Post Office Namings

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday offered her congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens, who defeated her San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Sunday's Super Bowl.

"They beat a mighty champion at the Super Bowl," Pelosi said on the House floor.

The House on Wednesday afternoon quickly approved seven bills naming post offices and other federal buildings around the country, then ended legislative work at about 2:30 p.m. and moved to special-order speeches.

The House was expected to have a light day as House Republicans were setting in place committee leaders for the next Congress.

Republicans said Democrats would rather criticize the vice presidential nominee than work to prevent the "fiscal cliff."

The House late Thursday afternoon capped off the busy day by quickly approving eight suspension bills, all by voice vote.

Many of these named post offices around the country, and none were controversial. Bills approved by voice were:

The EPA's headquarters would be named the William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building.

Senators from plain states want the American bison to be designated as the national mammal of the United States.

Sens. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) introduced S. 3248, the Bison Legacy Act, on Thursday. The bill would "honor" the animal by making it the nation's mammal.

“Just because someone wears a hoodie does not make them a hoodlum,” said Rep. Rush, who also donned sunglasses.

The Senate this week approved a resolution allowing two Senate staffers to testify at a judicial proceeding involving Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, the brother-in-law of former Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.). Scruggs is currently serving a prison sentence for "honest-services fraud" but is looking to have his conviction overturned.

The Senate passed S. Res. 403 on Wednesday by unanimous consent, although passage does not appear to have actually happened on the floor — instead, it appears to have been inserted in the Congressional Record after the Senate closed. The resolution allows the defense in United States v. Scruggs to hear testimony from Hugh Gamble, a former staffer for Lott now working for Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), and Brad Davis, a current staffer for Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.).

The House on Wednesday afternoon quickly approved three bills naming post offices in Missouri and New York.

In a quick series of roll-call votes, members approved H.R. 2079 by a 418-2 vote, H.R. 3247 by a 419-0 vote and H.R. 3248 by a 412-0 vote.

Following these votes, members began debate on H.R. 3408, the Protecting Investment in Oil Shale, the Next Generation of Environmental, Energy and Resource Security (PIONEERS) Act.

Eight House Democrats on Thursday proposed legislation that would require companies to consider bills as "paid" once they are postmarked, an idea meant to help consumers stay current on their bills given the likelihood of service cutbacks at the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), the lead sponsor of the bill, said USPS has announced service cutbacks that would eliminate the chance of next-day mail service for letters dropped in home mailboxes and would slow down all first-class mail.