THE DAILY WHIP: THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

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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. 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.

H.Res. __ - In the matter of allegations relating to Representative Laura Richardson (Privileged Resolution, One Hour of Debate)

H.Res. 752 – Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 6233 - Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2012 (Rep. Lucas – Agriculture) (One Hour of debate) The Rules Committee has recommended a Closed Rule that provides for one hour of general debate equally divided between the Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Agriculture.  The Rule allows no amendments, allows one motion to recommit and waives all points of order against the legislation.

H.R. 6233 – Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2012 (Rep. Lucas – Agriculture) (One Hour of debate) This bill authorizes $383 million for supplemental agricultural disaster assistance for FY 2012 and offsets the cost of the assistance through changes and reductions to two conservation programs – EQIP and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The bill reauthorizes and modifies several disaster assistance programs — which would be retroactive to October 1, 2011, and apply to losses that are incurred up to September 30, 2012. The measure does not extend disaster assistance for FY13. 

H.R. 6169 – Pathway to Debt Act (Rep. Dreier – Rules) (Three Hours of debate) H.R. 6169 lays out principles for tax reform and provides for fast-track consideration of any tax reform package introduced by the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee before April 30, 2013.

The bill creates partisan procedures for expedited consideration of a bill to rewrite the tax code and provide additional tax cuts for the wealthy.

Over the last 19 months in the majority, House Republicans have wasted time passing GOP messaging bills that appeal to their conservative base, rather than working towards bipartisan compromises on critical legislation. This bill has no chance of passing the Senate and lays out a procedure that has an inherent bias in favor of tax cuts over fiscal responsibility. Members are urged to VOTE NO.

The Rule makes in order only the following amendment, debatable for 20 minutes, equally divided between the offeror and opponent.

Rep. Slaughter Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (Democratic Alternative) (20 minutes) The Democratic Substitute to H.R. 6169 lays out Democratic principles for tax reform that call for increased revenues to bring down our national debt and invest in economic growth; a progressive tax rate structure; protecting the vulnerable; repeal of the AMT; discouraging tax haven abuse; elimination of tax breaks that ship jobs and profits overseas; promotion of domestic manufacturing; and preserving incentives for education, retirement, healthcare, home ownership, and small business.  Members are urged to VOTE YES on the Democratic Substitute.

Bill Text for H.R. 6169:
HTML Version
PDF Version

Background for H.R. 6169:
House Report HTML Version
House Report PDF Version

Suspensions (2 Bills)

  1. H.R. 2139 - Lions Club International Century of Service Commemorative Act, as amended (Rep. Roskam - Financial Services)
  2. H.R. 5986 - To amend the African Growth and Opportunity Act to extend the third-country fabric program and to add South Sudan to the list of countries eligible for designation under that Act, to make technical corrections to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States relating to the textile and apparel rules of origin for the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement, to approve the renewal of import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003, and for other purposes (Sponsored by Rep. Dave Camp / Ways and Means)

Postponed Suspension (1 Vote)

  1. H.Con.Res. 127 - Expressing the sense of Congress regarding actions to preserve and advance the multistakeholder governance model under which the Internet has thrived (Rep. Bono Mack - Energy and Commerce)
 
The Daily Quote

“The new Republican majority came in with a roar, but it’s crawling into the August break with a whimper… There is particular frustration with leadership’s decision to completely forgo a farm bill and instead pass a pared-back disaster relief bill for drought-stricken farmers. Rural lawmakers will have to go home and face voters without an update to farm policy… Still, some Republicans say it has become too difficult for the two parties and the two chambers to do the nation’s work. Primary elections and the growing influence of the conservative wing of the GOP have left many of the dwindling number of deal-making Republicans to reassess their place in Congress. LaTourette said Republicans who want to make deals now face angry taunts: ‘You’re a coward; you’re a facilitator; you’re an appeaser; you’re a RINO’ — a Republican In Name Only. Former Rep. Mark Souder of Indiana, another member of the big freshman class of 1995, said the energy of the new Republican majority has sometimes been misdirected, at least from a strategic standpoint. The GOP erred, he argues, ‘by making last year’s debt limit vote a test of strength. ‘It had to pass, which everyone should have known, so it made them look more whiny than militant,’ he said. ‘Ronald Reagan knew to invade Grenada, not Russia.’”

-     Politico, 8/1/12