Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is expected to renew the motion to proceed to the Keep Student Loans Affordable Act of 2013 (S. 1238) at 2:00pm on Monday, July 15 following any leader remarks. The time until 5:30pm will be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees.
On July 11, Majority Leader Reid filed cloture on seven Obama nominees, which sets up a potential showdown over filibuster reform as early as Tuesday, July 16. Unless an agreement is reached to allow a vote on the nominees instead of a series of Republican-led filibusters, Majority Leader Reid has threatened to invoke the “nuclear option.” This would entail changing the Senate rules by simple majority – there are several possibilities for which rules might be changed, but all formulations appear to address executive nominations only. Nonetheless, any such change is strongly opposed by Senate Republicans on the grounds that it diminishes the minority’s role in advice and consent; some Democrats express the same concern due to future scenarios where their party is the minority. The Senate leadership continues its closed-door negotiations, and there will be a bipartisan senators meeting at 6:00pm on Monday.
The House will meet in pro forma session on Monday, July 15, at 10:00am, but no votes are expected for the day. On Tuesday, July 16 the House will convene at 12:00pm and begin legislative business at 2:00pm; votes will be postponed until 6:30pm. The following legislation will be considered under suspension of the rules: the Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013 (H.R. 1848), a bill to amend U.S.C. title 49 to modify requirements related to the availability of pipeline safety regulatory documents (H.R. 2576), and a bill to designate the Coast Guard headquarters building as the “Douglas A. Munro Coast Guard Headquarters Building” (H.R. 2611).
On Wednesday, July 17th, the House will convene at 10:00am and begin legislative business at 12:00pm. The chamber will debate the Authority for Mandate Delay Act (H.R. 2667) and the Fairness for American Families Act (H.R. 2668). On Thursday and Friday, the House may consider the Student Success Act (H.R. 5) and the Department of Defense Appropriations Act (H.R. 2397).