House

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said House members should be ready to vote later today on a possible budget deal.

The House on Friday afternoon rejected another request from House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) that members approve a clean, one-week spending resolution that does not contain any of the policy issues that Democrats oppose, even though Hoyer warned that his request is the "only vehicle" that would keep the government from shutting down.

Hoyer made this request with a motion to recommit an unrelated resolution that would disapprove of the Federal Communications Commission's net-neutrality regulations in order to take up his spending resolution instead. As he has earlier in the week, Hoyer said a clean spending bill would allow the government to pay the military, as Republicans want, but avoid the more controversial issues in the GOP spending bill, such as a ban on taxpayer-funded abortions in Washington, D.C., that have stalled negotiations.

Midway through a Friday afternoon debate over whether the Federal Communications Commission should be allowed to regulate the Internet, the microphone in the Democratic side shut down, a possibly ominous sign given that the entire federal government is headed toward a shutdown unless a spending deal is reached.

As the microphone began sputtering and dying, Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) offered Democrats the use of the Republican microphone, but not without pointing out the dangers of government-run technology.

"When you have government-run microphones and Internet, you can have a problem," he quipped. "We're for open and free microphones, they're welcome to use our podium as well."

House Republicans on Friday argued that so far, market forces have taken care of the rare instances in which Internet service providers have blocked access to certain websites, and that this means federal efforts to regulate the Internet are unneeded.

The GOP raised these points in a debate over H.J.Res. 37, which would disapprove of the network-neutrality regulations issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) late last year. Democrats have said the net-neutrality rules are meant to ensure that monopolies do not form that might restrict content, but Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) said this federal effort is simply not necessary.

"We hear a lot about blocking, that it's about blocking content," Terry said. "There's been about a half a dozen instances, Madame Speaker, where Internet providers did block, in some way alter their customers' ability to go to a website. All instances, all instances, were resolved by their customers' pressure and some encouragement by the FCC."

The House returned at 1:15 p.m. Friday and voted 238-174 to begin consideration of a resolution disapproving of the Federal Communications Commission's net-neutrality rules.

Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.) called for the vote. Earlier in the day he had suggested that the House should not take up the resolution — H.J.Res. 37 — because of the ongoing budget fight.

Only four Democrats voted to consider the resolution: Reps. Dan Boren (Okla.), Collin Peterson (Minn.), Kurt Schrader (Ore.), and Heath Shuler (NC).

The House reconvened at noon to hear one-minute speeches, then recessed subject to the call of the chairman at 12:14 p.m.

The recess was called because House Republicans had scheduled a noon meeting at which House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) was expected to discuss a possible budget agreement with Democrats.

Left unclear is whether the House would have time to take up its planned consideration of a resolution that would disapprove of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) regulation of the Internet through its net-neutrality rules.

Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.) called on Republicans to skip the FCC resolution, H.J.Res. 37, and focus on a spending plan in order to avoid a government shutdown, which would occur at midnight Friday if no deal were reached.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) indicated on Friday he would again ask for a short-term budget extension that keeps government operating while the two parties negotiate on a FY 2011 budget deal.

Hoyer spoke just after Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) said Congress should pass legislation that ensures U.S. troops are funded. Hoyer said his Thursday would have done that, and that he would make a similar request on Friday.

"I'm going to tell you, we're going to ask for another unanimous consent that will accomplish exactly what the gentleman from Texas wanted to accomplish," Hoyer said. "I hope that none of you object."

House Republican freshmen on Friday morning called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to take the lead and pass a fiscal 2011 spending resolution, highlighting the growing tensions between the upper and lower chambers just hours before a potential shutdown.

"Harry Reid, get your act together," said Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn). "Let's put this country on the right track and move forward." Black said the House would stay in session until "we get our fiscal house in order."

Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) said he and other Republicans on Friday would hold their eighth consecutive rally urging Reid to pass a bill. He noted that 90 Republicans this week sent Reid a letter asking him to step down if he does not want to move on any bill.

"It's time for Sen. Reid to lead, as his title suggests," Crawford said.

Barring a government shutdown, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will testify next week on her department's priorities. Her testimony comes just after House Republicans have offered a budget plan that would reform Medicare, which prompted Democrats to argue that Republicans are seeking to gut that program.

House committees next week also take up mortgage markets, sanctions against North Korea and higher gas prices. A list of featured committee hearings follows:

By 9:15 a.m. Friday, there was no sign of a budget agreement, and no announced plans in the House or Senate to consider a fiscal 2011 budget bill.

But there were some signs last night that Republicans and Democrats might yet find some solution. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said they "narrowed the issues significantly."

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the two sides have essentially agreed on how much more spending to cut, but that Republicans in particular are unwilling to admit this for fear of a backlash from the more conservative members of their caucus.

A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) indicated on Friday morning that some elements of a deal have been worked out, but not every aspect.

"While nothing will be decided until everything is decided, the largest issue is still spending cuts," Michael Steel said. "The American people want to cut spending to help the private sector create jobs — and the Democrats that run Washington don't."