House returns to try again on passing bills under suspension

After morning speeches and a brief adjournment, the House reconvened at noon Wednesday to consider two bills under a suspension of House rules.

The House last night failed to approve an extension of three Patriot Act surveillance authorities, since they failed to get two-thirds of voting members to support it.

One measure should not pose a problem today — S. 188, which would designate a courthouse in Yuma, Ariz., as the John M. Roll United States Courthouse. Debate on this bill started at 12:15 p.m.

Roll is the judge who was killed in January in the same shooting that seriously injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).

Support for the second item is less clear — H.R. 519, which would instruct the U.S. to demand repayment of $179 million in U.S. funds from the United Nations. One Democrat, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), spoke out against this bill today as something that does not help create jobs.