The House on Tuesday evening approved three non-controversial bills, all of which required a two-thirds vote for passage:

H.R. 2994, reauthorizing the U.S. Parole Commission, by a 415-0 vote;

H.R. 2189, the Death in Custody Reporting Act, by a 398-18 vote; and

H.R. 2646, the Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act, by a 412-3 vote.

Before adjourning the Senate at about 7 p.m. Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) scheduled debate and votes on two amendments to the pending Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) legislation.

The Senate on Tuesday defeated an amendment, 45-55, offered by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to give President Obama and whoever wins the 2012 presidential election broad authority to enter the United States into trade agreements around the world.

“Without Trade Promotion Authority there will be no other agreements,” said McConnell, who added that he believes free-trade agreements are critical for job creation. “We all know that if America wants to be a leader of trade in the world there has to be agreements,” he said.

The Senate on Tuesday afternoon confirmed the 99th and 100th Obama judicial nominees this year, keeping a pace that Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, celebrated as faster than in previous years.

The Senate confirmed Timothy M. Cain, 99-0, to serve on the District Court for South Carolina after receiving a ringing endorsement from his senator and former law firm partner Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)

“You will not find one person who has practiced before Cain as a lawyer who has anything but high praise for him,” Graham said. “He is the total package.”

The House on Tuesday afternoon approved two bills aimed at increasing funding for a federal autism program and children's hospitals.

By voice vote, the House approved H.R. 2005, the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act. The bill reauthorizes a program at the Department of Health and Human Services to research autism.

Also by voice vote, members approved H.R. 1852, the Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act, which provides funding for children's hospital training programs.

The House adjourned just before 4:30 p.m., and is expected back at 6:30 p.m. for votes on three other votes on three other noncontroversial bills. One is H.R. 2646, providing funding for Veterans healthcare facilities, and the two others were debated earlier Tuesday.

In his maiden speech in the upper chamber Tuesday, freshman Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) delivered a withering attack on “Washington” culture and spoke on the common conservative themes of deficit spending and government overregulation, even adding a quote from former President Ronald Reagan.

The House on Tuesday afternoon quickly debated two non-controversial bills and was expected to approve them easily later Tuesday evening.

The first bill members debated was H.R. 2944, to reauthorize the U.S. Parole Commission. The commission expires at the end of this year, and supervises about 1,000 federal prisoners who are still eligible for parole. Parole for others held in federal custody is not an option, as Congress ended federal parole in the 1980s. Only those who are grandfathered into the system are eligible.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), one of just four openly gay members of Congress, on Tuesday hailed the military's repeal of its "Don't ask, don't tell policy" that prevented gay and lesbian service members from serving openly, and praised the military's repeal notice, which he read on the House floor.

"This a very profound and important document," Frank said. "They are acting in the highest traditions of their constitutional duty, of patriotism and of respect for our constitutional principles."

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) broke with President Obama on Monday saying the income threshold for those who would see their taxes raised under the White House plan to stimulate the economy and lower the deficit ought not to apply to some of his constituents in New York and other places where the cost of living is high.