Scheduling

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) filed cloture Thursday on a motion to proceed to legislation to fund the Small Business Administration.

Reid made the move after a group of conservative Republicans warned they would block an attempt to bring the bill to the floor by unanimous consent. The Republicans have promised to prevent any legislation that does not cut spending from hitting the Senate floor.

After several weeks of commanding center stage on the budget, the House will recede a little this week to make room for the Senate, which is expected to hold test votes on the House GOP budget for fiscal 2011 and a Democratic amendment that restores many of the cuts supported by the House.

The Senate is not expected to accept the House GOP bill, H.R. 1, or the Democratic substitute. But the votes will allow the Senate to demonstrate that some form of legislation still needs to be developed that can pass the Senate, and that formal negotiations with the House are needed.

In a sense, that’s progress, and none too soon. The current funding bill expires March 18, and the House and Senate will have less than two weeks to figure it all out by the time the dust settles on the Senate votes. Or they can always pass another short-term extension.

Both the House and the Senate are planning several FY 2012 budget hearings next week, even as they are expected to continue working out an agreement for the rest of FY 2011.

The House will hear testimony on the Education Department budget, and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee will hear budget testimony from EPA. The Senate will hear testimony about the SEC budget, and the budget of the Department of Transportation.

The House and Senate were both in adjournment by just a little after 2 p.m. on Friday, but more budget work is on tap for next week. The Senate will adjourn at 2 p.m. Monday and is expected to discuss plans for voting on a FY 2011 spending bill.

Earlier on Friday, Senate Republicans said they wanted more time to study a Democratic amendment to the House budget bill, although the Senate is ultimately expected to vote on both the House bill and the Democratic amendment.

The House returns Tuesday at 2 p.m. and is expected to hold at least two votes under a suspension of House rules. One vote is on H.R. 525, which would increase number of veterinarians trained in veterinary public health, and the second is on H.R. 570, which would enhance the role of dentists in the nation's disaster-response network.

Later in the week, the House is expected to debate and vote on H.R. 830 and H.R. 836, which would eliminate federal mortgage refinancing and emergency mortgage programs.

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.___.

House committee work next week includes a look at various pieces of the Obama administration's FY 2012 budget request, even as the House will also be working to negotiate an extension of the FY 2011 budget.

House committees on Administration, Armed Services, Commerce and Homeland Security will hold hearings next week on the FY 2012 budget. Several other hearings are also planned, including on such issues as the last year's healthcare law and U.S. foreign policy priorities.

A listing of full House committee hearings follows:

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Senate committees next week will continue to work on the budget, and several key panels will hold hearings on the Obama administration's fiscal 2012 proposal.

Several members of Obama's Cabinet will testify, including Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson will also testify about the EPA's proposed budget.

A list of scheduled full committee hearings in the Senate follows:

The House will reconvene at 9 a.m. Friday and hopes to complete work on H.R. 1, the fiscal 2011 spending bill.

The chances of completing work on Friday increased when Republicans and Democrats announced a unanimous consent agreement that will restrict debate to a few dozen amendments — as opposed to a few hundred — and limits the debate time on those amendments.

The key amendment of the day is one from Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (Ohio) that would cut an additional $20 billion from the bill. But if the past few days are any guide, it seems unlikely that the House will agree to these cuts.

It is still possible for the Senate to complete the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding bill by Thursday night if senators cooperate, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said on Wednesday night.

Reid’s remarks appeared to be targeted at Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) who indicated earlier in the afternoon that he would object to other senators’ amendments to protest Democrat’s objection to five of his own amendments.

Reid has scheduled a crucial test vote for Thursday morning. If that vote succeeds, the bill will enter the final phase before passage.

“We will see what happens after that,” said Reid.

Reid also offered a veiled threat, insisting he would hold the Senate open until it had finished its work on the reauthorization bill.

“I hope that we can work something out so we can finish tomorrow,” said Reid. “It would certainly be a doable thing.”

The floor has been dormant for most of the afternoon as members hash out agreements that will allow the bill to succeed in tomorrow’s vote.

There will be no more roll call votes on Wednesday. The Senate adjourned at 6:27 p.m. and will reconvene at 9:30 a.m on Thursday.  At 11 a.m. the Senate will vote on cloture on the FAA authorization bill and then proceed to votes on additional amendments.

Stay with the Floor Action Blog for complete coverage.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) announced on the floor Wednesday that a deal has been reached on how many flights will be allowed in, and out of, Reagan National Airport.

The disagreement has been holding up the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorization bill for several weeks.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science amd Transportation Committee and floor manager for the FAA bill, said that in a "unhappy scenario," it was possible votes on final passage could be delayed until the beginning or March.

"In a perfect world we would have finished this bill already, without cloture," said Rockefeller in a floor speech. "[Flights pertaining to Reagan National Airport] are a very small part of this bill, but an important part."

Sources say the amendment dealing with the flights has not yet been made publicly available as the situation remains fluid. Hutchison noted in her floor speech that she and other senators worked late into the night on Tuesday to reach an accord.

"I hope our members know we will continue to work to address everyone's concerns," said Hutchison. "It is time to wind this bill down so we can go to conference with the House with a strong Senate position."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has expressed frustration that the Reagan Airport provision has tied up the FAA reauthorization measure.

Lawmakers from around Washington, D.C., area have sought to limit flights in and out of Reagan, clashing with other members who regularly arrive, and depart from the Northern Virginia airport.