House Rules sets 11 p.m. meeting to prep for the next five days

The House Rules Committee will meet at 11 p.m. Thursday night to approve a rule that will let Republicans bring any rule reported by the committee right to the House floor immediately, instead of having to wait for a day, through Aug. 2.

Speed is now of the essence, as it remains unclear whether House Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) Budget Control Act can be approved in the House. A vote on that bill was postponed, and could be held over to Friday, if it will be held at all.

Republicans announced at about 10:30 p.m. that no vote would be held Thursday night, and that work on the bill would continue on Friday.

Regardless of passage, the House and Senate now have just five full days to reach an agreement and pass it through both chambers. The inability of the House to approve Boehner's plan could give an advantage to the Senate, if the upper chamber chooses to pass its own budget plan.

The House adjourned at about 7 p.m., and the Senate adjourned at about 8 p.m.