Today in Congress/Open Thread

post from Daily Kos on 23 September 2008 10:35:27 AM. © Daily Kos

In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:

FLOOR SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2008

House meets at 9:00 a.m. for Morning Hour; 10:00 a.m. for Legislative Business
Unlimited "One Minutes" Per Side
Last Vote Predicted: 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

H.R. 5244 - the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act of 2008 (Rep. Maloney – Financial Services) (Subject to a Rule)

Suspensions (39 Bills):
1) H.R. 6984 - The Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2008, Part II (Rep. Oberstar – Transportation and Infrastructure/ Ways and Means)
2) H.Res. __ - Recognizing the 150th anniversary year of the founding of Macy’s, Inc. as an American entrepreneurial success story and the role Macy’s Inc. plays in supporting America’s small businesses and vendors (Rep. Chabot – Small Business)
3) H.R. 5443 - United States-Republic of Korea Defense Cooperation Improvement Act of 2008 (Rep. Royce – Foreign Affairs)
4) H.R. 6646 - To require the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, to provide detailed briefings to Congress on any recent discussions conducted between United States Government and the Government of Taiwan and any potential transfer of defense articles or defense services to the Government of Taiwan (Rep. Ros-Lehtinen – Foreign Affairs)
5) H.Con.Res. 255 - Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the U.S. commitment to preservation of religious and cultural sites and condemning instances where sites are desecrated (Rep. Ferguson – Foreign Affairs)
6) H.Res. 1227 - Condemning sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and calling on the international community to take immediate actions to respond to the violence (Rep. Maloney – Foreign Affairs)
7) H.Res. 1314 - Remembering the 75th anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933 and extending the deepest sympathies of the House of Representatives to the victims, survivors, and families of this tragedy (Rep. Levin – Foreign Affairs)
8) H.Res. 1402 - Supporting a transition to democracy through free, fair, credible, peaceful, and transparent elections in Bangladesh (Rep. Crowley – Foreign Affairs)
9) H.Res. 1435 - Recognizing the 70th anniversary of the 1938 occurrence of Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass (Rep. Hodes – Foreign Affairs)
10) H.Res. 1451 - Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Establishment Resolution (Rep. McGovern – Foreign Affairs)
11) H.Res. 1461 - Recognizing the Tenth Anniversary of the terrorist bombings of the United States embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and the memorializing of the citizens and families of the United States, Kenya and Tanzania whose lives were lost or who were injured as a result of these attacks (Rep. Scott (GA) – Foreign Affairs)
12) H.Con.Res. 371 - Strongly supporting and immediate and just restitution of, or compensation for, property illegally confiscated during the last century by Nazi and Communist regimes (Rep. Wexler – Foreign Affairs)
13) H.Res. 1361 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should lead a high-level diplomatic effort to defeat the campaign by some members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to divert the United Nation's Durban Review Conference from a review of problems in their own and other countries by attacking Israel, promoting anti-Semitism, and undermining the Universal Charter of Human Rights and to ensure that the Durban Review Conference serves as a forum to review commitments to combat all forms of racism (Rep. Berman – Foreign Affairs)
14) H.Res. 1369 - Recognizing nongovernmental organizations working to bring just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians (Rep. Lee – Foreign Affairs)
15) H.Con.Res. 374 - Supporting the spirit of peace and desire for unity displayed in the letter from 138 leading Muslim scholars, and in the Pope's response (Rep. Wamp – Foreign Affairs)
16) H.R. 5834 - North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2008' (Ros-Lehtinen – Foreign Affairs)
17) H.R. 758 - The Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2007 (Rep. DeLauro – Energy and Commerce)
18) H.R. 6908 - The Health Insurance Source of Injury Clarification Act of 2008 (Rep. Burgess – Energy and Commerce)
19) H.R. 6469 - The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Organ Transplant Authorization Act of 2008 (Rep. DeGette – Energy and Commerce)
20) S. 1760 - The Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2007 (Sen. Brown – Energy and Commerce)
21) H.R. 1532 - Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act of 2007 (Rep. Gene Green (TX) – Energy and Commerce)
22) H.R. 2994 - National Pain Care Policy Act of 2007 (Rep. Capps – Energy and Commerce)
23) H.R. 5265 - Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research and Education Amendments of 2008 (Rep. Engel – Energy and Commerce)
24) H.R. 6901 - Meth Free Families and Communities Act (Rep. Hooley – Energy and Commerce)
25) H.R. 2583 - Physician Workforce and Graduate Medical Education Enhancement Act of 2007 (Rep. Burgess – Energy and Commerce)
26) H.Res. 1042 - Supporting the We Don’t Serve Teens Campaign (Rep. Bono Mack – Energy and Commerce)
27) H.Con.Res. 393 - Supporting the Goals and Ideals of National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month (Rep. Pickering – Energy and Commerce)
28) H.Res. 988 - Designating the month of March 2008 as "MRSA Awareness Month" (Rep. Matheson – Energy and Commerce)
29) H.Res. 1381 - Expressing the sense of the House that there should be an increased Federal commitment prioritizing prevention and public health for all people in the United States (Rep. Roybal-Allard - Energy and Commerce)
30) H.R. 1014 - Heart Disease Education, Analysis Research, and Treatment for Women Act (Rep. Capps – Energy and Commerce)
31) H.R. 6353 - Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008 (Rep. Stupak – Energy and Commerce)
32) H.R. 6983 - Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (Rep. Kennedy – Energy and Commerce)
33) H.R. 4544 - Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2008 (Rep. Boren – Financial Services)
34) H.R. 6950 - Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gift of Life Medal Act of 2008 (Rep. Stark – Financial Services)
35) H.R. 3018 - Family Self-Sufficiency Act of 2007 (Rep. Biggert – Financial Services)
36) H.R. 6894 - Defense Production Act Extension and Reauthorization of 2008 (Rep. Gutierrez – Financial Services)
37) H.R. 6965 – To extend the authorization of the national flood insurance program (Rep. Frank – Financial Services)
38) H.Res. _ – Recognizing the 35th Anniversary of Atlantik-B Young Leaders Conference (Rep. Campbell – Financial Services)
39) H.R. _ - Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act Reauthorization (Rep. Frank – Financial Services)

Postponed Suspension Votes (9 Bills):
1) H.R. 6897 - Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2008 (Rep. Filner – Veterans’ Affairs)
2) H.R. 160 - Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Protection Act (Rep. Holt – Natural Resources)
3) H.R. 2933 - Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2008 (Rep. Gary Miller (CA) - Natural Resources)
4) H.R. 4828 - Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park Boundary Expansion and Redesignation Act of 2008 (Rep. Ortiz – Natural Resources)
5) S.J.Res. 45 - Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact (Sen. Levin - Judiciary)
6) H.R. 5352 - Elder Abuse Victims Act of 2008 (Rep. Sestak - Judiciary)
7) H.R. 642 – Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones College Fire Prevention Act (Reps. Tubbs Jones (OH)/Clyburn - Education and Labor)
8) S. 2606 - To reauthorize the United States Fire Administration, and for other purposes (Sen. Dodd – Science and Technology)
9) H.R. 6323 - To establish a research, development, demonstration, and commercial application program to promote research of appropriate technologies for heavy duty plug-in hybrid vehicles, and for other purposes (Rep. Sensenbrenner – Science and Technology)
Conference Reports may be brought up at any time.

Motions to go to Conference should they become available.

Possible Motions to Instruct Conferees.

In the Senate, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:

Convenes: 10:00am

Morning Business for up to 1 hour (10 minute limitations). Republicans will control the first 30 minutes and the Majority will control the second 30 minutes.

Following morning business, the Senate will proceed to the consideration of H.R.6049, Tax Extenders, under the following limitations:

There will be 60 minutes for debate general debate [sic] on the bill equally divided and controlled between the Leaders or their designees. The following first degree amendments are the only amendments in order (amendments are subject to 60 vote threshold and 60 minutes for debate equally divided):

Baucus-Grassley substitute amendment re: Energy tax extenders with offset;
Reid or designee perfecting amendment re: AMT with offset; and
Baucus-Grassley perfecting amendment re: Tax extenders with AMT without full offset. It is in order for Senator Conrad to raise a budget point of order against the Baucus-Grassley amendment. If a point of order is made, the Senate would vote on the motion to waive the applicable point of order. If the motion to waive is successful, the amendment will be agreed to. If the motion is not successful, the amendment will be withdrawn. Senator Conrad will control 10 minutes of the debate time on the amendment.

Regardless of the outcome of the vote with respect to the Baucus-Grassley substitute amendment, the Senate would vote on the remaining 2 amendments in this agreement.

The votes in this agreement will occur in the order listed above. Upon disposition of all amendments, the Senate will proceed to vote on passage of the bill as amended, if amended.

The Senate will recess from 12:30 until 2:15pm to allow for the weekly caucus luncheons.

Votes:
A roll call vote in relation to the first amendment is expected to occur prior to the caucus luncheons. The remaining votes will occur in the afternoon.

One thing I might not have explained are the bills with blanks where their numbers should be. Those are brand new pieces of legislation that haven't yet been assigned a number by the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate by the time the schedule is released. When they're considered on the floor, they'll be properly numbered.

Anyway, today's a good example of why I put the entire schedule above the fold, even though I often get requests not to do it. It serves as a stark visual reminder of what C-SPAN viewers think the Congress is really working on, even on the cusp of what supposedly may be the gravest financial crisis ever faced in modern history -- that is, 48 suspensions, some of which may appear on the surface to be of, let's say, less than tremendous import. (Though H.R. 6901 could really shake things up in Wasilla.)

In reality, the suspensions are on the floor to keep the chamber open and running while the negotiations take place off the floor on the bailout bill, the continuing resolution, and other last-minute "must pass" legislation.

Steny Hoyer has been adamant for weeks that the House will stick to its originally scheduled date for sine die adjournment of September 26th. That's this Friday.

Whether they'll get through all of their must pass bills by then remains to be seen. The bailout may prove a particular challenge, but then we've seen some rather weighty measures move through the Congress with rather less scrutiny than they deserve, especially when they're up against an adjournment deadline.

In fact, the bailout bill that everybody is supposedly united in opposition to sets up remarkably like last summer's "Protect America Act." An unpopular bill, sold to the public and Congress by the White House as a "must pass or else," coming right up against an adjournment deadline. And though this hasn't happened yet with the bailout bill, during the run-up to passing the PAA, Bush was making some noises about calling the Congress into an emergency session if they tried to adjourn without passing exactly the bill he wanted. I wouldn't be surprised to see the same maneuver pulled out of the bag of tricks here.

Stay tuned.

In the meantime, a giant leap forward -- at least in theory -- for the online community in responding to situations like this one is available for viewing at Public Markup, a project of the Sunlight Foundation. And by "situations like this one," I mean ones in which some proposal is made which we all know can and must be improved before it's adopted, and everyone looks at one another and agrees improvements must be made, but no one ever quite makes them.

The idea behind the Public Markup wiki is to provide a public, collaborative space for people to use the Magic of the Internet^TM to actually make those suggestions and try to hammer them into shape as a legislative proposal. At the moment, you'll find Sen. Chris Dodd's (D-CT) alternative bailout legislation available for comment.

A mark-up, you'll recall, is:

the meeting of a Committee held to review the text of a bill before reporting it out.

Committee members offer and vote on proposed changes to the bill's language, known as amendments. Most mark-ups end with a vote to send the new version of the bill to the floor for final approval.

This is where all the action really is on changing the direction of legislation. To this point, the netroots has become quite comfortable with, and a loud voice in, making phone calls to Members of Congress to express their support or opposition to legislation coming to the floor for a vote. But the truth is that most of the voting decisions have been made by that point. As a community, we'll need to work on intervening earlier in the process, and the Public Markup tool will surely be one of the new widgets we'll use to do that. Expect more to come from the Daily Kos corner of the community with respect to Congress watching and online participation in the near future, as we prepare for the 111th Congress.

But for now, if you're feeling like you've got something to add to the bailout debate that deserves consideration as an actual amendment, check out the public markup of the Dodd bill. Get used to getting a foot in the door earlier in the process, in order to become a more effective advocate for whatever your interests are.