Today’s Agenda
Today, Senator Lee is in Utah to meet with constituents.
From the Senator’s Desk
From Floor Speech Delivered by Senator Mike Lee 12/08/2011
“Accept no imitations. Beware of the Trojan horse balanced budget amendment, the one that can be circumvented easy by a simple majority vote. Beware of the balanced budget amendment that doesn’t limit as a percentage of GDP Congress’s ability to spend money. Look out for these principles.
We get this balanced budget amendment passed, submit it to the states for ratification, they will ratify it and we will find that our best days as Americans are yet ahead of us. I urge my colleagues to cast a vote in favor of senate joint resolution 10. Thank you, mr. President.”
From the Whip
There is 1 week left until the current CR runs out on December 16th. It is likely that the Senate will have to work into the weekend.
Legislative Items left on the Senate schedule include: Balanced Budget amendment Vote; DoD Authorization conference report; it is also anticipated that the Senate will have to vote on a year-end package of expiring laws that will include extensions of the payroll tax holiday, unemployment benefits, “Doc Fix” issue, and TANF; Executive Nominations are possible.
The Senate will have to complete action on the remaining appropriations bills in the upcoming days. It looks like the vehicle for the Omnibus will be the conference report to accompany HR 2055, the MilCon Appropriations bill.
On Twitter
Without a strong balanced budget amendment, we will soon reach our #mathematicalborrowinglimit #itsmath ow.ly/7TnIX #strongBBA
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) December8, 2011
Obama says regulators weren’t doing their jobs, so his solution is…more regulators? #CFPB
— Brian Phillips (@SenLeeComs) December8, 2011
.@SenMikeLee‘s legislation passes in the House and Senate: bit.ly/vNfX9Q #utpol #utah
— Emily Bennion (@SenLeePressSec) December8, 2011
“The financial crisis was not caused by a lack of consumer protection watchdogs.” bit.ly/tK0ijY #tcot #tlot #cpfb #cordray #utpol
— Joe Tauke (@SenLeeResearch) December8, 2011
Around the Water Cooler
House bill would prevent tighter dust rules, favor Kennecott
Farmers and miners wouldn’t be bothered by new “nuisance dust” regulations anytime soon if the U.S. Senate goes along with a bill passed Thursday by the House.
Utah’s three representatives supported the “Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act,” which passed by a convincing 268 to 150 in the GOP-dominated House, but likely faces tougher going in the Senate, controlled by Democrats.
Keystone-payroll tax combo a Dem dilemma
The White House and congressional Democratic leaders are of one mind in opposing Republican efforts to combine the Keystone XL oil pipeline in a year-end payroll tax holiday and unemployment insurance bill.
But the question is less clear-cut for dozens of Democrats that have backed quick approval of the project in the past.