POPVOX Evening Update: September 19, 2012
From our Hill sources:
On Wednesday, September 19, 2012, the Senate failed to advance S. 3457, the Veterans Jobs Corps Act, after Republicans raised a budget point of order against the bill.
Democrats needed 60 votes to overcome the point of order, which the GOP raised after arguing that the bill would fund the Veterans Administration at a level that exceeds the level agreed to last year by Congress and the White House. The Senate voted 58-40 to waive the point of order, falling short by just two votes.
The Senate is expected to take up the six month spending resolution later in the week.
The House approved several suspension bills, including many dealing with veterans benefits and disaster aid.
Bills approved in the House were:
- HR 733 the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act
- HR 1461 the Mescalero Apache Tribe Leasing Authorization Act
- HR 2827The Stolen Valor Act Reauthorization Act to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to clarify provisions relating to the regulation of municipal advisers
- HR 2903 the FEMA Reauthorization Act
- HR 3319 to allow the Pascua Yaqui Tribe to determine the requirements for membership in that tribe
- HR 3783 the Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act
- HR 4214 the Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act
- HR 4158 to confirm full ownership rights for certain United States astronauts to artifacts from the astronauts' space missions
- HR 4212 the Contaminated Drywall Safety Act
- HR 5044 the Andrew P. Carpenter Act exempting forgiven loans to deceased veterans from income taxes
- HR 5910 the Global Investment in American Jobs Act requiring a report on U.S. competitiveness
- HR 5912 to prohibit taxpayer funded presidential nominating conventions
- HR 5948 the Veterans Fiduciary Reform Act requiring a report on U.S. competitiveness
- HR 6060 the Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Extension Act
- HR 6118 the Taking Essential Steps for Testing Act
- HR 6163 the National Pediatric Research Network Act
- HR 6296 the Disaster Loan Fairness Act capping disaster loan interest rates
- HR 6324 Cutting Federal Unnecessary and Expensive Leasing Act
- HR 6361 the Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act
- HR 6368 the Border Security Information Improvement Act, requiring a report on the government's ability to track cross-border violence
- HR 6375 to authorize Veterans Administration medical facility projects
- HR 6410 Buffett Rule Act , making it possible to donate money through tax returns to pay down the national debt
- HR 6431 to provide flexibility with respect to U.S. support for assistance provided by international financial institutions for Burma
- HR 6433 making corrections to FDA user fees
