The New York Democrat said the burdens placed on the armed forces should not be borne only by lower-income Americans.

Rep. Charles Boustany Jr. (R-La.) on Wednesday called on Attorney General Eric Holder to resign for giving contradictory testimony about the Fast and Furious program, which failed to track guns that were allowed to leave the country and were eventually used in crimes against U.S. citizens.

"Attorney General Eric Holder must resign immediately," Boustany said on the House floor. "After months of evading tough questions and giving unclear answers about Operation Fast and Furious, it now appears the Justice Department's top official has contradicted his own testimony given before Congress."

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday proposed that public housing residents should no longer have to perform community service in exchange for receiving assistance.

Congress in 1998 added language to the United States Housing Act of 1937 that says public housing residents must perform eight hours of community service each month, and also participate in an economic self-sufficiency program for eight hours a month. Rangel himself voted for this addition, and the addition was approved in a 409-14 House vote.

Rep. Charles Boustany Jr. (R-La.) on Tuesday introduced a bill that would require all states to put in place policies aimed at preventing federal welfare grants from being used in liquor stores, casinos and strip clubs.

The bill, the Welfare Integrity Now (WIN) for Children and Families Act, would give states two years to prevent welfare payments from being spent in these ways. States that fail to comply would see their block grants reduced by 5 percent per year that they are out of compliance.

The House Wednesday is expected to approve two motions to go to conference with the Senate on 2012 spending bills, as well as consider several other House bills.

The first spending bill is H.R. 2055, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies spending bill. The second is H.R. 1540, the National Defense Authorization Act. In both cases, Democrats will put forward a motion to instruct conferees.

The Obama administration on Tuesday night said it opposes the REINS Act, which the House is expected to pass this week, and threatened to veto the bill if it made it to the President's desk.

"[T]he Administration strongly opposes House passage of H.R. 10, the Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act, which would impose an unprecedented requirement that a joint resolution of approval be enacted by the Congress before any major rule of Executive Branch agencies could have force or effect," the administration said in a statement of administration policy.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) said it should not be a "that big a deal" to increase taxes on the wealthy in order to help pay for an expiring payroll tax cut, and said higher taxes will only prevent the wealthy from buying extra houses and yachts.

"It's pretty clear to me that with corporate profits at all-time highs, and those who run these corporations and sit on their boards, they have been doing quite well, thank you," she said on the House floor Tuesday night. "And it's time for them to do something for the Republic. It's not that big a deal. Who's going miss an eighth home or a seventh yacht?

The House late Tuesday approved four suspension bills by voice vote before ending legislative work for the day. The bills are:

H.R. 1021, the Temporary Bankruptcy Judgeships Extension Act;

S.J.Res. 22, accepting an amended Missouri-Illinois compact;

S. 1639, clarifying the authority of the American Legion over various departments of that group, and;

S. 1541, amending the membership criteria of the Blue Star Mothers of America.

Ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) hit back at President Obama on Tuesday, following the presidents' speech, accusing the White House of abdicating leadership on the threat of the national deficit. 

"We are on an unsustainable path, and I do not see in this speech today any commitment, any leadership from the president on this fundamental issue," said Sessions from the Senate floor. "The most fundamental failure of his leadership is not to look the American people in the eye and tell them honestly and truthfully that we are spending too much."