The Senate will convene today, Monday, July 29, at 2:00pm. After any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in morning business until 4:30 pm, with senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.  After morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of S. 1243, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. At 4:30 pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Executive Calendar #208, the nomination of James B. Comey, Jr. as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The time until 5:30 pm will be equally divided and controlled between Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) or their designees. A roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination will be held at 5:30 pm.

Cloture was filed during the Senate session last Thursday, July 25, on the following nominations in this order:

  1. Executive Calendar #208 – the nomination of James B. Comey, Jr. to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations;
  2. Executive Calendar #233 – the nomination of Kent Yoshiho Hirozawa to be a Member of the National Labor Relations Board;
  3. Executive Calendar #224 – the nomination of Nancy Jean Schiffer to be a Member of the National Labor Relations Board;
  4. Executive Calendar #104 – the nomination of Mark Gaston Pearce to be a Member of the National Labor Relations Board.

If cloture is invoked on any of these nominations, there would be up to 8 hours of post-cloture debate time on each nomination, and upon disposition of each nomination, the Senate will proceed to a cloture vote on the next nomination in the order above.

On Monday, July 29, the House will not be in session, but on Tuesday, July 30, the House will meet at 12:00 pm for morning hour and 2:00 pm for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 pm. The House will begin consideration of H.R. 2610, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014 under an open rule, with one hour of general debate. Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules will include: (1) H.R. 2094 – School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act; (2) H.R. 2754 – Collectible Coin Protection Act; and (3) H.R. 1300 – To amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to reauthorize the volunteer programs and community partnerships for the benefit of national wildlife refuges, and for other purposes.

On Wednesday, July 31, and Thursday, August 1, the House will meet at 10:00 am for morning hour and 12:00 pm for legislative business, and the following legislation is on the House calendar for the two days:

  1. H.R. 2711 – Citizen Empowerment Act, as amended;
  2. H.R. 2579 – Government Employee Accountability Act, as amended;
  3. H.R. 1660 – Government Customer Service Improvement Act of 2013, as amended;
  4. H.R. 313 – Government Spending Accountability Act, as amended;
  5. H.R. 1541 – Common Sense in Compensation Act, as amended;
  6. H.R. 2565 – STOP IRS Act;
  7. H.R. 2769 – Stop Playing on Citizen’s Cash Act;
  8. H.R. 2768 – Taxpayer Bill of Rights Act of 2013, as amended;
  9. H.R. 1897 – Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2013, as amended;
  10. H.R. 850 – Nuclear Iran Prevention Act;
  11. H.Res.222 – Recognizing the long-term partnership and friendship between the United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, working together towards peace and security in the Middle East, as amended; and
  12. Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1911 – Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013. Also on the House calendar for the two days are the Complete Consideration of H.R. 2610 – Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014 (open rule, one hour of general debate); H.R. 1582 – Energy Consumers Relief Act, Rules Committee Print (structured rule, one hour of general debate); and H.R. 367 – Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2013 (subject to a rule).

On Friday, August 2, the House will meet at 9:00 am for legislative business, and last votes are expected no later than 3:00 pm.  H.R. 2009, Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act of 2013 (subject to a rule) is on the House calendar for Friday.