Rules Committee Hearing Set for FY 2014 Spending Bill

Today the House Rules Committee announced a hearing tomorrow afternoon to develop the rule for the consideration of the Senate amendment to HR 3547 that was the Space Launch Liability Indemnification Extension Act. Instead this bill will be used as the vehicle for the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014.

A Rules Committee print of the new version of the bill is available. To make it somewhat easier to find items of interest (to readers of this blog any way) the DOD portion is found on pages 200 – 364 and the DHS portion on pages 601 – 711. Selected individual agency coverage starts on the pages indicated below:

• TSA, 613; Surface, 615;

• Coast Guard, 619;

• NPPD, 632;

• FEMA, 634; and

• General Provisions, 656

Of specific interest to readers of this blog, the bill contains the obligatory language extending the §550 authorization of the CFATS program through October 4^th, 2014 at §536.

Initial indications are that the deal between the chairs of the two Appropriations Committees that put together this bill will hold for expedited action this week. With the Rules Committee hearing set for Tuesday, the House should vote on Wednesday or Thursday and the Senate on Thursday or Friday. If the House does not vote by Wednesday on this bill, look for another short term continuing resolution to allow another try at making a grand deal.