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CONGRESS : the Republican led House – the Senate debates S.3240,Farm bill & 3.5yrs later, Judicial nominees


the Senate Convenes: 3:00pmET June 18, 2012

5:30pm The Senate began a roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #612, the nomination of Mary Geiger Lewis, of South Carolina, to be United States District Judge for the District of South Carolina; Confirmed: 64-27

WRAP UP

The Senate has locked an agreement to limit amendments and bring the Farm bill to passage. Under the agreement, we will begin voting on amendments at 2:15pm tomorrow. There will be a break in consideration of the amendments to debate and vote in relation to S.J.Res.37, Boiler MACT/EPA, Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. I will send the agreement on the joint resolution of disapproval in a separate email message once it is locked in. Please note that we will consider amendments in an alternating fashion between Democrats and Republicans.

The agreement is as follows:

Leader: I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate resumes consideration of S.3240, the pending motion to recommit be withdrawn; that amendment #2390 be withdrawn; that the Stabenow-Roberts amendment #2389 be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be considered original text for the purposes of further amendment; that the following amendments and motions be the only first degree amendments and motions in order to the bill:

– Akaka #2440 (highly fractionated tribal lands);

– Akaka #2396 (tribal relations office);

– Baucus #2429 (Livestock);

– Bingaman #2364 (multi-state aquifers);

– Brown (OH) #2445 (rural development);

– Cantwell #2370 (pulse pilot);

– Casey #2238 (technical/study -federal milk marketing)

– Coons #2426 (poultry insurance study);

– Feinstein #2422 (conservation innovation grants);

– Feinstein #2309 (insurance recall);

– Gillibrand #2156 (SNAP);

– Hagan #2366 (crop insurance – plain language);

– Kerry #2187 (commercial fishermen);

– Landrieu #2321 (rural development loans);

– Manchin #2345 (dietary study);

– Merkley #2382 (organic crop insurance);

– Schumer #2427 (acer);
– Stabenow #2453 (NAP);

– Udall(CO) #2295 (bark beetle);

– Warner #2457 (rural broadband);

– Wyden #2442 (microloans);

– Wyden #2388 (farm to school);

– Leahy #2204 (rural development);

– Nelson(NE) #2242 (rural housing);

– Klobuchar #2299 (transportation study);

– Carper #2287 (poultry feed research);

– Sanders #2254 (biomass);

– Thune #2437 (crop insurance);

– Durbin-Coburn #2439 (crop insurance);

– Snowe #2190 (milk marketing order reform);

– Ayotte #2192 (value added grants);

– Collins #2444 (dairy);

– Grassley #2167 (pay cap marketing loans);

– Sessions #2174 (SNAP);

– Nelson(NE) #2243 (SNAP);

– Sessions #2172 (SNAP);

– Paul #2181 ($250,000 income limit);

– Alexander #2191 (wind loans);

– McCain #2199 (catfish);

– Toomey #2217 (organic/AMA);

– DeMint #2263 (broadband funding);

– DeMint #2262 (SoS Free MKT);

– DeMint #2268 (Loan guarantees);

– DeMint #2276 (checkoffs);

– DeMint #2273 (broadband);

– Coburn #2289 (MAP);

– Coburn #2293 (Limit Millionaires);

– Kerry #2454 (North Korea);

– Kyl #2354 (North Korea);

– Lee #2313 (Forest Legacy);

– Lee #2314 (CSP/CRP cut);

– Boozman #2355 (Ag research, law info);

– Boozman #2360 (TEFAP);

– Toomey #2226 (energy title);

– Toomey #2433 (sugar);

– Lee Motion to Recommit (FY 2008 levels);

– Johnson(WI) Motion to Recommit;

– Chambliss #2438 (conservation crop insurance);

– Chambliss #2340 (sugar);

– Chambliss #2432 (FMPP);

– Ayotte #2195 (GAO crop insurance fraud report);

– Blunt #2246 (veterans);

– Moran #2403 (food aid);

– Moran #2443 (beginning farmers)

– Vitter #2363 (pets);

– Toomey #2247 (paperwork);

– Sanders #2310 (genetically engineered food);

– Coburn #2214 (convention funding);

– Boxer #2456 (aerial inspections);

– Johanns #2372 (aerial inspections);

– Murray # 2455(sequestration);

– McCain #2162 (Sequestration report – DoD); and

– Rubio #2166 (RAISE Act).

That at 2:15pm, Tuesday, June 19th, the Senate proceed to votes in relation to the amendments in the order listed alternating between Republican and Democratic sponsored amendments; that there be no amendments or motions in order to the amendments prior to the votes other than motions to waive points of order and motions to table; that there be two minutes of debate equally divided in the usual form in between the votes and all after the first vote be ten minute votes; that the Toomey #2247; Sanders #2256; Coburn #2214; Boxer #2456; Johanns #2372; Murray #2455; McCain #2162 and the Rubio amendment #2166 be subject to a 60 affirmative vote threshold; that the clerks be authorized to modify the instruction lines on amendments so the page and line numbers match up correctly; that upon disposition of the amendments, the bill, as amended, be read a third time; that there be up to ten minutes equally divided in the usual form prior to a vote on passage of the bill, as amended, if amended; finally, the vote on passage of the bill be subject to a 60 affirmative vote threshold.

ROLL CALL VOTE

1) Confirmation of Executive Calendar #612, the nomination of Mary Geiger Lewis, of SC, to be United States District Judge for the District of South Carolina; Confirmed: 64-27

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Agreed to a Snowe amendment to the preamble of S.Res.488, a resolution commending the efforts of the firefighters and emergency response personnel of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, who came together to extinguish the May 23, 2012, fire at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine., notwithstanding adoption of the resolution.

Discharged Judiciary and adopted S.Res.470, a resolution designating July 28, 2012, as “National Day of the American Cowboy”.

Adopted S.Res.495, designating the period beginning on June 17, 2012, and ending on June 23, 2012, as “Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Week”, and raising awareness and understanding of polycystic kidney disease and the impact such disease has on patients.

No EXECUTIVE ITEMS

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House Floor Activities
Legislative Day of June 18, 2012

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How You Can Tell When the Deficit is a Problem



A Lot More Important Than the Federal Deficit.

A few days ago, I was stuck in the car for a long drive. Because of the complete absence of progressive talk from Orlando’s airwaves, I had no real choice but to listen to the nasal maundering of Mark Levin on the radio. Levin was very upset about the federal deficit.

Interestingly, Levin was a high-level appointee in the Reagan Administration. Dick Cheney, who was Reagan’s Defense Secretary and later the Vice President, said 10 years ago that “Reagan proved deficits don’t matter.”

I must concede that it is rather difficult to reconcile the conflicting statements of these two gentlemen, Messrs. Levin and Cheney. Evidently, they believe deficits are a terrible tragedy when a Democrat is President, and a wonderful gift when a Republican is President.

There has got to be a more objective standard than that.

Here’s one: the federal deficit is a problem when long-term interest rates are high, and not much of a problem when long-term interest rates are low. The Federal Reserve dictates short-term interest rates, but long-term rates still are, pretty much, set by the market, in its usual ruthless fashion. (Which is why James Carville said that after he dies, he “want[s] to come back as the bond market. You can intimidate everybody.”)

When long-term interest rates are high, a federal deficit competes against and “crowds out” private borrowing and investment. When long-term interest rates are low, the federal deficit is not taking away from borrowing by the private sector. On the contrary, the federal deficit is acting as a needed boost to aggregate demand in the economy, an action also known as “fiscal policy.” When the economy is slack, every dollar of reduction in federal spending takes three or four dollars off of our gross national product.

So, by that test, where are we? Well, as I explained last week, long-term U.S. interest rates are at their lowest in history. So what does that tell you about the deficit?

Sorry – I didn’t mention that there was going to be a quiz.

When Ronald Reagan was President, long-term interest rates sometimes exceeded 15% – ten times as high as long-term interest rates today. The market was screaming at the top of its lungs that the Reagan deficit was too high. And today? Silence.

Look around the world. The ten-year note in Greece yields a little less than 30%. Pakistan, 13%. Portugal and Venezuela, 12%. In those countries, the bond market is shouting, “Cut that out!”

Not here.

Thanks to all the deficit-mongering by Mark Levin, Rush Limbaugh, Fox “News,” etc., a lot of Americans are scared by the federal deficit. The advice from Democratic pollsters is to go along with this hand-wringing. But there is an alternative: Explain to the American people when a federal deficit is bad, and when it is not.

Like I just did.

Courage,

Alan Grayson

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AFL – CIO … Beyond Wisconsin


A year and a half ago, Gov. Scott Walker and his friends in the Senate forced through an extremist anti-worker agenda that divided the state.

Last night, Wisconsin took back its Senate. While Gov. Walker remains in office after being only the third governor in American history subjected to the humiliation of a recall, his divisive agenda has been stopped cold.

Though Walker was shielded with a flood of secret corporate cash, Wisconsin made its voice heard. While we came closer to recalling Walker than many expected, we ended up coming just short.

The work we did together was about much more than just this one election.

We laid the groundwork for a powerful movement to push back against Walker-style anti-working family policies everywhere. The energy and momentum in Wisconsin have inspired working people from all walks of life to stand together in solidarity in unprecedented ways.

We cannot stop now. Click here to sign our solidarity pledge to commit to building on the momentum working people created in Wisconsin and beyond to protect good jobs, working families and workplace rights.

Wisconsin is a small piece of a broader global movement of people pushing back on the corporate-driven policies that have favored the super-rich at the expense of good jobs, education and the health of our communities.

And we are winning. We’ve seen it in Tunisia, Yemen and other countries where the Arab Spring has taken hold; in Greece and France, where voters rejected the failed, Draconian policies of austerity; and here in the United States, where members of the Occupy movement continue to shine a much-needed light on Wall Street greed and ballooning economic inequality.

Working people are making history every day through their courage and resolve to work together for a better world. For you, it may have begun with Wisconsin, but it should not stop there.

Click here to sign our pledge of solidarity to say you will continue to stand with other working people to protect good jobs, working families and workplace rights.

Thank you for everything you have done and will continue to do for working families.

In Solidarity,

Richard Trumka
President, AFL-CIO

P.S. Want to be the first to hear about our exciting new campaigns planned for the summer? Sign our solidarity pledge now so you can be one of the first to receive updates.
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FYI: laws are created and passed … by Congress


Schoolhouse Rock- How a Bill Becomes a Law

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CONGRESS: the Republican led House – the Senate back 6/14


  • Convenes: 2:00pm June 4, 2012
  • Following the prayer and pledge, the Majority Leader will be recognized.  It is the Majority Leader’s intention to resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.3220, the Paycheck Fairness Act.
  • At 5:00pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Executive Calendar #613, the nomination of Timothy S. Hillman, of MA, to be United States District Judge for the District of Massachusetts.  There will be up to 30 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley or their designees.  Upon the use or yielding back of time (at approximately 5:30pm), there will be a roll call vote on confirmation of the Hillman nomination.
  • As a reminder to all Senators, cloture was filed on the motion to proceed to S.3220, the Paycheck Fairness Act on Thursday, May 24th.  That cloture vote will occur at 2:15pm on Tuesday, June 5th.

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CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS

LEGISLATIVE DAY OF MAY 31, 2012

112TH CONGRESS – SECOND SESSION

 

-The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 P.M. today.10:00:44 A.M. -MORNING-HOUR DEBATE – The House proceeded with Morning-Hour Debate. At the conclusion of Morning-Hour, the House will recess until 12:00 p.m. for the start of legislative business.10:00:36 A.M. -The Speaker designated the Honorable Daniel Webster to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.10:00:22 A.M. -The House convened, starting a new legislative day.

9:30 am Hearing: Rhetoric vs. Reality: Does President Obama Really Support an All-of-the-Above Energy Strategy?Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee 10:00 am Hearing: NRC Policy and Governance OversightCommittee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy 10:00 am Hearing: “Barriers to Lower Health Care Costs for Workers and Employers”Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions 10:00 am Hearing: The Broken Budget Process: Legislative ProposalsCommittee On The Budget: Full Committee 10:00 am Markup: Markup of H.R. 1588, the “Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act” and H.R. 3128, a bill to amend the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to adjust the date on which consolidated assets are determined for purposes of exempting certain instruments of smaller institutions from capital deductions.Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee 10:00 am Hearing: Assembling the Facts: Examining the Proposed National Network for Manufacturing InnovationCommittee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation 10:00 am Hearing: A Review of FAA’s efforts to reduce costs and ensure safety and efficiency through Realignment and Facility ConsolidationCommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Aviation 10:00 am Hearing: The FISA Amendments Act of 2008Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security 10:00 am Markup: Markup of:  H.R. 436, “Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2011;” H.R. 5842, “Restoring Access to Medication Act;” H.R. 1004, “Medical FSA Improvement Act of 2011;” and H.R. 5858, “To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve health savings accounts, and for other purposes.”Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee 10:15 am Hearing: Reviewing the Implementation of Major Provisions of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011Committee on Veterans’ Affairs: Full Committee 10:15 am Hearing: International Proposals to Regulate the InternetCommittee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and Technology 11:00 am Markup: Full Committee Mark Up – FY 2013 Legislative Branch BillCommittee on Appropriations: Multiple Subcommittees 12:00 pm Hearing: The Department of Justice – Civil, Environment and Natural Resources, and Tax DivisionsCommittee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law 1:30 pm Hearing: Rhetoric vs. Reality, Part II: Assessing the Impact of New Federal Red Tape on Hydraulic Fracturing and American Energy IndependenceCommittee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee 2:00 pm Hearing: TSA’s Surface Inspection Program: Strengthening Security or Squandering Scant Resources?Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 2:30 pm Hearing: To amend Public Law 89-732 to modify the requirement for a Cuban national to qualify for and maintain status as a permanent residentCommittee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement