A closer look at next week…

The Senate meets to try again to move a defense spending bill, but it’s unclear how far it will get given the scores of amendments members of both parties introduced.

The House meets to name a meeting room after slain Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) staffer Gabriel Zimmerman, and four suspension bills, before it takes up a few more that follow up on the House Republican effort to ease federal regulations.

Below is a more detailed look at the week ahead:

Monday

The Senate will convene at 1 p.m., and take up debate on S. 1867, the Defense Department spending bill. Two weeks ago, the Senate took up this bill only after failing to advance a second “minibus” spending bill, although Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he still hopes to make progress on the minibus bill in December.

The Senate should be in session for the rest of the week, but with indefinite plans. The House is not in Monday.

Tuesday

The House meets at 2 p.m. for legislative work on four suspension bills:

H.R. 1801, the Risk-Based Security Screening for Members of the Armed Forces Act. This bill requires the government to come up with a plan to ease airport screenings for members of the Armed Forces.

H.R. 2465, the Federal Workers Compensation Modernization and Improvement Act. This bill amends the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act to include coverage of physician assistants and advanced practice nurse services, and expands coverage to allow for compensation due to terrorist attack or other injuries.

H.R. 3012, the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act. This bill would eliminate the per country cap on skilled workers that can work in the U.S., and eliminate a current rule that requires a reduction in Chinese immigrant visas.

H.R. 2192, the National Guard and Reservist Debt Relief Extension Act. This bill extends for another four years the exemption that currently allows Guardsmen and Reservists to avoid a means test as part of a bankruptcy proceeding. The means test is normally uused to ensure that someone declaring bankruptcy is not capable of paying their creditors.

Wednesday

The House meets at noon to take up two bills. The first is a suspension bill, H.Res. 364, that would name room 215 of the Capitol Visitors Center on the House side after slain Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) staffer Gabriel Zimmerman. Forty minutes of debate are planned for this bill, which should pass easily given the more than 360 cosponsors already on the bill.

The House will then resume consideration of H.R. 3094, the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act. This bill seeks to overturn a National Labor Relations Board rule that would allow union elections to take place as early as 10 days after a petition is filed.

Members began work on this bill earlier in the month, and will hold general debate before moving on to four Democratic amendments.

Thursday – Friday

The House meets at noon Thursday and 9 a.m. Friday for legislative work on three bills. Two of these, H.R. 527 and H.R. 3010, continue with the GOP’s effort to slow or reverse federal regulations that Republicans say are impeding job growth.

The third, H.R. 3463, would eliminate the Election Assistance Commission and end taxpayer-funded presidential campaigns.