Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) said on Monday that he thinks the continuing spending resolution approved last week is the last temporary spending bill Congress will take up for fiscal 2011, and that a full bill is the next step.

"The general feeling right now in Congress is the last CR we did last week is the last CR of 2011, that the next thing we take up will be a 2011 budget," Larsen said at a missile defense conference in Washington. "One bill done in one fell swoop."

A Republican bill that would ban federally funded abortion has been gaining co-sponsorship in recent weeks and could be on track for floor consideration in the months ahead.

By mid-March, the bill had the co-sponsorship of more than half the House — 221 co-sponsors, or 220 when subtracting Rep. Chris Lee (R-N.Y.), who resigned in February after the Craigslist scandal. Most sponsors are Republicans, but nine Democrats are also sponsors: Dan Boren (D-Okla.), Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), Mark Critz (D-Pa.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.), Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), Mike Ross (D-Ark.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.).

The House Judiciary Committee already marked up and reported the bill on March 3, and in doing so rejected a series of Democratic amendments. The committee reported the bill to the House last Thursday, setting it up for possible consideration.

President Obama on Friday signed the three-week spending resolution that funds government operations through April 8. The prior two-week spending bill expired today.

The House approved the bill on Tuesday by a 271-158 vote, and the Senate approved it by a 87-13 vote.

Sen. Durbin responded to a Wall Street Journal editorial that attacked his plan for swipe fees on debit card transactions. 

California's two Democratic senators on Thursday reacted to the earthquake near Japan by introducing two bills: one that would lower the cost of earthquake insurance, and another to reauthorize a program aimed at assessing and mitigating the costs of earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis.

"We cannot prevent an earthquake, but we must do everything we can to prepare for one by ensuring homeowners have access to affordable earthquake insurance coverage," Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said. "This legislation will allow homeowners to get back on their feet and recover more quickly in the event of a significant earthquake."

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) on Thursday reintroduced legislation that would pull the U.S. out of the United Nations, the same day he criticized U.S. involvement in Iraq and unsuccessfully led the charge to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.

Paul's bill, the American Sovereignty Restoration Act, is the same bill he introduced in the last Congress. The bill would repeal the United Nations Participation Act and the United Nations Headquarters Agreement Act, end U.S. funding to the U.N., require the withdrawal of the U.N.'s presence in U.S. facilities, and even repeal U.S. participation in the World Health Organization.

The bill, H.R. 1146, would end U.S. participation two years after its enactment.

Also on Thursday, Paul introduced a resolution expressing the sense of Congress that the president must get congressional approval before imposing a no-fly zone over Libya. Paul said a no-fly zone would constitute an act of war against Libya, and said Congress must authorize this first.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) funding bill remained unfinished and bogged down with non-germane amendments when the Senate adjourned Thursday for its recess, more than one week after cloture was filed on the legislation.

The Small Business Reauthorization Act, or S. 493, would provide funding for the Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer program (STTR), which Democrats say are critical to sustain job creation.

The House on Thursday approved a resolution that cuts committee expenses in the 112th Congress compared to the 111th.

Most cuts were on the order of 5 percent, although the Judiciary Committee received the 10 percent, $2 million cut in its budget. The House also eliminated the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming entirely — this committee had a $4.2 million budget in the last Congress.

Freshman Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) said he believes Thursday's resolution calling for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, and a separate bill aimed at blocking federal funds to NPR, were both unconstitutional, which is why he voted "present" on both bills.