The House returns at 9 a.m. for legislative work on the agriculture appropriations bill, which involves wrapping up votes on several more amendments. Members worked on amendments until 12:30 a.m. Thursday morning, when the Committee of the Whole finally rose and stretched its legs.

Among many others, members will vote Thursday on language that would stop payment on discrimination settlements involving black farmers, and two amendments related to USDA's "know your farmer, know your food" program.

Several amendments that would reduce the Food for Peace program and others were rejected in votes held Wednesday. A full listing of the status on amendments can be found here.

The Senate meets at 10 a.m. and continues work on S. 782, the Economic Development Revitalization Act. A second vote on an ethanol amendment is expected.

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) called for further investigation of claims USDA discriminated against black farmers.

Members of the House on Wednesday night returned from their White House picnic to resume consideration of the 2012 agriculture appropriations bill.

In a quick voice vote, members approved an amendment from Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) that cuts several programs in the bill by less than one percent. Kingston implied that the change would help pay for the $147 million per year payment to the Brazil Cotton Institute, since the House earlier Wednesday struck language prohibiting payments to Brazil.

"This censorship would make former Soviet censors blush," Rep. Gerry Connolly said about restrictions by the Franking Commission.

A deal was apparently struck Wednesday evening that will allow the Senate to vote for the second time this week on an amendment that would strip around $6 billion in subsidies and tax credits from the ethanol industry.

A different amendment that would have had the same effect was defeated in the Senate 40-59 on Tuesday, in part due to discontent among Democrats about the unorthodox manner in which Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) called the amendment up.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's (R-Va.) office mocked Senate Democrats on Wednesday evening claiming that the Libyan government, currently under NATO bombardment, had managed to pass a budget while the Senate Democrats have not.

The Obama administration on Wednesday released its much-anticipated report describing the scope of U.S. military operations in Libya and in it said the administration does not believe congressional authorization is needed under the War Powers Resolution to continue operations there.

"The President is of the view that the current U.S. military operations in Libya are consistent with the War Powers Resolution and do not under that law require further congressional authorization, because U.S. military operations are distinct from the kind of 'hostilities' contemplated by the Resolution's 60 day termination provision," the report said.

Members of the House on Wednesday evening warned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that they will be closely watching how the FDA establishes regulations, and may yet consider legislation that seeks to require officials follow "hard science" as they develop rules.

Congressmen cited pending regulations relating to the use of antibiotics in cattle due to possible risks to people who eat beef. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-N.J.) said he and other members have asked FDA to justify these possible regulations, but FDA declined to discuss their scientific justification.

House members on Wednesday afternoon rejected nearly every Republican amendment to the agriculture appropriations bill. Several GOP amendments were put forward that would cut hundreds of millions from the Women, Infants & Children nutrition program, and Food for Peace, but each of these were turned down by members.

Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) had 10 amendments up for consideration, each of which would have further cut these and other programs. Members rejected three of these by voice vote, and seven by recorded vote.