House Recesses After Adopting Four Bills on Wednesday—Including FMAP Extension—Senate Likely to Take Up All But FMAP Extention This Weekend

After passing four bills—clearing a short-term $290 billion increase in the $12.1 trillion statutory limit; a $150 billion jobs package with $23.5 billion in a six-month extension of ARRA’s FMAP increase, $75 billion for infrastructure projects, and state assistance for police, firefighters, teachers, and other government workers; a Defense spending package extending unemployment insurance and COBRA; and a five-day continuing resolution—the House began its end-of-year recess. However, depending upon Senate action on health care or consideration of other bills, the House may return next week or anytime before its scheduled return on January 12th. Senate work on the Defense package, continuing resolution and debt measures are expected to begin 1:00 a.m. on Saturday morning and run through the weekend. The Senate is not expected to take up the House jobs package—preferring to develop their own jobs package with Senate Finance Committee on any tax incentives or FMAP extension.