House

A bipartisan group of House members has proposed legislation that would make it easier for states to control the population of the double-crested cormorant — a bird that was once in need in federal protection, but is now being blamed for hurting vegetation and fish stocks.

"Unfortunately, exploding populations of the federally protected cormorants are destroying recreational areas and fisheries across the country during their migration," Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) said of her bill last week. "Yet when concerned citizens look to their state governments for help in protecting their private land or favorite vacation spots, the states' hands are tied with one layer of bureaucratic red tape after another."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) took opposing views in Friday's vote on a bill to end furloughs for air traffic controllers.

Hoyer made it clear that he would oppose the bill and encouraged other members to reject legislation that would resolve the sequester for the Federal Aviation Administration's air traffic controllers but not other federal agencies.

A House-passed bill funding air traffic controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will go directly to the White House for President Obama's signature into law.

The question of whether the bill would need to go back to the Senate for passage was the subject of some confusion on Friday. But a Senate Democratic aide told The Hill that the Senate will not need to look at it again.

Legislation to restructure the federal government's sale of helium from the Federal Helium Reserve easily passed the House on Friday.

Members voted 394-1 in favor of the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act, H.R. 527. The only member against it was Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.).

Legislation allowing the government to re-direct millions of dollars was approved in an overwhelming 361-41 vote.

Several House Democrats on Thursday introduced legislation that would impose a minimum 45 percent tax rate on taxable income above $1 million, and would set a 49 percent rate on income above $1 billion.

The Fairness in Taxation Act, H.R. 1723, was proposed by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), who said the bill would help put the nation's wealth back into the hands of middle- and lower-income workers.

The House is expected to vote today on a bill that would let the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) dodge the sequester, which could end the battle over rising flight delays around the country.

Late Thursday, the Senate passed S. 853, the Reducing Flight Delays Act. The bill gives the secretary of transportation to move up to $253 million to the FAA to help avoid furloughs of thousands of air traffic controllers.

Several Republicans blamed President Obama on Thursday for imposing flight delays on Americans by furloughing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, and for not speaking out on the Kermit Gosnell abortion trial in Pennsylvania.

One after another, dozens of Republicans took to the House floor as part of a coordinated attempt to raise awareness on both issues.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) on Thursday urged all members of the House to attend a classified briefing from the Obama administration on the apparent use of chemical weapons by Syria.

"Today, the administration has confirmed that the Assad regime in Syria has crossed a dangerous, game-changing red line, using chemical weapons against its own citizens," Cantor told members on the House floor.

"The Syrian conflict has raged for many months, and nearly a hundred thousand Syrian civilians have been killed," he said. "The conflict now threatens to spill over Syria's borders, destabilizing key American allies.

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The House on Thursday approved a rule governing debate on a bill that would alter the way the government sells its helium stocks.

Members approved the rule in a 231-177 vote, after a debate in which Democrats again blamed Republicans for wasting two days to approve the non-controversial bill. The House is expected to consider amendments and hold a final passage vote on the bill on Friday.