The Hill recently reported that most lawmakers are opposed to military base closures.

Roll Call says the U.S. Senate is exploring a permanent ban on earmarks even though, according to Politico, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has defended the earmark process.

On Wednesday the U.S. House voted to freeze pay for federal workers.

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On Thursday, according to The New York Times, the Senate voted to let President Obama’s requested $1.2 trillion increase in the debt limit to go forward. Under the debt limit compromise worked out last summer, this is the third and final increase that will take effect upon the President’s request unless the Congress expressly disapproves.

According to The Hill, the House voted to instruct the chamber’s conferees to work to find a compromise for extending the 2011 payroll tax cut by the end of February. A Congressional Budget Office summary of the bill to extend the cut for another year can be found here.

Check below for more of last week’s House and Senate action.

What you paid
Last week taxpayers spent roughly $100 million on Congress.

Salaries of Members of Congress and their allowances/week:

Speaker of the House: $223,500/52 = $4,299
House and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders: ($193,400/52) x 4 = $14,877
Other Representatives and Senators: ($174,000/52) x 530 = $1,773,462

Average weekly budget for all House offices: ($1,446,009/52) x 435 = $2,096,421

Average weekly budget for all Senate offices: ($3,409,093/52) x 100 = $6,555,958

Non-salary money allocated for Congress: $4.656 billion/52 = $89,538,462

What you got
In addition to the payroll tax extension noted above, the House voted to approve six bills and resolutions that would cost taxpayers approximately $600,000:

H.R. 3801, Ultralight Aircraft Smuggling Prevention Act. COST: Unknown

H.R. 1022, Buffalo Soldiers in the National Parks Study Act. COST: $400,000 over three years

H.R. 2070, World War II Memorial Prayer Act of 2011. COST: “Insignificant”

H. Res. 516, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the passage of a fiscal year 2013 Federal budget is of national importance. COST: $0

H.R. 1141, Rota Cultural and Natural Resources Study Act. COST: $200,000 over three years

H.R. 3117, Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act. COST: “Insignificant”

In addition to rejecting a proposal to disapprove of President Obama’s requested debt limit increase, the Senate voted to confirm John M. Gerrard to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Nebraska.

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For more information on what will be coming up in the second session of the 112th Congress, check out our blog post here. Money’s Worth will have all the details of the votes on these measures as they come up this year.

What you paid
Last week taxpayers spent roughly $100 million on Congress.

Salaries of Members of Congress and their allowances/week:

Speaker of the House: $223,500/52 = $4,299

House and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders: ($193,400/52) x 4 = $14,877

Other Representatives and Senators: ($174,000/52) x 530 = $1,773,462

Average weekly budget for all House offices: ($1,446,009/52) x 435 = $2,096,421

Average weekly budget for all Senate offices: ($3,409,093/52) x 100 = $6,555,958

Non-salary money allocated for Congress: $4.656 billion/52 = $89,538,462

What you got
The House did not pass any legislation other than the debt ceiling disapproval.

The Senate did not hold any votes.

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The House also voted down a proposed balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Up this week: how Congress will deal with the debt supercommittee’s apparent failure to come up with a compromise for cutting the federal budget deficit.

What you paid
Last week taxpayers spent roughly $107.8 million on Congress.

Salaries of Members of Congress and their allowances/week:

Speaker of the House: $223,500/52 = $4,299
House and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders: ($193,400/52) x 4 = $14,877
Other Representatives and Senators: ($174,000/52) x 530 = $1,773,462

Average budget for Members of Congress: ($1,600,000/52) x 535 = $16,461,538

Non-salary money allocated for Congress: $4.656 billion/52 = $89,538,462

What you got
In addition to the minibus mentioned above, the House voted to pass four bills and resolutions that would save taxpayers about $20.3 billion over 10 years:

H.R. 674, To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the imposition of 3 percent withholding on certain payments made to vendors by government entities. SAVINGS: $20.3 billion over 10 years

H.R. 822, To amend title 18, U.S. Code, to provide a national standard in accordance with which nonresidents of a State may carry concealed firearms in the state. COST: “No significant cost to the federal government”

H.R. 2422, To designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 45 Bay Street, Suite 2, in Staten Island, NY as the Sergeant Angel Mendez Post Office. COST: $0

H.R. 298, To designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 500 East Whitestone Boulevard in Cedar Park, TX as the Army Specialist Matthew Troy Morris Post Office Building. COST: $0

S. 1412, To designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 462 Washington Street, Woburn, MA as the Officer John Maguire Post Office. COST: $0

In addition to the minibus mentioned above, the Senate confirmed Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers and Sharon L. Gleason to be U.S. district court judges.

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While they waited, the Senate passed a bill that wrapped three fiscal year 2012 appropriations bills into one. (See below for more on this legislation.) The chamber also rejected key portions of President Obama’s jobs package and Republican alternative to the President’s proposal.

On the other side of Capitol Hill, the House passed legislation leaders said would reduce regulations on small businesses and help job creation.

See below for a full accounting of what happened on the House and Senate floors last week.

What you paid
Last week taxpayers spent roughly $107.8 million on Congress.

Salaries of Members of Congress and their allowances/week:

Speaker of the House: $223,500/52 = $4,299
House and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders: ($193,400/52) x 4 = $14,877
Other Representatives and Senators: ($174,000/52) x 530 = $1,773,462

Average budget for Members of Congress: ($1,600,000/52) x 535 = $16,461,538

Non-salary money allocated for Congress: $4.656 billion/52 = $89,538,462

What you got
The House voted to pass eight bills and resolutions that would cost $7 million over five years:

H.R. 3321, To facilitate the hosting in the U.S. of the 34th Americas Cup by authorizing certain eligible vessels to participate in activities related to the competition. COST: $0

H.R. 2940, To direct the Securities and Exchange Commission to eliminate the prohibition against general solicitation as a requirement for a certain exemption under Regulation D. COST: $0

H.R. 2930, To amend the securities laws to provide for registration exemptions for certain crowdfunded securities. COST: $0

H.R. 1070, Small Company Capital Formation Act. COST: $2 million over 5 years

H.R. 1965, To amend the securities laws to establish certain thresholds for shareholder registration. COST: $0

H.R. 2061, Civilian Service Recognition Act. COST: “No significant impact on federal budget”

S. 1280, Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011. COST: $5 million over 5 years

H. Con. Res. 13, Reaffirming In God We Trust as the official motto of the U.S. and supporting and encouraging the public display of the national motto in all public buildings, public schools, and other government institutions. COST: $0

The Senate passed the “minibus” spending bill, which combined the fiscal year 2012 appropriations bills for departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development into one package.

During the debate, the chamber rejected two amendments that would have cut spending. The first would have eliminated funding for the Small Community Air Service Development Program while the second would have reduced funding for the Rural Development Agency.

The chamber also confirmed Scott Wesley Skavdahl to be a U.S. district court judge.

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Yesterday, a letter asking Congress’ deficit reduction “supercommittee” to cut $4 trillion has 100 signatures by representatives in the House. Currently signed by 40 Republicans and 60 Democrats, the letter states that the committee’s required $1.2 trillion in deficit cuts is not enough and elected officials must cut more.

Among those who signed the letter are Democrat whip Steny Hoyer, Presidential candidate Ron Paul, Congressional Black Caucus leader Emanuel Cleaver, Freshman Republican Paul Gosar, and Heath Shuler and Mike Simpson (who organized the letter).

Yesterday’s release comes after the supercommittee meeting in which panelists urged the group to “go big” and cut $4 trillion in spending over the next ten years.

However, in the same meeting, co-chair of the President’s fiscal commission warned he was worried the Super Committee would fail the country. With Republicans and Democrats unable to compromise on taxes and mandatory spending reform, many fear they will not be able to make $1.2 trillion in cuts, let alone $4 trillion.

The committee’s deadline to provide recommendations is just three weeks away; without legislative action, the congressional spending is faced with $1.2 trillion in across the board cuts without prioritization.BA

The Senate held a series of votes on legislation aimed at creating jobs. All were voted down. On Thursday, the Senate blocked a $35 billion spending bill that had originally been part of President Obama’s larger jobs package. (The chamber also voted down a GOP jobs package on Thursday.)

There was one success last week: the Senate voted Friday to cut agriculture subsidies for farmers that earn more than $1 million.

The House will be back in session this week, but the Senate will be out.

For more on what Congress did last week, see below.

What you paid
Last week taxpayers spent roughly $107.8 million on Congress.

Salaries of Members of Congress and their allowances/week:

Speaker of the House: $223,500/52 = $4,299
House and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders: ($193,400/52) x 4 = $14,877
Other Representatives and Senators: ($174,000/52) x 530 = $1,773,462

Average budget for Members of Congress: ($1,600,000/52) x 535 = $16,461,538

Non-salary money allocated for Congress: $4.656 billion/52 = $89,538,462

What you got
As mentioned above, the House was not in session last week.

In addition to the votes mentioned above, the Senate confirmed Cathy Bissoon and Robert David Mariani to be U.S. District court judges; Heather A. Higginbottom to be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget; and John Edgar Bryson to be Secretary of Commerce.

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That extension, which was passed a week earlier by the Senate, buys Congress about five more weeks to work on the rest of the fiscal year 2012 appropriations bills. According to the Library of Congress, the House has passed its version of six of those bills. The Senate has only passed one. Once the House and the Senate each pass their individual versions of each bill, a conference committee can meet to hammer out the differences. (Each chamber will then have to vote on the conference – or final – version of the bill.)

In other words, Congress still has a lot of budget work to do. Stay tuned for another CR.

For more on what Congress did last week, see below.

What you paid
Last week taxpayers spent roughly $107.8 million on Congress.

Salaries of Members of Congress and their allowances/week:

Speaker of the House: $223,500/52 = $4,299
House and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders: ($193,400/52) x 4 = $14,877
Other Representatives and Senators: ($174,000/52) x 530 = $1,773,462

Average budget for Members of Congress: ($1,600,000/52) x 535 = $16,461,538

Non-salary money allocated for Congress: $4.656 billion/52 = $89,538,462

What you got
In addition to the CR mentioned above, the House voted to pass four bills and resolutions that would cost about $1 million over five years:

H.R. 2681, To provide additional time for the EPA Administrator to issue achievable standards for cement manufacturing facilities, and for other purposes. COST: $1 million over five years

H.R. 670, To convey certain submerged lands to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in order to give that territory the same benefits in its submerged lands as Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa have in their submerged lands. COST: Not significant

H.R. 765, To amend the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 to clarify the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture regarding additional recreational uses of National Forest System land that is subject to ski area permits, and for other purposes. COST: “No significant impact”

H.R. 686, To require the conveyance of certain public land within the boundaries of Camp Williams, Utah, to support the training and readiness of the Utah National Guard. COST: “No significant impact”

The Senate confirmed Henry F. Floyd to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit.

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They’ll be back this week to tackle another CR since the current one expires tomorrow.

What you paid
Last week taxpayers spent roughly $107.8 million on Congress.

Salaries of Members of Congress and their allowances/week:

Speaker of the House: $223,500/52 = $4,299
House and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders: ($193,400/52) x 4 = $14,877
Other Representatives and Senators: ($174,000/52) x 530 = $1,773,462

Average budget for Members of Congress: ($1,600,000/52) x 535 = $16,461,538

Non-salary money allocated for Congress: $4.656 billion/52 = $89,538,462

What you got
The House had completed passage of the CR the previous week so was not in session.

As noted above, the Senate remained in session only long enough to pass the short-term CR that will keep the government funded through tomorrow.

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What you paid
Last week taxpayers spent roughly $107.8 million on Congress.

Salaries of Members of Congress and their allowances/week:

Speaker of the House: $223,500/52 = $4,299
House and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders: ($193,400/52) x 4 = $14,877
Other Representatives and Senators: ($174,000/52) x 530 = $1,773,462

Average budget for Members of Congress: ($1,600,000/52) x 535 = $16,461,538

Non-salary money allocated for Congress: $4.656 billion/52 = $89,538,462

What you got
The House voted for two bills and resolutions that have an unknown cost:

H.R. 1892, fiscal year 2012 Intelligence Authorization Act. COST: Unknown

H. Con. Res. 67, authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run. COST: None

The Senate passed a measure to increase the debt ceiling by $500 billion. The chamber also passed H.R. 1249, a bill to reform the patent system, which would save $725 million over 10 years, and confirmed Bernice Bouie Donald to be U.S. Circuit judge for the Sixth Circuit.

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