House

Tea Party Caucus member Mike Pence (R-Ind.) said Thursday morning that the plan by House Republicans to hold votes on two separate balanced-budget amendment bills, likely on Friday, seals his support for House Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) budget plan.

Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) earlier in the day said they would put forward two balanced-budget amendments. One would include spending caps and require a two-thirds vote in Congress to pass tax increases, and the other is a "clean" amendment that would not include these conditions.

Freshman Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) on Thursday morning called on Congress to approve a spending plan that only allows increases in the debt ceiling based on progress in approving a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution.

Brooks has not formally announced whether he would support House Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) plan to cut spending $917 billion over 10 years, and raise the debt ceiling by $900 billion. He was not explicit in his floor remarks, but did say neither Boehner's plan nor one put forward by Senate Democrats is serious enough — a sign he could vote against it.

Freshman Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) said Thursday morning he would vote for House Speaker John Boehner's Budget Control Act later today, but also said the bill is just the first step to controlling federal spending.

"Today I will vote for a bill that for the first time in decades begins to turn the tide against the radical job-killing spending of our current president," he said.

But he added: "This bill is necessarily insufficient. It does not complete the mission."

The House holds a critical vote on the Republican Budget Control Act, and the Senate watches for the result.

Members meet at noon for legislative work, and are expected to start with the rule for the budget bill, S. 627. After an hour of debate on the rule, two hours of debate start on the bill itself, controlled by the Rules, Ways and Means and Budget committees.

Nineteen of the 39 House Republicans who embraced the pledge say they will oppose or will likely oppose Boehner's bill.

The House adjourned shortly after 10 p.m. Wednesday night, after having taken up more amendments to the 2012 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, H.R. 2584.

The House rejected two amendments by voice vote, but roll call votes are pending on several others. One rejected proposal from Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) would have cut 10 percent from Interior's State and Private Forestry account, or $20.8 million.

The other from Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii) would have moved $50 million in Wildfire Management Account to the State and Private Forestry account.

The House Rules Committee on Wednesday evening approved debate rules for the House Republicans' revised Budget Control Act, setting the stage for debate and vote on both the rule and the bill on Thursday.

The rule prohibits all amendments to the bill, S. 627. After an hour of debate and vote on the rule Thursday, the House will hold two hours of debate on the bill itself, and then vote.

King won’t “back down” from holding hearings despite last week’s killings by a Norwegian man with anti-Muslim beliefs.

The House spent much of Wednesday afternoon rejecting amendments to the 2012 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies spending bill offered by Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.). The ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee offered five amendments, but each were turned away.

In late afternoon votes, the House only accepted two amendments, both from Republicans. One from Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio) would move $50 million from EPA's Climate Change account to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and it was barely accepted in a 220-206 vote.

The other, from Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), would cut $6.2 million from the EPA's Environmental Programs and Management, Greenhouse Gas Reporting Registry. It was passed 235-191.

Restrictions in the bill "would be debilitating to my efforts to carry out a considered foreign policy," Clinton said.