Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) on Thursday said he opposes language in the 2012 Energy and Water Appropriations Act that requires the sale of $500 million worth of oil in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help fund other government spending.

Speaking on the House floor, McClintock said the inclusion of this language is a "scandal" that should be struck out of the bill, although he did not offer amendment language to the bill.

"There's a half a billion dollars going out of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, not to replenish the reserve but to fund additional spending in this budget," he said. "That is a scandal. It's time we put a stop to it."

The Senate voted 56 - 40 on Thursday to crush a point-of-order protest Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) leveled against the Veteran Affairs (VA) appropriations bill currently pending on the Senate floor.

In the hours leading up to the vote, Sessions, who is the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee argued that budgetary rules prohibit the Senate from taking up appropriations work without first passing a budget.

The House on Thursday voted in favor of an amendment that would defund federal regulations that now prohibit firearms, explosives and fireworks on federal land operated by the Army Corps of Engineers.

The amendment, from Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), was attached to the 2012 Water and Energy Appropriations Act by voice vote. It would specifically prevent the use of funds in the bill for enforcing the federal regulations.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Wednesday introduced a bill that would restrict political "robocalls" and require robocallers to identify themselves when calling potential voters. It would also allow lawsuits against robocallers who abuse the rules.

"Throughout recent elections, we have continued to hear stories about people being inundated with phone calls throughout the day and night," Feinstein said. "There is simply no good reason why Americans wanting a good night's sleep should be awakened at 4:30 in the morning by a robocall."

The House on Thursday afternoon rejected a proposal to cut an additional $820 million from the Department of Energy's Office of Science. The amendment, from Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), would have cut $820.4 million from the Office of Science, but failed in a 99-328 vote.

Broun has brought up several spending-cut amendments to various bills throughout the year, but most have been rejected. Two smaller proposals from Broun — to cut $6 million from the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program and to cut $250,000 from the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission — also failed today.

Language in the 2012 Energy and Water Appropriations Act that moves $1 billion from a high-speed rail fund to an account for river and coastal flooding repairs prompted a nearly two-hour East Coast vs. Midwest feud in the House on Thursday.

When the House resumed consideration of the bill at 12:30 p.m., several Democrats from the Northeast Corridor took to the floor to protest the transfer of funds. They argued that taking away the high-speed rail funding would stunt job creation in areas the need improved rail service, and deny jobs to transportation industry workers.

Ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) on Thursday attempted to halt further proceedings on the Veteran Affairs (VA) appropriations bill arguing that budgetary rules prohibit the Senate from taking up appropriations work without first passing a budget.

In response, Democratic Senate leadership scheduled two procedural votes for Thursday afternoon that are designed to overcome Session's objection.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) is urging colleagues to waive the procedural point of order against a Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill.

The bill itself is the least controversial of the 2012 spending bills and is almost identical to one that has already passed the House.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) has raised a procedural point of order against proceeding to the bill and the Senate later today will vote on a cloture motion to proceed to the point of order vote. The point of order can be raised because no budget resolution has passed the Senate.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) has written a budget raising $2 trillion in revenue but has not moved it through committee.

“The pressing needs of America’s veterans and military families must not fall victim to partisan gridlock over the budget,” Inouye said in a statement.

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) on Thursday said the Senate is frozen and unable to pass a budget because most of his colleagues are nothing more than “two-bit pawns” already looking ahead to the 2012 elections.

“Basically most senators in this body are nothing but two-bit pawns … as a political fight is under way, basically, to lay out the groundwork, if you will, for a 2012 election,” said Corker from the floor.