R & P Report for the Lame-duck Session of the 111Th Congress
Lame-duck Session (includes lawmakers who are not slated to continue to hold office)
Earmarks Ban: House Republicans agreed by unanimous consent to extend an earmark moratorium through the 112th Congress. Although the ban only applies to House Republicans, it is expected to effectively end the practice for the entire House because the GOP will control the floor next year, and leaders have said they will not bring up bills that include earmarks.
Rep. Rangel Censured: The House Ethics Committee voted 9-1 to recommend that Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) be censured on 11 counts of breaking House rules and that he pay his unpaid taxes tied to his “financial misconduct.” If the entire House accepts the recommendation, the Harlem lawmaker will be required to stand in the well of the House chamber and receive a formal rebuke.
Medicare Payments: The Senate passed a one month extension of the current Medicare physician payment rates.
Energy Bill Postponed: Any possibility of an energy bill being passed this year, before the new Congress is seated, was eliminated when a vote on a bill to promote natural gas and electric cars was cancelled.
Unemployment Insurance: The House voted not to extend the rules and pass the bill that would extend beyond Nov. 30 a program providing the long-term unemployed with an additional 13 weekly checks. (H.R.6419)
Food safety: Lawmakers in the Senate have inserted language into a food safety bill that would allow small farms and processors to stay in business. The measure would allow the Food and Drug Administration to order food recalls and regulate imported food. (H.R.2749) (S. 510)
Sex Trafficking: Objections to the cost of the bill have stalled a measure in the Senate that would authorize $45 million over three years for grants in an effort to stop sex trafficking of minors. (S.2925)
Health Care Law Opt Out: A Republican and a Democratic senator introduced a draft bill that would move up the date allowing states to opt out of certain obligations in the new health care law - including the requirement that all people purchase health insurance. To be eligible for waivers, states would offer alternatives that federal regulators deem as effective and affordable as those the law requires.
Gender Gap Bill: Senators voted 58-41 against a motion that would have stopped debate and brought a bill aiming to narrow the gender gap in wages to the floor for a vote.
Earmarks Ban: House Republicans agreed by unanimous consent to extend an earmark moratorium through the 112th Congress. Although the ban only applies to House Republicans, it is expected to effectively end the practice for the entire House because the GOP will control the floor next year, and leaders have said they will not bring up bills that include earmarks.
Rep. Rangel Censured: The House Ethics Committee voted 9-1 to recommend that Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) be censured on 11 counts of breaking House rules and that he pay his unpaid taxes tied to his “financial misconduct.” If the entire House accepts the recommendation, the Harlem lawmaker will be required to stand in the well of the House chamber and receive a formal rebuke.
Medicare Payments: The Senate passed a one month extension of the current Medicare physician payment rates.
Energy Bill Postponed: Any possibility of an energy bill being passed this year, before the new Congress is seated, was eliminated when a vote on a bill to promote natural gas and electric cars was cancelled.
Unemployment Insurance: The House voted not to extend the rules and pass the bill that would extend beyond Nov. 30 a program providing the long-term unemployed with an additional 13 weekly checks. (H.R.6419)
Food safety: Lawmakers in the Senate have inserted language into a food safety bill that would allow small farms and processors to stay in business. The measure would allow the Food and Drug Administration to order food recalls and regulate imported food. (H.R.2749) (S. 510)
Sex Trafficking: Objections to the cost of the bill have stalled a measure in the Senate that would authorize $45 million over three years for grants in an effort to stop sex trafficking of minors. (S.2925)
Health Care Law Opt Out: A Republican and a Democratic senator introduced a draft bill that would move up the date allowing states to opt out of certain obligations in the new health care law - including the requirement that all people purchase health insurance. To be eligible for waivers, states would offer alternatives that federal regulators deem as effective and affordable as those the law requires.
Gender Gap Bill: Senators voted 58-41 against a motion that would have stopped debate and brought a bill aiming to narrow the gender gap in wages to the floor for a vote.
PREVIEW
The New Congress: The 112th Congress is scheduled to run from Jan.5, 2011 to Jan. 3, 2013, during what will be the third and fourth years of Barack Obama's presidency.
Middle Class Tax Cuts: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said the House would vote on an extension of middle class tax cuts for middle class families, but the country could not afford tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. (S.3793)
Dream Act: President Obama is urging Congress to pass during the lame–duck session an immigration measure giving a route to legal status for illegal immigrants’ young adult children who go to college or join the military for two years. An estimated 2.1 million fit the criteria. About 800,000 would be expected to complete the requirements. (H.R.1751) (S.3827)
Fiscal 2011 Appropriations: The stopgap appropriations measure funding the government expires Dec. 3. Congress is considering a continuing resolution.
Post-Thanksgiving: Congress is scheduled to be in session Nov.29 - Dec. 17. Both Houses: Will consider a continuing resolution to fund the government. The Senate: Is expected to address the defense authorization act along with the strategic arms reduction treaty (START) with Russia.
The House: The White House is urging the House to clear a Senate-passed child nutrition bill (S.3307), but objections over funding has stalled action
The 112Th Congress will take session in January 2011, as the R&P Report mentioned. All five congressmen in the State of Iowa were retained, as well as Senior Senator Chuck Grassley.
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