In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:

First Vote of the Week... Tuesday 6:30 p.m.
Last Vote Predicted... Friday p.m.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2009

On Monday, the House will not be in session.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2009

On Tuesday, the House will meet at 2:00 p.m. for legislative business with votes postponed until 6:30 p.m.

Suspensions (7 Bills)

1. H.R. 3634 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 109 Main Street in Swifton, Arkansas, as the "George Kell Post Office" (Rep. Berry - Oversight and Government Reform)
2. H.R. 3667 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 16555 Springs Street in White Springs, Florida, as the "Clyde L. Hillhouse Post Office Building" (Rep. Crenshaw - Oversight and Government Reform)
3. H.Res. 727 – Expressing support for greater awareness of ovarian cancer (Rep. Israel - Oversight and Government Reform)
4. H.Res. 742 - Congratulating the Warner Robins Little League softball team from Warner Robins, Georgia, on winning the 2009 Little League Softball World Series (Rep. Marshall - Oversight and Government Reform)
5. H.Res. 743 - Honoring the life of Frank McCourt for his many contributions to American literature, education, and culture (Rep. Murphy (CT) - Oversight and Government Reform)
6. H.R. 3029 - To establish a research, development, and technology demonstration program to improve the efficiency of gas turbines used in combined cycle power generation systems (Rep. Tonko – Science and technology)
7. H.R. 3598 - Energy and Water Research Integration Act (Rep. Gordon - Science and Technology)

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2009 AND THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK

On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business. On Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business.

Suspensions (10 Bills)

1. H.R. 1242 - To amend the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to provide for additional monitoring and accountability of the Troubled Assets Relief Program (Rep. Maloney - Financial Services)
2. H.R. 2873 - Enhanced S.E .C. Enforcement Authority Act (Rep. Campbell - Financial Services)
3. H.R. 320 - CJ's Home Protection Act of 2009 (Rep. Ellsworth - Financial Services)
4. H.Con.Res. 197 - Encouraging banks and mortgage servicers to work with families affected by contaminated drywall to allow temporary forbearance without penalty on payments on their home mortgages (Rep. Nye - Financial Services)
5. H.Res. 494 - Recognizing the exemplary service of the soldiers of the 30th Infantry Division (Old Hickory) of the United States Army during World War II (Rep. Kissell – Armed Services)
6. H.Con.Res. 129 - Congratulating the Sailors of the United States Submarine Force upon the completion of 1,000 Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) deterrent patrols (Rep. Dicks – Armed Services)
7. H.Res. 861 - Supporting the goals and ideals of National Military Family Month (Rep. Rooney – Armed Services)
8. H.R. 3980 - Redundancy Elimination and Enhanced Performance for Preparedness Grants Act (Rep. Cuellar - Homeland Security)
9. H.Res. 28 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Transportation Security Administration should, in accordance with the congressional mandate provided for in the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, enhance security against terrorist attack and other security threats to our Nation's rail and mass transit lines (Rep. Jackson-Lee - Homeland Security)
10. H.R. 3963 - Criminal Investigative Training Restoration Act (Rep. Lungren - Homeland Security)

H.R. 4154 - Permanent Estate Tax Relief for Families, Farmers, and Small Businesses Act of 2009 (Rep. Pomeroy – Ways and Means) (Subject to a Rule)

• Conference Reports may be brought up at any time.
• Motions to go to Conference should they become available.
• Possible Motions to Instruct Conferees.

In the Senate, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:

Convenes: 2pm

Morning business until 3pm with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

At 3pm, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R.3590, the legislative vehicle for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009.

There will be no roll call votes on Monday.

The Thanksgiving break is behind us, but it's a travel day for most Members. The House won't be in session at all today, and though debate on the health insurance reform bill is set to begin in the Senate, no votes are scheduled, which should mean the action will remain low-key. So far, there's just no real indication of how long this debate might last.

Once the House does kick into gear, there's a full slate of suspensions to keep them busy, while they work behind the scenes and in the committees to make use of the time they'll otherwise be spending waiting for the Senate to do its part with health care.

Most of the whispers -- and not a few shouts from the rooftops -- indicate that there's a strong interest in spending the time on jobs, jobs, jobs. Which means Democrats look for ways to stimulate job creation, and Republicans say they won't work and oppose them, then hold press events in their districts accepting the money for those programs.

The one bill scheduled for consideration under regular order this week is "relief" for the estate tax that Republicans told everyone they eliminated in 2001. Thing is -- And this will shock you! -- Republicans actually used a heap of budgetary tricks (including reconciliation, by the way) to pull that little stunt off, the end result being that while the tax is eliminated in 2010, it comes back in 2011 at about double the rate it was when they started trying to cut it.

Sounds like Republicans with rich uncles were praying for some 2010 "death panels" after all.

So next time a Republican nut tells you that reconciliation for health insurance reform would be like the "nuclear option," you can tell them Dems are busying themselves with cleaning up the mess left behind by the Republicans' use of reconciliation to fake elimination of the estate tax.

Or, you could ignore Republicans altogether, and just watch the committees do their work instead. See their full schedule, thanks to Jeremy Koulish of Carrots & Sticks, below.