Government Oversight

Texas Republicans tonight declared that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared "war" against Texas, and said they would fight a recent ruling that stripped the ability of state regulators to write their own rules to comply with the Clean Air Act.

Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) today introduced a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) in opposition to the EPA's decision. The EPA in late December said it would take over the job of issuing clean air permits in Texas because that state has refused to comply with new EPA rules that regulate carbon dioxide.

The CRA allows Congress to pass a resolution disapproving of a regulation, and allows it to be discharged from committee in the Senate if just 30 senators sign a petition. Texas House members tonight cited that as an achievable goal for passing the resolution.

Carter was joined tonight by Texas Reps. Louie Gohmert and Joe Barton in protest of the EPA. Gohmert charged that the decision is part of the Obama administration's "war on jobs," and Barton argued that the EPA is being punitive toward Texas even though air quality has improved there.

In a statement today, Carter said the EPA's decision is "precisely the kind of situation for which the CRA was intended as a legislative remedy."

The House adjourned immediately after the Texas Reps' remarks about the EPA. The House reconvenes tomorrow at 10 a.m.

Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said on Monday that if Republicans can find the 218 votes needed, they will reduce government spending for the rest of FY 2011 all the way down to 2006 levels rather than 2008 levels as promised.

“If the will of the House is such, if there are 218 votes to deliver on '06 levels, then so be it," said Cantor in response to a reporter's question on whether it would be possible to make such a deep cut. "But again, we intend for there to be an open process, and the body is going to work its will."

Cantor reiterated the Republican promise to reach at least 2008 levels of spending in their cutting of non defense discretionary spending. A vote on the resolution starting the process for FY 2011 budgeting will take place Tuesday.

Republicans' choice of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to both lead the House Budget Committee and respond to the President’s State of the Union address signifies their leadership’s support for dismantling Social Security and Medicare, leading congressional Democrats argued on Monday.

“In an unsettling development for America’s seniors, ending Social Security and Medicare is now the official position of the Republican Party,” announced Senate Majority Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in a statement on Monday. “Republicans tapped Congressman Ryan, the architect of a plan to end Social Security and Medicare, to deliver their response to the President’s State of the Union, and his plan has been endorsed by the House Majority Leader and the top Republicans on the House and Senate budget committees.”

In a conference call with reporters on Monday afternoon, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) also said they believe Republicans are using Ryan as a ‘lightning rod’ for their plan to dissemble Social Security and Medicare.

“It’s clear from their selection of Congressman Ryan to be spokesman in the wake of the State of the Union address, and from their decision to vote on a resolution to give him unfettered power on what to cut, that they are getting behind his plan,” said Whitehouse. “That makes is clear they are going after Social Security and Medicare.”

Sanders called Ryan’s priorities “absurd” and “a very wrong approach for the country.”

“We need to strengthen social security, not weaken it,” said Sanders.

Ryan’s roadmap would reduce Social Security benefits and replace Medicare with private voucher payments for most younger Americans.

Last year, then-House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said military salaries, not just civilian federal government salaries, should be frozen in order to help reduce the budget deficit. This year, Minority Whip Hoyer appears to be less willing to rush to judgment, even though the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has just released a study that would seem to bolster arguments in favor of a cut in military pay.

CBO last week released an eight-page report that said the median cash compensation for enlisted personnel with no college degree is "at least as high as the 75th percentile of earnings for federal workers with comparable work experience."

"In other words, the typical enlisted person receives more cash compensation than three-quarters of comparable federal civilians," according to the report, which Hoyer requested. It also found that compensation for commissioned officers with college degrees is even higher.

Despite these findings, a spokeswoman indicated Hoyer is not yet ready to push for reduced military pay.

"This is part of Mr. Hoyer's larger effort to assemble information on the state of federal and military pay, and he has not made any judgments at this point," Katie Grant told The Hill.

Following a week of battle over the repeal of last year’s healthcare legislation, the House meets again on Monday to take up the equally divisive issue of deficit reduction. Details of the week follow:

Monday, Jan. 24

The House meets at noon for morning hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.

The first item taken up will be H.Res. 43, which sets the rule for one hour of debate on a resolution (to be taken up Tuesday) to reduce the spending of the federal government to 2008 levels or less.

Tuesday, Jan 25

The House meets at 10 a.m. for morning hour debate and at noon for legislative business. The House will recess no later than 5 p.m. to provide time for preparation for the State of the Union.

The House will consider the following resolutions under a suspension of the rules:

A resolution from Rep. Tom Lathan (R-Iowa) that allows recipients of Medal of Honor or their families to request and receive flags flown over the Capitol building.

H.R. 366, which temporarily extends federal lending programs for small businesses through May 31.

H.Res. 38, which is the Republican budget resolution to reduce spending levels for the rest of this fiscal year at levels below those of 2008. Under this resolution, the Budget Committee will establish spending levels for FY 2011, and ultimately, a continuing resolution reflecting these spending levels will be voted on by the House.

The House will meet again at 8:35 p.m. for the president’s State of the Union address.

Wednesday, Jan. 26

On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10 a.m. for legislative business and will take up H.R. 359, which would eliminate federal funding for presidential campaigns.

Thursday and Friday, Jan. 27 and 28

The House is not in session.

The signs have said, "Project Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act" (ARRA) or "Putting America to Work."

The Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday morning will release its 2011 budget and economic outlook, which will help inform Republicans as they begin finalizing a budget for the remainder of FY 2011 and beyond.

House Republicans have indicated that they would try to pass a resolution next week that instructs House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to establish discretionary, non-security spending levels for the remainder of FY 2011 at 2008 levels or lower. To achieve that goal, Ryan will need CBO's report on how much money has been spent so far in FY 2011 (which began Oct. 1).

Once Ryan determines how much more the government can spend, the Appropriations Committee will draft a continuing resolution reflecting those numbers, and Republicans will put the CR up for a vote on the House floor.

The House on Wednesday night approved H.R. 42, which names three members to House committees. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) was named to the Energy and Commerce Committee, freshman Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) was added to the Homeland Security Committee, and another freshman, Rep. Jeff Landry (R-La.), was named to the Committee on Small Business.

The House has been approving both Republican and Democratic members to various committees over the last two weeks by resolutions that have been approved by voice vote on the same day they are introduced.

House Republicans yesterday also announced the reappointment of several people to the Governing Board of the Office of Congressional Ethics. The office, staffed with non-members, was created in 2008 to help review possible ethics violations in the House.

Reappointed to the board by Republicans were Porter Goss, James Eagen, Allison Hayward and Bill Frenzel (alternate). Democrats reappointed David Skaggs, Yvonne Burke, Karan English and Abner Mikva.

House Republicans are planning to hold a vote on January 25 on a resolution allowing House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to reduce certain spending levels to 2008 levels or less for the remainder of FY 2011, without the need for a full House vote.

The House Rules Committee this afternoon approved an amended H.Res 38, which instructs the Budget Committee to allocate funds for non-security discretionary spending for remainder of FY 2011 at 2008 levels or less. This is slightly different from the original resolution that Rules introduced earlier this week, which called for spending levels that reflect a "transition" to 2008 spending levels.

The change, which was approved in a partisan vote this afternoon, came about through an amendment to the resolution introduced by Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.). The Rules Committee also approved a rule that allows for one hour of debate on the resolution. When the measure comes up on the House floor next week, there will be one hour of debate on the rule, and one hour of debate on the resolution itself.

At the Rules hearing today, Ranking Budget Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) charged that Republicans are rushing the resolution for next week in order to be able to point out some action on cutting federal spending on Tuesday, just before President Obama delivers his State of the Union Address. To that charge, Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-Calif.) said "you bet," and said Republicans are eager to start cutting spending as soon as possible.

While Dreier did not explicitly agree that a vote would be held on January 25, he did not reject the idea. Republicans are expected to discuss the timing of the vote tomorrow.

Democrats today also complained that H.Res. 38 will allow Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to establish his own budget levels, and that Republicans should announce the spending levels before asking others to vote on the resolution. Republicans countered that the resolution is needed because 2011 spending levels have not yet been established, and rejected a Democratic amendment to ensure that the full House approves spending levels as established by the Budget Committee.

Updated at 5:15 p.m.

The House on Tuesday night approved a resolution that assigns Republican members to 10 committees. H.Res. 37 appoints dozens of members to the committees on Budget; Education and the Workforce; Foreign Affairs; Homeland Security; Judiciary; Natural Resources; Oversight and Government Reform; Science, Space and Technology; Small Business; and Veterans' Affairs.

H.Res. 37 was introduced Tuesday, the same day it was approved by voice vote. While House Republicans have said they would make all bills public for three days before passing them on the House floor, this practice does not apply to resolutions, and resolutions assigning members to committees in particular are not controversial. The House has passed a handful of resolutions on short notice assigning members of both parties to various committees.

On Wednesday morning, the House approved H.Res. 39, which names several Democrats to House Committees on Agriculture, Armed Services, Education and the Workforce, Financial Services, Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security, Judiciary, Natural Resources, Oversight & Government Reform, Science, Space, and Technology, Small Business, Transportation & Infrastructure, and Veterans' Affairs.

Updated at 11:47 a.m.