THE DAILY WHIP: FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 2012

House Meets At:	First Vote Predicted:	Last Vote Predicted:
9:00 a.m.: Legislative Business Five “One Minutes” per side	11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.	12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

House Meets At:

First Vote Predicted:

Last Vote Predicted:

9:00 a.m.: Legislative Business

Five “One Minutes” per side

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

H.R. 5882 – Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2013 (Rep. Crenshaw – Appropriations) H.R. 5882 appropriates $3.3 billion for the U.S. House of Representatives and other agencies and programs affiliated with the House, like the Capitol Police, the Library of Congress, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the Government Printing Office. The $3.3 billion total is $34 million (1%) less than the current FY 2012 level and $190 million (5%) less than requested by the offices and agencies covered by the bill. The measure freezes House operations at the current level, while increasing funds for the U.S. Capitol Police by 6% and for GAO, the Congressional Budget Office and the Library of Congress by lesser amounts. Funding for the Architect of the Capitol is cut by 11%, or $53 million.

The Rule makes in order 7 amendments, each debatable for 10 minutes, equally divided between the offeror and an opponent. The amendments are:

Rep. Gosar (AZ) Amendment Would reduce the budget for the Botanic Garden by $1,235,000 for Fiscal Year 2013, so that it is appropriated resources at 2009 levels
Rep. Broun (GA) Amendment Would reduce funding for the Congressional Research Service by $878,000 (FY 2012 Level) and transfer $878,000 to the Spending Reduction Account
Rep. Holt (NJ) Amendment Would adjust funding for Congressional Printing and Binding under the GPO to address the availability of pocket versions of the United States Constitutions for members of the House. Currently the House has no additional pocket constitutions for members to disburse to their constituents
Rep. Scalise (LA) Amendment Would reduce by $1,000,000 the amount provided for the Open World Leadership Center and directs that $1,000,000 to the Spending Reduction Account
Rep. Moran (VA)/Rep. Welch (VT)/Rep. Pingree (ME) Amendment Would prohibit the use of Styrofoam (polystyrene) products in food service facilities in the House of Representatives
Rep. Harper (MS) Amendment Would limit the print copies of the U.S. Code for the House of Representatives to 50 copies
Rep. Flake (AZ) Amendment Would prohibit funding for the purchase of paid online advertisements by Members, committees, and leadership offices

Bill Text for H.R. 5882 :
HTML Version
PDF Version

Background for H.R. 5882:
House Report (HTML Version)
House Report (PDF Version)
CRS Report – Legislative Branch: FY2013 Appropriations

Postponed Vote (1 Vote):
Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 4348 – Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012 (Offered by Rep. Broun)

The Daily Quote
“This is now the pattern of business in the House of Representatives: Spend most of the time passing bills designed not to become law but to satisfy the ideological desires of conservative voters. And block laws that actually need to get passed. This colossal waste of time, punctuated by moments of real destruction, has been going on since early last year, and is well-illustrated this month. The House voted Thursday to repeal crucial parts of the health care reform law, and an upcoming bill would make government regulation virtually impossible. None of these bills have a chance of enactment. In the meantime, though, House Republicans won’t bring up a desperately needed transportation bill… Nonetheless, House Republicans have refined this practice into an art and have passed nearly two dozen of these bills. The latest example was Thursday’s vote to repeal the tax on companies that sell more than $5 million in medical devices, a component of the health care reform law. Another provision in the bill would let people use health savings accounts to pay for over-the-counter drugs, changing an aspect of the health care law in a way that would primarily benefit higher-income taxpayers… Yet the House, so eager to take these kinds of votes, won’t move the stalled transportation bill, holding up billions of dollars — and millions of jobs — on road and transit projects, apparently out of fear it might help the economy and thus the political fortunes of Democrats. Because of internal Republican divisions, the House could pass only a 90-day bill extending existing highway programs. But when the Senate overwhelmingly approved a two-year bill (on a 74-to-22 vote), House leaders held it up in conference committee, while insisting on attaching unrelated provisions, like approving the Keystone XL oil pipeline and restricting any regulations on toxic coal ash from power plants. So far, the House Republicans have done little but show that they have no real interest in governing.” New York Times Editorial, 6/7/12

The Daily Quote

“This is now the pattern of business in the House of Representatives: Spend most of the time passing bills designed not to become law but to satisfy the ideological desires of conservative voters. And block laws that actually need to get passed. This colossal waste of time, punctuated by moments of real destruction, has been going on since early last year, and is well-illustrated this month. The House voted Thursday to repeal crucial parts of the health care reform law, and an upcoming bill would make government regulation virtually impossible. None of these bills have a chance of enactment. In the meantime, though, House Republicans won’t bring up a desperately needed transportation bill… Nonetheless, House Republicans have refined this practice into an art and have passed nearly two dozen of these bills. The latest example was Thursday’s vote to repeal the tax on companies that sell more than $5 million in medical devices, a component of the health care reform law. Another provision in the bill would let people use health savings accounts to pay for over-the-counter drugs, changing an aspect of the health care law in a way that would primarily benefit higher-income taxpayers… Yet the House, so eager to take these kinds of votes, won’t move the stalled transportation bill, holding up billions of dollars — and millions of jobs — on road and transit projects, apparently out of fear it might help the economy and thus the political fortunes of Democrats. Because of internal Republican divisions, the House could pass only a 90-day bill extending existing highway programs. But when the Senate overwhelmingly approved a two-year bill (on a 74-to-22 vote), House leaders held it up in conference committee, while insisting on attaching unrelated provisions, like approving the Keystone XL oil pipeline and restricting any regulations on toxic coal ash from power plants. So far, the House Republicans have done little but show that they have no real interest in governing.”

New York Times Editorial, 6/7/12

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THE DAILY WHIP: FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 2012

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