House

Black lawmakers said GOP-proposed budget cuts would move the country in the opposite direction of the civil rights movement.

The House approved three non-controversial bills Monday night under a suspension of the rules.

The first, H.R. 394, would amend the judicial code to hold that U.S. district courts do not have original jurisdiction over civil actions between U.S. citizens and non-U.S. residents. It was approved in a 402-0 vote.

The second bill, H.R. 347, would explicitly allow for fines and prison terms of up to 10 years against anyone who knowingly enters the White House or the vice president's residence without lawful authority to do so.

There is already authority under Washington DC law to punish these trespassers, but making it explicit was seen as a non-controversial item. The bill was accepted in a 399-3 vote, and only Reps. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), Paul Broun (R-Ga.) and Ron Paul (R-Texas) voted against it.

H.R. 368, would clarify that the prosecution of a federal official that begins in state court should be moved to a U.S. district court. This bill was approved in a 396-4 vote; Amash, Broun, Paul and Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) voted against this bill.

The House Rules Committee on Monday night approved a rule allowing for a short debate on a two-week spending resolution that would keep the federal government operating until March 18, setting a vote on the rule and the resolution itself on Tuesday.

The committee approved a closed rule for the spending resolution that will not allow amendments, and the committee rejected requests to have two Democratic amendments be made in order for Tuesday. The first, offered by Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) on behalf of Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (Del-D.C.), would have exempted the District of Columbia from any government shutdown.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) used his first floor speech since the Presidents Day recess to call on Democrats to join Republicans in cutting spending.

"Between maintaining the status quo on spending or cutting spending, the choice could not be more clear," said McConnell Monday on the floor of the Senate.

House Republicans have passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through the end of the 2011 fiscal year, which cuts $61 billion in spending. It now rests in the Senate. House Republicans are also putting together a stopgap measure that would fund the government for the next two weeks in order to prevent a government shutdown, should the measure fail to pass the upper chamber. The short-term measure cuts $4 billion in spending. 

McConnell proceeded to repeat a common refrain among Republicans, calling overspending and the deficit the "top threat to our economy."

"Washington's inability to live within our means is the greatest single threat to our future," said McConnell. "Democrats in Congress need to rethink the approach they have been taking up to now. Stop spending money we don't have." 

McConnell endorsed House Republicans' stopgap measure, and targeted President Obama's 2012 budget proposal for freezing the budget rather than making deep cuts.

"At no point in this projection does the government spend less than it brings in," said McConnell. "It doesn't even try. They want to spend hundreds of billions more than we bring in. And on, and on, and on."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) also came to the floor, but limited his words to setting the Senate floor schedule for the rest of Monday.

The Senate remains in a period of morning business until 3.30 p.m.

The House Monday afternoon passed legislation that would require criminal penalties against people who point lasers at aircraft. Members approved the non-controversial measure, H.R. 386, by voice vote under a suspension of House rules.

Three other Judiciary Committee bills are scheduled for votes Monday evening. The first of these is H.R. 394, which would amend the judicial code to hold that U.S. district courts do not have original jurisdiction over civil actions between U.S. citizens and non-U.S. residents.

Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.), the sixth-ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, said the Obama administration's decision to no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act is a "dereliction of duty," and indicated that congressional oversight may be coming.

"It is beyond disappointment," Lungren said on the House floor Monday. "I believe it is a dereliction of duty. To somehow now find that there is no constitutional basis for defending that law is incredible, and I think regrettable, and I think we ought to look into it."

The Defense of Marriage Act prohibits the government from recognizing same-sex marriages, and was signed into law by former President Clinton. The Obama administration last week said it believes the law is unconstitutional, and Republicans said the decision smacked of politics.

On Monday Lungren echoed that charge, and said it is the Attorney General's job to defend all laws, regardless of their personal views, just as he did as California's Attorney General.

"Having served in that office in California, I can tell you I defended laws that I disagreed with," he said. "I defended laws that I had voted against, and I thought it was my solemn obligation to uphold the Constitution and the laws duly enacted in my state, just as I believe the Attorney General of the United States has that obligation on the federal level."

Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) on Monday said she is standing with state workers in Wisconsin and Ohio who are protesting proposals to reduce their benefit packages and end their collective bargaining rights, and blamed Republican governors for pursuing these proposals.

"In Wisconsin and Ohio and here in Congress, workers' rights are under attack by union-busting politicians," she said shortly after the House gaveled in at 2 p.m. "It's time to stand up and fight against the attacks launched by union-busting Republican governors and their corporate sponsors."

McCollum said there should be "no doubt that there's a war going on right now against workers and unions, and middle-class Americans who want more jobs."

"It's time for Americans to stand up and fight for the rights of workers to organize and negotiate for safe working conditions," she said.

Democrats, including President Obama and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), have said they support the protests against Republican plans to cut back the benefits of state workers. Republicans, in contrast, have said they are proposing modifications to state workers' benefits that are still far more generous than those found in the private sector, and are criticizing Democratic lawmakers in Wisconsin for fleeing the statehouse and preventing a vote on the proposal.

As of Monday morning, it appears that House Republicans, Senate Democrats and the Obama White House are prepared to work together to pass a two-week spending bill this week, leaving House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on the outside looking in and possibly leading what could end up as an unsuccessful opposition to the bill.

The White House on Monday morning indicated it would likely accept the two-week spending bill, which followed last week's supportive comments about the House Republican spending proposal from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

Pelosi is so far the only significant Democrat to indicate outright opposition to the House GOP bill, and said its proposed cuts to education in particular are "not a good place to start."

The two-week budget extension contains cuts to education, energy and water, health, and homeland security funding.

Republicans and Democrats seem to be finding ways to cooperate on a short-term budget extension, and House Republicans announced plans to consider a two-week spending extension on the floor Tuesday. The bill would cut $4 billion from current spending levels, but uses many cuts that Democrats have suggested, and this led Democrats to say they are encouraged by the plan.

Here's how Republicans have planned the week:

Monday, February 28

The House will convene at 2 p.m. for legislative business, and votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. The House will consider four bills under a suspension of the rules, which means a two-thirds majority is needed.

The bills are H.R. 394, H.R. 386, H.R. 368, and H.R. 347.

At 5 p.m., the House Rules Committee meets to approve a rule for considering the short-term budget extension, H.J.Res.___.