Cloakroom: Priorities Edition

Josh Robbins / May 05, 2013

House Cloakroom: May 6 – May 10

Analysis: This week, the House is taking up bills to prevent sovereign default and allow families more flexibility in their work schedules. The Full Faith and Credit Act would ensure that as we enter another debt ceiling fight, America will continue to fulfill its debt obligations even past the debt ceiling. With this bill in place, the Obama Administration would be restricted in its ability to play political games with the debt rather than confront the fiscal crisis we are facing. The Working Families Flexibility Act would give employers and employees the ability to exchange overtime hours for paid time off, something government workers are allowed to do, but private-sector workers are not.

Major Floor Action:

• HR 807 – Full Faith and Credit Act
• HR 1406 – Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013
  

Major Committee Action:

• The House Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing on the “Boston Marathon Bombings.”
• The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing on the “Investigation of the Benghazi Attacks.”
• The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on the “Hydraulic Fracturing Rule.”
• The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing on “Medicaid Physician Payment Policy Revision.”
• The House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform Committees will hold a joint subcommittee hearing on the “Role of DOJ in St. Paul Supreme Court Civil Rights Case.”
  

Senate Cloakroom: May 6 – May 10

Analysis: This week, the Senate will continue debate on the Internet sales tax and will move to final passage. This bill would place an overly costly burden on online retailers to comply with the regulations of dozens of tax jurisdictions as well as out-of-state “tax audits from hell.” Once it has finished work on the Internet sales tax, the Senate will move to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). This bill will allow for spending that is too high on projects that are state and local responsibilities. Heritage lays out WRDA’s “seven costly sins” here.

Major Floor Action:

• S 743 – Marketplace Fairness Act (Internet sales tax)
• S 601 – Water Resources Development Act
  

Major Committee Action:

• The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold hearings on the “Defense Authorization.”
• The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a vote on the nomination of Thomas Perez to be Secretary of Labor (held over from last week).
• The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on the “Border Security Provisions in Immigration Bill.”