Recently in Washington

Floor Schedule

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9TH 
On Monday, the House will meet at 12:00 p.m. for morning hour and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. No votes are expected.

Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules:

1) H.R. 3627 - The Kilah Davenport Child Protection Act of 2013 (Sponsored by Rep. Robert Pittenger / Judiciary Committee)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10TH, AND THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK 
On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.

On Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. Last votes expected no later than 3:00 p.m.

Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules:

1) H.R. 1447 - Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2013 (Sponsored by Rep. Bobby Scott / Judiciary Committee)

2) H.R. 3521 - The Department of Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Lease Authorization Act of 2013, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Jeff Miller / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)

3) H.R. 1402 - VA Expiring Authorities Extension Act of 2013, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Mike Coffman / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)

4) S. 1471 - Alicia Dawn Koehl Respect for National Cemeteries Act (Sponsored by Sen. Daniel Coats / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)

5) H.R. 3212 - Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2013, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith / Foreign Affairs Committee)

6) H.R. 1992 - Israel QME Enhancement Act, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Doug Collins / Foreign Affairs Committee)

7) H.R. 3509 - Assessing Progress in Haiti Act of 2013, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Barbara Lee / Foreign Affairs Committee)

8) H.R. 2019 - Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act of 2013, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Gregg Harper / Energy and Commerce Committee)

Possible consideration of legislation related to H.R. 2642 - Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 (Sponsored by Rep. Frank Lucas / Agriculture Committee) 

Possible consideration of legislation related to H.Con.Res. 25 - Establishing the budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2014 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2015 through 2023 (Sponsored by Rep. Paul Ryan / Budget Committee)

Possible consideration of legislation related to the Sustainable Growth Rate in Medicare

In the News

Appropriations Members Say Omnibus Still Possible Amid Budget Negotiations

By Tamar Hallerman, CQ.com, December 3, 2013

Appropriators say they would be able to pull together a package of most of the annual spending bills by Jan. 15 if budget conferees are able to deliver a top-line funding level for fiscal 2014 by their Dec. 13 deadline.

Budget conferees blew past the Dec. 2 target date for a fiscal 2014 top line that appropriators had requested earlier this fall.

But even with the House scheduled to leave town for the holiday recess on Dec. 13, just over a month from the Jan. 15 expiration of the current continuing resolution (PL 113-46), appropriators said Tuesday that they could still cobble together some sort of spending package in the short time frame.

“The Appropriations Committee has a unique way of making things happen overnight when it has to, as has been my experience,” said José E. Serrano, D-N.Y., the ranking member on the Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee. “Once we have a number that we can somewhat agree on, the rest is something we know how to do.”

“It would be hell on Christmas plans for committee staff members, but it’s doable,” said Mike Simpson , R-Idaho, chairman of the Energy-Water Appropriations Subcommittee.

Appropriations aides have said they need at least 30 days to compile a 12-bill omnibus spending package as preferred by House Appropriations Chairman Harold Rogers, R-Ky., and his Senate counterpart, Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md.

Rogers said Tuesday that committee staff has been completing preliminary work on a 12-bill omnibus in recent weeks. “We’ve cleared out some underbrush,” he said. But “we couldn’t, of course, do a bill without a number to mark to.”

Tom Latham, R-Iowa, chairman of the Transportation-Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, said that many of the tough budgeting decisions have already been made at the subcommittee and committee levels earlier this year and that members are not starting from scratch. “Most of our work has been done already. We had [the Transportation-HUD] bill on the floor until it was pulled earlier, so it would just be a matter of making the numbers work,” he said.

The House Appropriations Committee released 11 of the 12 annual spending bills during the last appropriations cycle, but work collapsed this summer after House leadership pulled the Transportation-HUD bill from the floor due to an apparent lack of support in the GOP ranks.

Some appropriators said recent signs of progress on budget negotiations between Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., suggest it is premature to begin preparations for a continuing resolution at the sequestration level of $967 billion for the rest of the fiscal year.

“Every day that goes by it makes it harder for us to do our work, but it’s still completely doable in a month, so we’re just waiting for [budget conferees]. A CR at this point is not necessary,” said one GOP appropriations aide.

Some appropriators said a shorter-term CR at the sequestration level may be needed, however, to allow appropriators more time to complete a larger omnibus.

We “might need a very short-term CR, but nothing lengthy,” said Tom Cole, R-Okla., a budget conferee who also is chairman of the House Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee. “But I would hope we could get there by Jan. 15.”

Simpson said he could support a short-term measure “if it was necessary to get [an omnibus] done.”

“If it gets us to a situation where we can have an omni, then I think a lot of people would support a short-term CR,” Serrano said.

Some top Democrats, though, said they would not be amenable to such a proposal.

House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters Tuesday that he would not support any sort of CR of any length, short- or long-term, if it reflects the sequester level of $967 billion. “I’m not going to support a short-term CR. The issue is not time, the issue is willingness ... of willingness to do, as Hal Rogers pointed out, things that are reasonable and can be accomplished responsibly,” he said.