Thursday: FY 2011 budget, FY 2012 budget

The House returns Thursday morning with the heavy task of passing a budget for fiscal 2011, and beginning consideration of the 2012 budget resolution.

On the current year budget, the House passed the rule for this bill on Wednesday, and will debate the bill, H.R. 1473, for one hour before voting.

The House will also debate and vote on two resolutions: one that would amend the spending bill to defund the healthcare law, and another that would amend the bill to block federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

Assuming all these bills are passed, they will move immediately to the Senate, where Democrats have pledged to take them up today. The Senate is not expected to approve the two healthcare resolutions, but will vote on them in accordance with the agreement negotiated between Congress and the White House last week.

If the Senate can pass H.R. 1473 today, it's possible Congress could send the 2011 spending bill to the White House by tonight. Funding for the government expires on Friday, but Congress seems well on its way to meeting that deadline.

The House on Thursday will also begin consideration of H.Con.Res. 34, the 2012 budget resolution. Four hours of debate are reserved for this resolution, and six amendments were made in order on Wednesday.

Each of the six amendments is a substitute amendment, but only one, from House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), is expected to be approved. Four Democrats have introduced substitutes that call for more spending and more federal revenues over the next decade.

Members of the Republican Study Committee will also press their substitute, which foresees less spending than Ryan's bill, and less revenue.

House debate on fiscal 2012 and consideration of amendments is expected to start Thursday but finish on Friday.