House Cloakroom: September 20 – 24, 2010
Analysis:
The House is quickly winding down as the campaign season heats up. Leaders cancelled votes that were to begin on Tuesday evening and Members will now return to Capitol Hill on Wednesday evening. Most of the votes this week will be on bills under suspension of the rules, but the main vote of the week will be the Small Business Jobs Bill (HR 5297) that was passed last week by the Senate. The national debate will continue to call for Congress to take action on preventing the Obama tax hikes. The Heritage Foundation released a study this morning highlighting the dramatic effects of allowing taxes to increase at the end of this year. The outlook for the remaining legislative days in the House look to be work on the Continuing Resolution to provide funding for the government until Members return after the elections.
Major Floor Action
- HR 5297 – Small Business Tax Bill
Major Committee Action
- The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing on the safety of the nation’s food supply after the recent outbreak of salmonella from an Iowa egg farm. The Subcommittee on Energy and Environment will also hold a hearing on pipeline safety.
- The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing on the State Department’s transitional role in Iraq
Senate Cloakroom: September 20 – 24, 2010
Analysis:
Senator Reid filed cloture on the Department of Defense Reauthorization bill on Thursday, setting up a procedural vote on the bill for Tuesday afternoon. Reid has stated that he plans to attach several unrelated amendments to the DOD Reauthorization bill, including language to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the DREAM act, and language to prohibit secret holds on legislation. Senator John McCain has threatened to do all he can to defeat the procedural vote on Tuesday to not allow Senator Reid to bring the bill up for consideration on the Floor. If he succeeds and cloture is not invoked, it is unclear as to which bill Senator Reid would then try to bring to the Floor to fill the remainder of the week.
Major Floor Action:
- S. 3454: The Department of Defense Reauthorization bill
Major Committee Action:
- The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs will hold a hearing entitled “Investing in Infrastructure: Creating Jobs and Growing the Economy”.
- The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Welfare Reform: A New Conversation on Women and Poverty” on Tuesday, September 21 and another hearing entitled “Tax Reform: Lessons from the Tax Reform Act of 1986” on Thursday, September 23.