Thursday: Pope speech, Planned Parenthood
The Capitol is grinding to a hault Thursday morning as Pope Francis speaks before a joint meeting of Congress.
Francis is expected to speak at 10 a.m. in the House chamber, followed by a brief appearance on the West Front of the Capitol, where thousands have flocked to hear him speak.
{mosads}He’s also expected to meet privately with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).
After Francis’s speech, the Senate is expected to convene at 1 p.m. to restart debate over a spending bill that would defund Planned Parenthood and redirect the funding to other health centers.
The Senate is expected to take a procedural vote at 2 p.m., though the proposal is expected to fail to get the 60 votes needed to move forward.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) could then move to tee up a “clean” short-term spending bill, though he’s been tight-lipped about his intentions. Lawmakers have until Oct. 1 to pass a short-term spending bill to avoid a government shutdown.
Meanwhile, the House is expected to vote on a dozen noncontroversial bills under suspension of the rules. Votes in the House are expected between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
The House will also begin consideration of legislation — previously passed last year — that would set hard deadlines on environmental reviews that could delay construction projects.
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