 4602 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1332 Sharon Copley Road in Sharon Center, Ohio, as the "Emil Bolas Post Office" (Rep. Boccieri - Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.R. 5606 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 47 South 7th Street in Indiana, Pennsylvania, as the "James M. 'Jimmy' Stewart Post Office Building" (Rep. Critz - Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.R. 5605 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 47 East Fayette Street in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, as the "George C. Marshall Post Office" (Rep. Critz - Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.R. 6026 - Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act (Rep. Driehaus - Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.R. 6014 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 212 Main Street in Hartman, Arkansas, as the "M.R. 'Bucky' Walters Post Office" (Rep. Boozman - Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.Res. 1442 - Supporting the goals and ideals of United States Military History Month (Rep. Duncan - Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.Res. 1546 - Congratulating the Washington Stealth for winning the National Lacrosse League Championship (Rep. Inslee - Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.Res. 1479 - Supporting the United States Paralympics, honoring the Paralympic athletes (Rep. Lance - Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.R. 6118 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., in Washington, D.C., as the "Dorothy I. Height Post Office Building" (Rep. Norton - Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.Res. 1617 - Supporting the goals and purpose of Gold Star Mothers Day, which is observed on the last Sunday in September of each year in remembrance of the supreme sacrifice made by mothers who lose a son or daughter serving in the Armed Forces (Rep. Roskam - Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.Res. 1603 - Expressing support for designation of September 2010 as National Craniofacial Acceptance Month (Rep. Ross - Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.R. 3243 - To amend section 5542 of title 5, United States Code, to provide that any hours worked by Federal firefighters under a qualified trade-of-time arrangement shall be excluded for purposes of determinations relating to overtime pay (Rep. Sarbanes - Oversight and Government Reform)
- H.Res. 1646 - Recognizing the commitment and efforts made by the Library of Congress to promote the joy of reading through the sponsorship of the National Book Festival (Rep. Lungren - House Administration)
- H.R. 512 - Federal Election Integrity Act (Rep. Davis (CA) - House Administration)
- H.Res. 1378 - Condemning the theft from the Mojave National Preserve of the national Mojave Cross memorial honoring American soldiers who died in World War I (Rep. Lewis (CA) - Natural Resources)
- H.Res. 1636 - Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Hoover Dam. (Rep. Napolitano - Natural Resources)
- H.R. 6198 - To amend title 11 of the United States Code to make technical corrections; and for related purposes (Rep. Conyers - Judiciary)
- H.R. 5932 - Organized Retail Theft Investigation and Prosecution Act of 2010 (Rep. Scott (VA) - Judiciary)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 AND THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK
On Wednesday the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business with votes occurring as early as 10:00 a.m. On Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business with votes possible. On Friday, no votes are expected in the House.
H.R. 847 - James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (Rep. Maloney - Energy and Commerce) (Subject to a Rule)
H.R. 2378 - Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act (Rep. Ryan (OH) – Ways and Means) (Subject to a Rule)
Senate Amendment to H.R. 3081 - Making Further Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2011 (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: 2pm
Morning business until 3pm with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.
Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar #578, S.3816, a bill to create American jobs and to prevent the offshoring of such jobs.
Senators should expect a live quorum at approximately 7pm on Monday.
First, let me apologize for killing your scrolling finger with the House schedule. I'm really sorry, but there's no better way to visually (and in a sense, physically) represent what's happening on the floor than to make you scroll through it.
This may be the last week the House is in session before the elections. So, sixty-three suspensions! I don't see the tax bill among them, though it was once rumored that it might come to the floor under suspension of the rules in an attempt to avoid any motions to recommit. Why would that be a problem? I explained it here. Under suspension of the rules, there can't be any motion to recommit, but the downside is that you need a 2/3 vote to pass. Anyone who thinks Republicans aren't crazy enough to vote against a tax cut for everyone but the top 1% of earners doesn't know who we're dealing with.
If you don't agree, consider this: After making their way through the 63, maybe 64, suspensions, what else is on tap? Well, it's the 9/11 first responders health claims compensation bill. You remember, the one that failed under suspension of the rules back in July, because Republicans refused to vote for it, saying it created a new entitlement program.
Yeah.
After the 9/11 vote, the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act. What is it? Just so happens I have something that can explain it to you in 90 seconds:
You're looking at the first in a series of "90 Second Summaries" coming out of MainStreetInsider.org. More about them later in the week, when I have more room.
Final item on the House schedule for the week: funding the entire federal government in a single bill.
What? The new fiscal year begins on Friday, and the Congress has passed exactly zero of its 12 annual appropriations bills. Why? Well, quite frankly, the Senate wouldn't have been able to pass one even if they'd tried. Republicans, you'll recall, are already openly campaigning on the promise of a government shutdown, so why would they let appropriations bills through now? Why wait for the election to give the GOP a majority in the Senate when all it takes is 41?
What will the Senate be doing? Debating whether or not to debate the "Creating American Jobs and Ending Offshoring Act." Hey, personally, I think they should debate it. But what do I know? Maybe it's really smart and what the Founders intended to insist that 60% of the Senate has to agree to end debate on whether or not to begin debate before they can actually begin that debate.
I'll go out on a limb and predict that there are 100 votes for creating American Jobs and 100 votes for ending offshoring (well, maybe 80 on that one), but oh... let's say 59 for ending debate on whether or not to start debate on doing both at the same time, so long as that same time is right now.
But I'm sure if we all just work really hard on it, we can get past all this silliness with a little bipartisanship next year.
This week's committee schedule appears below. So far as I know, there are no inappropriate witnesses who will damage the integrity of the Congress scheduled to send viewership and engagement through the roof embarrass America.