Congress: In Session on 2/14 -The Senate & The Republican led House


the Senate Covenes at 2:00pmET  February 14, 2011

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of S.223, the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization bill.

At 4:30pm, the Senate will turn to Executive session to consider the following nominations:

– Calendar #1, James E. Graves, of Mississippi, to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit; and

– Calendar #5, Edward J. Davila, of California, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of California.

There will be 1 hour for debate prior to a vote on confirmation of the nominations in the order listed.

At 5:30pm, there will be a voice vote on the Graves nomination and a roll call vote on the Davila nomination.

The following amendments are pending to S.223:

– Wicker amendment #14, as modified (Excludes TSA from collective bargaining)

– Blunt amendment #5 (private screening company)

– Paul #21 (reduce authorization for FAA to FY2008 levels)

– Wyden #27 (increase test sites for unmanned aerial vehicles)

Inhofe amendment #6 (liability protection to volunteer pilots)

– Inhofe amendment #7 (flight time limitations/rest requirements)

– Ensign amendment #32 (military remotely piloted aerial systems)

McCain amendment #4 (Essential Air Service)

– Leahy amendment #50 (liability protection for volunteer pilots)

– Reid amendment #54 (noise buffering)

– Reid #55 (Convey federal land to Mesquite, NV)

– Udall (NM) #49 (Dona Ana County airport)

– Udall (NM) #51 (Advanced Imaging Technology)

– Nelson (NE) #58 (criminal penalties for distribution of airport screening x-rays)

– Paul amendment #18 (Memorandum of understanding re: OSHA)

– Baucus amendment #75, as modified (Finance title)

There will be no further roll call votes tonight.

Votes:

15: Confirmation of Edward J. Davila, of California, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of California; Confirmed: 93-0

Unanimous Consent:

S.Res.49, celebrating Black History Month

  **************************************************

CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS

LEGISLATIVE DAY OF FEBRUARY 14, 2011

112TH CONGRESS – FIRST SESSION

7:25 P.M. –

SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.

7:11 P.M. –

ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.

7:09 P.M. –

On approving the Journal Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 352 – 59, 3 Present (Roll no. 37).

H.R. 514:

to extend expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 and Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 relating to access to business records, individual terrorists as agents of foreign powers, and roving wiretaps until December 8, 2011

7:03 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On passage Passed by recorded vote: 275 – 144 (Roll no. 36).

6:54 P.M. –

On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 186 – 234 (Roll no. 35).

6:33 P.M. –

The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.

6:24 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with ten minutes of debate on the motion to recommit with instructions. Pending the reservation of a point of order, subsequently the reservation was withdrawn.

6:22 P.M. –

Mr. Thompson (CA) moved to recommit with instructions to Judiciary.

Mr. Thompson (CA) moved to recommit the bill, H.R. 514, to the Committee on the Judiciary with instructions to report the same back to the House forthwith with the following amendment: ¢ At the end of section 1, add the follwing new subsection: ¢ (c) COMPLIANCE WITH CONSTITUTION. — ***

6:21 P.M. –

The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.

5:13 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 514.

Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 514 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments. All points of order against provisions in the bill are waived.

Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 79.

5:11 P.M. –

The Speaker laid before the House a message from the President transmitting his Budget of the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2012 – referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed (H. Doc. 112-3).

5:10 P.M. –

The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received a sealed envelope from the White House on February 14, 2011 at 2:35 p.m. which is said to contain a message from the President whereby he submits his Budget of the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2012.

The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of February 14.

2:06 P.M. –

The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.

2:03 P.M. –

ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. Schock to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

2:02 P.M. –

POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS ON APPROVAL OF THE JOURNAL – The Chair announced that he had examined the Journal of the last day’s proceedings and had approved it. Mr. Schock demanded that the question be put on agreeing to the Speaker’s approval of the Journal and by voice vote, the Chair announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Schock demanded the Yeas and Nays and the Chair announced that further proceedings on the question of agreeing to the Speaker’s approval of the Journal would be postponed until later in the legislative day.

2:00 P.M. –

Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Daniel Coughlin.

The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of February 14.

12:08 P.M. –

The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for 2:00 P.M. today.

12:02 P.M. –

MORNING-HOUR DEBATE – The House proceeded with Morning-Hour Debate. At the conclusion of Morning-Hour, the House will recess until 2:00 p.m. for the start of legislative business.

12:01 P.M. –

The Speaker designated the Honorable Rob Bishop to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.

12:00 P.M. –

The House convened, starting a new legislative day.

Tim Pawlenty Moves to the right …


Today, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) will address the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the annual DC gathering of political activists and potential Republican presidential hopefuls. On Monday, this moderate Republican governor from a heavily Democratic state was brandishing his conservative credentials by appearing at a Presidential Lecture Series in Iowa sponsored by The Family Leader. That group is a “Christ-centered organization” which “champions the principle that God is the ultimate leader of the family” and is leading the campaign to repeal marriage equality in the state. The organization’s president, Bob Vander Plaats, is a former high school principal and failed gubernatorial candidate who recently led a successful campaign to unseat three of Iowa Supreme Court Justices for overturning the state’s marriage discrimination law. Vander Plaats has since embarked on a 99-county tour of Iowa in which he presents The Family Leader as a traditional religious group that is more interested in restoring biblical values than slandering gay people. But the group’s materials describe homosexuality as a public health crisis akin to smoking, and endorse scientifically discredited ex-gay reversal therapies.

PAWLENTY ON DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL: Last month, Pawlenty made waves when he suggested that he would reinstate the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy if elected President. At the Family Leader forum, Pawlenty went a step further, saying that he would support rescinding the funds necessary for the Department of Defense to implement a repeal of DADT. In response to a question from ThinkProgress, Pawlenty reiterated his argument for why the policy should not have been repealed and then, when pushed, agreed that taking away the funding “would be a reasonable step.” In a separate, recent interview with ThinkProgress, Pawlenty refused to say whether gays should be allowed to serve in the military at all, explaining, “I really defer to the military leaders to a large degree on this issue. I supported maintaining Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Pressed again on whether he would be “comfortable with gays being able to serve in the military as long as they aren’t public with their orientation,” Pawlenty wouldn’t answer, saying, “I really would defer to the military leaders and military more broadly.”

PAWLENTY’S FAITH: During the forum — which featured three separate stops across the state — Pawlenty repeatedly emphasized his Evangelical Christian faith, even going so far as to suggest that his opposition to expanding marriage to gays and lesbians was a “universal” value that was “embedded in our culture.” Asked by a reporter if it was “appropriate for policy to be driven by values that are not necessarily shared by everyone, yet have a very significant effect on everyone,” Pawlenty said that he was respectful of different beliefs, before insisting that his values are universal and that “we’re going to make sure we respect traditional marriage.” But Pawlenty hasn’t always been this convinced of the righteousness of his anti-gay beliefs. In 1993, Pawlenty, then a state legislator, voted to extend protection to gays and lesbians under the state Human Rights Act, effectively banning discrimination in housing and employment based on sexual orientation as well as race, religion, ethnicity and physical or mental disability. By 2002, he expressed regret for the vote, but a year later, suggested that nobody should be discriminated against for a job or housing simply because they are gay. In 2009, however, Pawlenty told Newsweek’s Howard Fineman that the 1993 act was “overbaked” and “not worded the way it should be” because it protected cross-dressers “and a variety of other people involved in behaviors that weren’t based on sexual orientation.”

PRESERVING ‘TRADITIONAL’ MARRIAGE: While Pawlenty did not directly address Iowa’s ongoing legislative effort to rescind marriage for gay and lesbian couples, he repeatedly reiterated his support for “traditional marriage” and “values.” Iowa Republicans were more direct about taking away rights from gays and lesbians. Following the Presidential Lecture Series, ThinkProgress spoke with Iowa State Rep. Dwayne Alons (R) — a co-sponsor of Iowa’s anti-gay marriage equality bill — in the state capitol and asked him if he agreed with the Family Leader’s characterizations of homosexuality as a public health crisis. Alons did, reciting some bullet points from the Family Leader’s “fact sheet” and suggesting that defining marriage between a man and a woman would correct “problems to society.” “Well, look at all that has been spent, you know, with the AIDS and with the issues related to the dying at an early age. I think life, longevity, of a lot of these folks is below 50, when you know, the normal people that do not enter into that kind of relationship, they’re either late into their 70s or early 80s for longevity,” Alons said. “A lot more actual productive years and contributing to society.” The story, which was picked up by KTIV News Channel 4, has sparked some controversy for Alons, who has chosen to stand by his remarks rather than to apologize for them.

Bankrate.com


Here are stories published today.

 CD rates for Feb. 10, 2011 | 2011-02-11

Here are the average CD rates from Bankrate‘s weekly survey of large banks and thrifts. http://www.bankrate.com/finance/cd/national-cd-rates-for-feb-10-2011.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110210

  Auto loan rates for Feb. 10, 2011 | 2011-02-11

Here are the average auto loan rates from Bankrate’s weekly survey of large banks and thrifts.  http://www.bankrate.com/finance/auto/national-auto-loan-rates-for-feb-10-2011.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110210

 Credit card interest rates for Feb. 10, 2011 | 2011-02-11

Here are the average credit card rates from Bankrate’s weekly survey of large banks and thrifts. http://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/national-credit-card-rates-for-feb-10-2011.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110210

 Home equity loan rates for Feb. 10, 2011 | 2011-02-11

Here are the average home equity rates from Bankrate’s weekly survey of large banks and thrifts. http://www.bankrate.com/finance/home-equity/national-home-equity-loan-rates-for-feb-10-2011.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110210

 National mortgage rates for Feb. 10, 2011 | 2011-02-11

See rates from our survey of CDs, mortgages, home equity products, auto loans and credit cards. http://www.bankrate.com/finance/mortgages/interest-rate-roundup-for-feb-10-2011.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110210

Are Democrats trying to lose? … from Democracy for America


Yesterday I was so excited that House Democrats blocked the extension of the Patriot Act, but now Senate Democrats are working day and night to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on Social Security.

Just weeks after President Obama declared that cuts to Social Security were off the table, the Wall Street Journal reports that Democratic Senators Dick Durbin and Kent Conrad are working with Republicans to resurrect the right-wing Deficit Commission’s proposals to cut Social Security and give huge new tax breaks to big corporations and the super rich.

This is ridiculous. Social Security is the backbone of the American middle class. It provides millions of seniors and disabled Americans the money they need to eat and pay rent in their greatest time of need. We must keep Social Security safe, stable and secure for them right now and for generations to come.

But it seems like some leaders just don’t get it, so we’re taking our campaign to the next level — television ads, polling, in-district rallies and events — whatever it takes to share the stories of DFA members and other Americans across the country who depend on Social Security.

We’re going to make sure that every American knows who is attacking Social Security and how to stop them, but we can’t make that happen without your support. Please contribute $10 right now to help make it happen.

Please contribute $10 right now so that every American knows who’s leading the attack on the American middle class.

Right-wing Republicans in the House have made gutting Social Security and destroying the middle class their top priority — and some Senate Democrats are saying “We have your back.”

We’re not going to let that happen. That’s why we’re building a huge national campaign to beat back this right-wing attack on the promise of Social Security to future generations.

Democracy for America depends on small contributions from its members across the country to get the job done. Please contribute today to fuel our aggressive campaign to win and keep Social Security safe, stable and secure.

Please contribute $10 now.

America is a community and we look out for one another. I know I can count on you.

-Arshad

Arshad Hasan, Executive Director

Democracy for America

Just In: USAID Administrator Dr. Raj Shah and Ambassador Melanne Verveer to speak at CARE’s conference!


The list of can’t-miss speakers at the 2011 CARE Conference & International Women’s Day Celebration keeps growing and growing! Have you registered yet?

In addition to keynote speakers Melinda Gates and Mrs. Laura W. Bush, we’ve just learned that USAID Administrator Raj Shah and Ambassador Melanne Verveer will be joining the lineup. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from some of our country’s most critical thinkers!

This will be an action-packed conference for advocates to learn about a range of CARE’s work and issues, including panels on social entrepreneurship, aid effectiveness and gender norms. You’ll also have the chance to hear from CARE’s overseas staff from nearly 40 countries who will be participating in the conference and share their unique in-country perspective.

March 8: Join CARE in celebrating the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day

March 9: Hear from keynote speakers Melinda Gates and Mrs. Laura W. Bush, as well as esteemed panelists from around the world

March 10: Engage your members of Congress and take an active role in influencing U.S. policy to improve the lives of millions of marginalized women and girls

If you haven’t registered yet, be sure to sign up today at http://www.careconference.org.

We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Helene D. Gayle, MD, MPH

President and CEO, CARE