Almost three weeks after the Senate voted to defeat the Republicans' budget plan for fiscal year 2012, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is continuing to attack the proposal.

“We know Republicans have put together a budget that destroys Medicare,” said Reid from the floor on Tuesday. “That’s what we have received, we voted on it over here, it was turned down.”

A bipartisan proposal would let the White House liquidate up to $10 billion in Libyan assets to spend on aid.

The House meets at 10 a.m. for speeches and at noon for legislative business. Final votes on the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, H.R. 2055, are expected at around 2 p.m.

The House today also starts work on H.R. 2112, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Members will start by debating the rule that the House Rules Committee approved on Monday night.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) on Monday blamed Republicans and President Bush for the nation's economic woes calling the Bush tax cuts one of the "greatest failed jobs programs in history." 

"It’s like my Republican colleagues have thrown a lavish diner party for the last decade and now they are telling us to pick up the tab," Menendez said. "These cuts for the rich have been one of the greatest failed jobs programs in our history and one of the most ineffective stimulus efforts in our history." Read more...

Embattled Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) on Monday informed the House that he will take a two-week leave of absence in order to seek treatment for his behavior that involved sending inappropriate messages to several women.

On Monday evening, the House reading clerk quickly read off Weiner's request for a two-week absence, along with two other requests for time off. While they are technically requests, they are essentially used to inform the House that members will not be present for House proceedings.

Weiner did not appear in the House chamber.

Several reports have noted that Weiner will continue to receive his congressional salary, roughly $174,000 per year, while he seeks treatment. If he takes the full two weeks, Weiner will receive nearly $6,500 while away.

The House on Monday evening narrowly approved an amendment to the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs (VA) appropriations bill that will make it easier for the VA to enter into project labor agreements. Members approved the language by a one vote margin -- 204-203.

The underlying bill would prevent any funding in the bill from being used to implement an Obama administration Executive Order that says agencies have the authority to compare construction costs with and without contract labor agreements. The amendment offered by Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio) eliminated that language.

Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) slammed President Obama and Senate Democrats on Monday for pursuing policies he believes are crippling the economy and causing unemployment.

"Out of work Arkansans continue to struggle to find gainful employment," said Boozman. "What's more alarming is that the President and majority here in the Senate are resisting real change and instead are pursuing the same policies that gave us this sluggish economy.”

Members of the House this week are headed toward a dispute over whether to cut a pending catfish inspection program — one that will pit Southern members with catfish industries in their districts against members who want to gut the program to reduce government spending. Other members who favor increased catfish imports from Vietnam and other Asian producers are also expected to favor ending the program.

By Tuesday, the House is expected to take up H.R. 2112, the Agriculture appropriations bill for FY 2012. Among other things, that bill would strike language in the 2008 farm bill that requires the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to set up a catfish inspection program.

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) on Monday again moved to force the House to vote on language aimed at preventing any government spending in violation of the War Powers Resolution.

Sherman introduced an amendment to the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs (VA) appropriations bill, less than two weeks after he forced a similar vote on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill. On June 2, the House narrowly rejected Sherman's language in a 208-213 vote.