House takes step toward passing continuing resolution

The rule covers H.J.Res. 117, which would put the federal government on pace to spend $1.047 trillion in 2013, in line with the cap agreed to under the Budget Control Act. Leaders in the House and Senate — as well as the White House — agreed to a six-month spending bill before Congress left for the summer break.

{mosads}That same rule also covers a bill from Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) that aims to replace the pending cuts to military spending under the sequester. West’s bill, H.R. 6365, would mandate $19 billion in discretionary cuts, and require the administration to propose a way around the $55 billion in defense cuts under the sequester.

Debate on the rule was mostly between Reps. Rob Woodall (R-Ga.) and Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), and largely consisted of a partisan yet congenial back-and-forth in which both revisited their now-familiar assessments of why the House has not operated more smoothly in the 112th Congress.