Published 27 Jun, 2011
The House recessed for the July 4 holiday without holding the mock mark-ups of the three trade agreements they had threatened, to show their displeasure with the Administration for not sending them for Congressional approval. In session this week, the Senate has several noncontroversial nomination hearings to go through, thanks to an agreement struck by Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, in an effort to dispense with at least some of President Obama’s political appointees in an otherwise gridlocked confirmation process.
Last week the House passed a three-week extension of the current FAA Authorization, the twentieth since the law expired in September of 2007. The Senate is expected to pass a companion bill, giving both chambers a few more weeks to reconcile the differences in the House- and Senate-passed versions of the reauthorization. With the House out this week and the Senate adjourning next, serious negotiation will need to commence before the extension expires and both chambers go into recess for the month of August.
The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing with testimony from leading economists on deficit reduction, and important piece of the negotiations over raising the debt limit. The Senate Banking and HUD subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development will hold a hearing on access to public transit for the disabled and seniors. A heretofore unreleased workforce investment bill might also be marked up by the Senate HELP committee this week.