Today in Congress/Open Thread

June 24, 2008 by
Filed under Bush Powers, Capitol Hill, Clueless, Deserved, Double Standards, Idiot Ideas, Legal Ramblings, Money, Uncategorized

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Courtesy of your friendly neighborhood House Majority Leader:

House Meets At 9:00 a.m.: Morning Hour [definition];
10:00 a.m.: Legislative Business
Unlimited “One Minutes” [definition] Per Side

Last Vote Predicted: 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Suspensions [definition] (23 Bills):

H.R. 6331 – Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (Rep. Dingell/Rangel – Energy and Commerce/Ways and Means

H.R. 6327 – The Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2008 (Rep. Rangel – Ways and Means)

H.R. 6307 – Fostering Connections to Success Act (Rep. McDermott – Ways and Means)

H.Res. 1294 – National Save For Retirement Week (Rep. Schwartz – Ways and Means)

H.R. 6346 – Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act (Rep. Stupak – Energy and Commerce)

H.Con.Res. 163 – Expressing the sense of Congress in support of further research and activities to increase public awareness, professional education, diagnosis, and treatment of Dandy-Walker syndrome and hydrocephalus (Rep. Wilson (NM) – Energy and Commerce)

H.Res. 353 – Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there should be an increased Federal commitment supporting the development of innovative advanced imaging technologies for prostate cancer detection and treatment (Rep. Cummings – Energy and Commerce)

H.R. 2818 – Veterans’ Epilepsy Treatment Act of 2008 (Rep. Perlmutter – Veterans’ Affairs)

H.Res. 1098 – Supporting the goals and ideals of the Year of the American Veteran (Rep. Filner – Veterans’ Affairs)

H.Res. 1231 – Supporting the goals and ideals of Vietnam Veterans Day and calling on the American people to recognize such a day (Rep. Shuler – Veterans’ Affairs)

H.R. 2245 – To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Wenatchee, Washington, as the Elwood “Bud” Link Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic (Rep. Hastings (WA) – Veterans’ Affairs)

H.R. 4264 – To name the Department of Veterans Affairs spinal cord injury center in Tampa, Florida, as the “Michael Bilirakis Department of Veterans Affairs Spinal Cord Injury Center” (Rep. Miller (FL) – Veterans’ Affairs)

H.R. 4289 – To name the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Ponce, Puerto Rico, as the “Euripides Rubio Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic” (Rep. Fortuno – Veterans’ Affairs)

H.R. 4918 – To name the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Miami, Florida, as the “Bruce W. Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center” (Rep. Ros-Lehtinen– Veterans’ Affairs)

H.Res. 1291 – Expressing gratitude for the contributions of the American GI Forum on its 60th anniversary (Rep. Rodriguez – Veterans’ Affairs)

H.Res. 1271 – Recognizing National Homeownership Month and the importance of homeownership in the United States (Rep. Gary Miller (CA) – Financial Services)

H.R. 6312 – To advance credit union efforts to promote economic growth, modify credit union regulatory standards and reduce burdens, to provide regulatory relief and improve productivity for insured depository institutions, and for other purposes (Rep. Kanjorski/Rep. Moore (KS) – Financial Services)

H.Con.Res. 370 – Expressing support for designation of September 2008 as “Gospel Music Heritage Month” and honoring gospel music for its valuable and longstanding contributions to the culture of the United States (Rep. Sheila Jackson–Lee – Oversight and Government Reform)

H.Res. 1283 – Expressing heartfelt sympathy for the victims and their families following the tornado that hit Little Sioux, Iowa, on June 11, 2008 (Rep. Terry (NE) – Oversight and Government Reform)

H.Con.Res. 195 – Expressing the sense of the Congress that a National Dysphagia Awareness Month should be established (Rep. Wamp – Oversight and Government Reform)

H.Res. 970 – Expressing support for designation of June 30 as “National Corvette Day (Rep. Shimkus – Oversight and Government Reform)

H.Con.Res. 365 – Honoring the life of Robert Mondavi (Rep. Thompson (CA) – Oversight and Government Reform)

H.R. 5687 – The Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments of 2008 (Rep. Clay – Oversight and Government Reform)

H.R. 5876 – Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens (Rep. George Miller – Education and Labor) (Complete Consideration)

Pending Amendments:

George Miller/McKeon Amendment

Shea-Porter Amendment

Kirk Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 4040 – The Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act of 2007 (Rep. Rush – Energy and Commerce)

Postponed Suspension Vote (1)

H.R. 3546 – To authorize the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program at fiscal year 2006 levels through 2012 (Rep. Johnson (GA) – Judiciary)

In the Senate:

10:00am
Resume consideration of the House message to accompany H.R.3221, the Housing Reform legislation for up to one hour, equally divided and controlled.

10:30am filing deadline for amendments to Dodd-Shelby Substitute amendment #4983 with respect to the H.R.3221, Housing.

12:30 – 2:15pm Recess for the weekly caucus luncheons.
Votes:
Approximately 11:00am Roll Call Vote on the motion to concur in the House amendment with the Dodd-Shelby substitute amendment #4893: .

What about FISA and the Iraq supplemental? Expected on Thursday or Friday, possibly on the same day. FISA may take a circuitous route, with a cloturevote on the motion to proceed (we’ll call it “MTP”), if necessary, on Wednesday, and then debate on the actual FISA bill to follow on Thursday.

Bonus procedure quiz!

Sometimes after debate on a bill is concluded, the House will postpone a vote on it until some later time. Under what rule may those votes — such as the vote on H.R. 3546, above — be postponed?

Answer: Rule XX, clause 8.

Who cares? Different question. But now if you find yourself watching C-SPAN on a Monday morning during consideration of suspension bills, and you hear a vote called, and the chair say, “Pursuant to clause 8 of Rule XX and the chair’s prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed,” you’ll say, “Hey, I know good old clause 8 of Rule XX!”

And your significant other will leave you.

“The chair’s prior announcement,” by the way, would have been an announcement at the beginning of the day’s legislative business of the intention to invoke clause 8 of Rule XX. In case you were wondering.