OVERNIGHT MONEY: Farm bill completion odds at even

As Lucas was talking to reporters, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) — a frequent farm bill skeptic who has said he plans to vote for this one — walked by and complimented the chairman’s handling of the bill.

“He’s done a great job,” Boehner said, before making kissing sounds at Lucas. 

The House had rolled through 18 amendments by Wednesday evening, but there is a long list — more than 100 — and a couple of days could prove too short for the lower chamber to pass the bill. 

{mosads}That remains to be seen. 

The House rejected a Democratic amendment that would have restored $20.5 billion to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a move that will probably mean that dozens of Democrats will oppose the bill. 

The majority of the $940 billion, 10-year measure is made up of the SNAP program, a fact that has relegated farm commodity programs to the sidelines. 

On Wednesday, several House Democrats took to the floor to argue in favor of restoring the cuts in order to ensure needy families have access to food.

WHAT ELSE WE’RE WATCHING 

Moving right along: The Senate Appropriations Committee will mark up two bills on Thursday — one for 2014 spending for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and the other for Agriculture. The subcommittees breezed through the bills on Tuesday. The Agriculture measure that was reported out spends $20.93 billion, which is an increase of $420 million above 2013 and $1.4 billion above the bill already approved by the House Appropriations Committee.

The Senate is assuming in its bill that automatic sequestration cuts are not in effect in 2014, while the House is moving bills that turn off defense cuts and deepen domestic cuts.

The Military Construction bill reported out on Tuesday has about $1 billion more in funds for construction than one that moved through the House. That prompted Senate Republicans to object to the overall plan to move bills at the $1.058 trillion level rather than the $967 billion level being used by the House GOP. 

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Initial Claims: The Labor Department releases its weekly filings for jobless benefits. 

Mortgage Rates: Freddie Mac is releasing weekly data on fixed-rate mortgages, which remain around historic lows. 

Existing Home Sales: The National Association of Realtors releases May figures for sales of existing homes. Existing-home sales are completed transactions across a broad range of housing types, including single-family homes. The housing market is showing signs of a rooted recovery, although there are concerns about the lack of inventory on the market right now. 

Leading Indicators: The Conference Board will release its May batch of previously announced economic indicators: New orders, jobless claims, money supply, average workweek, building permits and stock prices. 

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

— Food aid reforms rejected in House vote

— Bernanke mum about future

— Fed Reserve decides to keep its foot on the gas

— Froman easily confirmed by Senate to take helm of trade office

— Warren won’t support Obama’s trade nominee

— Dems reject CBO scoring method a day after embracing it

— House moves to slash community development, transit spending

— Report: Mortgage servicers violating settlement agreement

— Fiscal group enraged by limits on House farm bill amendments

— Camp promises Tea Party activists to pursue IRS leads

— Chamber promotes Amway chief exec in directors’ election

— Obama, Merkel tout economic benefits of trade deal

— GOP tax-writers roll out estate tax repeal bill

— GOP chairmen applaud shuttering of Capitol post offices

— Grassley questions IRS bonuses

— Sears chief joins board of retail lobby

Catch us on Twitter: @VickoftheHill, @peteschroeder, @elwasson and @berniebecker3

For tips and feedback email vneedham@digital-staging.thehill.com.