A lot to do in a few days

The Democratic wish list for this week is long.

Leaders want to make substantial progress ironing out differences between the two financial regulatory reform bills that have passed the House and Senate. The House is taking up a massive tax extender/jobs bill, while both chambers could tackle the war supplemental package. A separate defense reauthorization bill, which could include a vote on a separate amendment seeking to repeal the Pentagon’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, is on the House floor schedule.

{mosads}The Pentagon is most focused on the war supplemental.

On Feb. 1, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called on Congress to approve a $33 billion supplemental by the Memorial Day recess. Congress will be hard-pressed to meet that request because the spending bill has, unsurprisingly, become more contentious in recent weeks as more items have been added to it.

A seemingly non-controversial science bill that has been tripped up by Republicans will be back on the floor this week.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen’s (D-Md.) proposed legislative fix to the Supreme Court’s ruling on Citizens United is listed as “possible” on the House whip’s schedule. It remains unclear if Van Hollen has the votes yet. The measure has 108 co-sponsors, including two Republicans, but some business-friendly Democrats could lose support from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Rifle Association if they back the bill.

Presumably, this will be the week that Democrats decide whether it’s worth clearing the many hurdles to get a budget through Congress. But don’t hold your breath. Democrats said they’d do that weeks ago.

Elena Kagan will visit more senators this week as her nomination continues to sail along.

More hearings are scheduled on the oil spill in the Gulf Coast as lawmakers try to learn how many barrels a day are polluting the Gulf, and how to stanch the flow.

Player of the Week: Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)

Fresh off his campaign win last week, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) will seek a legislative win.

Last Tuesday’s special election of now-Rep. Mark Critz (D-Pa.) was another feather in Van Hollen’s cap as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

Van Hollen is still seeking votes, but not in Johnstown, Pa. He is rallying support for his campaign finance reform bill that could hit the floor this week. The Maryland Democrat teamed up with Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to craft the measure soon after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in the Citizens United case.

The good news for Van Hollen is that polls show his bill is popular. Unlike Schumer, Van Hollen has GOP co-sponsors (Reps. Mike Castle, Del., and Walter Jones, N.C.).

The bad news is that powerful interest groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Rifle Association and AFL-CIO, have expressed major concerns about the bill, which critics say would infringe on free speech.

There are a number of business-friendly Democrats who have not signed on to the bill, including Reps. Melissa Bean (Ill.), Henry Cuellar (Texas), Walt Minnick (Idaho), Jim Matheson (Utah) and John Barrow (Ga.).

All these Democrats received money from the Chamber’s political action committee in the last two cycles. As The Hill’s Susan Crabtree reported, a vote for Van Hollen’s bill will play a major role in the Chamber’s endorsement decisions this cycle.

The Chamber has called the legislation “unconstitutional” and “un-American.”

It will be a tough vote for some House members, and more than a few will want the Senate to act first. For now, the Senate will follow, as Schumer is eyeing a floor vote before the July 4 recess.

Certain politically vulnerable House Democrats have backed the bill, including Reps. John Boccieri (Ohio), Mary Jo Kilroy (Ohio) and Larry Kissell (N.C.).

Van Hollen has his work cut out for him this week. He has shown, however, most recently in the 12th district of Pennsylvania, that he knows how to get the votes.