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TheWeekInCongress.com - June 25, 2009 - The House considered three appropriation bills this week bringing the total to five of the 12 yearly spending bills it must attend to, but not without procedural resistance from the Minority. (See story below).

HR 2647, the Department of Defense Authorization, HR 2892, the Homeland Security Appropriations and HR 2996, the appropriation bill for the Department of Interior passed this week. Last week the House passed the Legislative Branch and State Department appropriation bills.

SENATE PASSES AID TO PAKISTAN

Military Aid Rests on Disengagement with Terror Groups

Measuring Progress is Assigned to Secretary of State

The Senate gave unanimous approval to S 962, a bill providing military and non-military aid to Pakistan.

The bill states that it "...seeks to transform the relationship between the United States and Pakistan from a transactional, tactically-driven set of short-term exercises in crisis-management, into a deeper, broader, long-term strategic engagement. The legislation aims to properly balance the relationship between United States and Pakistan by acknowledging and supporting the national security interests of the United States as well as our economic and geopolitical interests."

Military aid is contingent on certification by the Secretary of State that that the government of Pakistan has disengaged from any relationship, political or otherwise, with al Qaeda, the Taliban, and other terror groups in the country.

Non-military aid aims to improve democratic governance, education, wellbeing and humanitarian assistance and places special emphasis on improving the rights of Pakistani women.

S 962 bill report

SENATE TAKES UP IMPEACHMENT OF TEXAS JUDGE

The Senate received from the House the Articles of Impeachment for Judge Samuel B. Kent, District Court Judge from the Southern District of Texas who was convicted of sexual assault and lying under oath. While convicted and sentenced to prison, Judge Kent can only be removed from office through impeachment or resignation.

The House last week passed by voice vote, HRES 520, the articles of impeachment. The Senate then moved to conduct a trial to remove the Judge from office.

The Senate appointed to the Impeachment Trial Committee Senators Impeachment Trial Committee: McCaskill, Klobuchar, Whitehouse, Udall of New Mexico, Shaheen, Kaufman, Martinez, DeMint, Barrasso, Wicker, Johanns, and Risch.

Judge Kent was issued a summons to appear before the Committee.

The Senate Sergeant-at-Arms laid before the Senate a statement of resignation executed by Judge Samuel Kent following service of a summons, to be effective June 30, 2009. The return of the service and accompanying statement of resignation will be printed in the record.

HOUSE PASSES ENERGY BILL

Rated by CBO as a Deficit Reducer

HR 2454 as considered by the House has been categorized as the global warming bill and the carbon sequestration, cap and trade bill. Its intentions are to reduce carbon emissions, increase investments in renewable energy, and protect consumers from energy price increases. (CBO rates the cost at 50 cents per day for each American and calculates that over ten years the bill will result in a $24 billion reduction in the federal deficit.)

The Republican substitute, the bill, HR 513, takes a different approach by authorizing about $24 billion to provide grants and prizes for researcher who work on reducing reliance on foreign energy to zero over 20 years.

HR 2454 Bill summary and votes

HR 513 Bill and votes.

MINORITY CONTINUES PARLIAMENTARY STRATEGY DELAYING BILL PASSAGES

Beginning last week some members of the Minority party have imposed procedural delays to legislation by requesting votes to reconsider votes already taken. All efforts failed but the two-minute votes brought the traditional 10 to 12 votes on amendments and passage of appropriation and authorization bills to 57 for one bill, the appropriations for Commerce, Justice and Science.

In some cases Republicans mustered nearly 200 votes, a significant increase over the one or two dozen votes they accumulated last year when applying the tactic to the farm bill.

This week the strategy included several motions to adjourn and was applied to HR 2990, a bill providing increased benefits for retired and disabled military. The bill passed but had no amendments and would normally require two votes, one on a motion to recommit the bill for changes in the committee and one vote on passage, but between the introduction of the resolution containing the rules for debating the bill and final passage, a small group of Republicans requested 7 votes on motions to adjourn and one vote to reconsider a vote. While the original motion to adjourn brought 76 supporters subsequent votes failed with only 20 to 30 votes. The votes to adjourn are RC 425; RC 426; RC 427; RC 432; RC 434; The motion to reconsider the vote agreeing to the rule was RC 431.

The Minority's strategy is in protest of its assertion that it is not given sufficient opportunity to offer amendments to the spending bills although some 30 Republican amendments to HR 2847, the Commerce, Justice and Science bill, were brought to the floor and voted on several times.

The Majority allowed for 8 Republican amendments to the DHS bill, HR 2892, and gave the option of selecting four amendments from another block of 11 earmark cutting amendments offered by Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ). Another option was the selection of one amendment from three earmark-cutting amendments offered by Rep. John Campbell (R-CA). When those amendments were debated Republicans still demanded a roll call vote even if agreed to by voice vote.

The Department of Defense authorization debates suffered less from the Minority's strategy. The bill to fund the Department of Interior came to the floor with a rule that allowed for predetermined amendments and two pro forma amendments that may come from the bill managers of each party. The only amendments allowed were those made in order in the report of the House Committee on Rules plus up to three from Rep. Flak of AZ and one each from Rep Campbell of CA and Rep Hensarling of TX. Each amendment was given ten minutes of debate equally divided between the opponent and proponent.##

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Bills increase Veteran COLA / women vet's health;

provide funds for torture victims; study Indian water project; support ironworker school for Native Americans.

Veteran COLA Increase

Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) rates for veterans disability compensation, compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for disabled vets children and the dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children is increased

S 407

Women Veteran Health

The Secretary of the VA is directed to study barriers to the provision of healthcare encountered by women veterans and assess all health care services and programs for women.

HR 1211

Torture Grants

Grants to programs within the US to cover the cost of services provided by treatment center that deal with rehabilitation of victims of torture.

HR 1511

Indian Water Project

The Secretary of the Interior is directed to conduct a study on the feasibility and suitability of constructing a storage reservoir, outlet works, and a delivery system for the Tule River Indian Tribe.

HR 1845

Iron Worker School

The Secretary of Interior is directed to provide an annual grant to an eligible entity that will provide an iron working training program for federally recognized Indian tribe members.

HR 1129

.The House is adjourned until July 7th.

The Senate is adjourned until July 6th.