Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) said in the context of a budget debate on Friday that he has a "low opinion" of the Senate due to its inability to move on a spending bill this year.

"I'm pretty fed up with the Senate too, and I share your low opinion of them," DeFazio said after Rep. Rob Woodall (R-Ga.) spoke. Woodall did not say he has a "low opinion" of the Senate, but said repeatedly throughout the debate that the Senate needs to pass some version of a budget before the House and Senate can negotiate on a budget agreement.

House Democrat cites educational cartoon from the 1970s to accuse Republicans of failing to understand the Constitution.

House Democrats on Friday morning indicated they will fight Republican spending cuts every step of the way, by raising a point of order against a bill that would seek to approve the House GOP spending bill for FY 2011 if the Senate fails to act on a spending bill by Wednesday.

The procedural move was punctuated by what was likely the first of many Democratic arguments against the bill, H.R. 1255, which Republicans hope to approve today.

Democrats acknowledged that their point of order was simply a way to protest their inability to debate amendments to the bill, and the House voted 219-172 to move on with consideration of the rule and the bill itself. Every voting Republican favored taking up the measure, and every voting Democrat opposed it.

The House returns at 9 a.m. Friday to take up H.R. 1255, the Government Shutdown Prevention Act. This bill would attempt to pass into law H.R. 1, the GOP spending bill for FY 2011, should the Senate not approve any FY 2011 spending bill by next Wednesday. It would also prevent members of Congress — and the president — from being paid during a shutdown.

But the bill is largely seen as a symbolic attempt by Republicans to absolve themselves from blame should a shutdown occur. House passage of the bill does not turn H.R. 1 into law, as the Senate has not acted on the bill, and is not expected to.

While Democrats were hoping to amend the bill, H.R. 1255 will be taken up under a closed rule, with no amendments. Look for some tense debate over both the rule to the bill, and the bill itself, later today.

The House will also consider five remaining amendments to the four-year Federal Aviation Administration authorization bill. See these two Thursday posts (this one and this one) for details on amendments accepted and rejected so far.

The House late Thursday night accepted six amendments to the four-year extension of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The House concluded consideration of amendments after 9 p.m., and will return Friday at 9 a.m. to take up roll-call votes on a handful of amendments, then vote on the final bill. The most controversial amendment to be considered Friday would reverse a 2010 decision by the National Mediation Board that allows unions to be formed based on the votes only of voting workers.

Prior to this change, non-voting workers were counted as "no" votes for forming a union.

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) said leadership has finally come to an agreement that will allow the Senate to vote on an amendment to the Small Business Administration (SBA) funding bill that would repeal the 1099 tax reporting requirements created by the healthcare reform law.

That vote is now scheduled for Tuesday morning.

The House on Thursday evening approved a manager's substitute amendment to the Federal Aviation Authorization (FAA) bill, setting up votes on several other amendments over the next two days.

Members voted 251-168 in favor of the amendment from Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.).

House Democrats on Thursday afternoon indicated that they oppose a Republican amendment to the Federal Aviation Authorization (FAA) bill that would limit the ability of the FAA to regulate the transport of lithium batteries.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) offered the amendment as a manager's amendment to the FAA bill, H.R. 658. Under Mica's amendment, the FAA would not be allowed to issue or enforce any regulation related to the transport of lithium batteries that goes beyond international standards.

Democratic Policy Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said congressional leaders are nearing a deal to finalize the federal budget for the remainder of fiscal 2011.

"We are finally headed into the home stretch," Schumer said on the Senate floor Thursday afternoon. "We are at the doorstep."

Schumer confirmed reports that Republicans and Democrats are working toward $33 billion in spending cuts. 

But even as he hailed progress in the talks, Schumer did not miss a chance to take a swing at the Tea Party.

"There are outside sources that don't like this turn of events," Schumer said, referring to the Tea Party members who rallied outside the Capitol Thursday.

"They want [Speaker of the House] John Boehner [R-Ohio] to abandon these talks even if that means a shutdown on April 8," Schumer said. "This is a reckless and, yes, extreme position to take."

The measure funding the government expires April 8.