Easy Monday: Sportsmen's Act in the Senate

The Senate returns from the Thanksgiving break at 2 p.m. to resume work on S. 3525, the Sportsmen's Act.

While supporters of the bill have said it would expand access to federal lands for hunters and fishermen at no cost, the bill does contain language appropriating $14 million in new spending. As a result, Senate Republicans have raised a budget point of order against the bill, saying that it violates spending limits set in last year's Budget Control Act.

At 5:30 p.m., the Senate will hold a vote to waive the point of order. If the vote succeeds, the Senate will vote on passage of the bill, which combines more than a dozen federal land use provisions that generally have the support of both parties.

The vote will be on an substitute amendment to the bill from Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.).

Senate Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said earlier this month that if the Senate approves the bill with no changes, it will have a "blue slip" problem in the House. Republicans in the House have already declined to consider some Senate bills that contain revenue provisions, citing the Constitution, which requires that all revenue measures must originate in the House.

The House is out, and returns Tuesday afternoon for work on a handful of suspension bills.

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