The first Monday in September is Labor Day in the United States, the traditional last day of the summer holidays - after which the new political season begins. On Tuesday Congress will return.
The House of Representatives meets at 2pm for legislative business, which will include 7 bills under the suspension process - one of which (H.Res.552) calls on the Government of the People's Republic of China to remove barriers to United States financial services firms doing business in China. On Wednesday & Thursday the House will meet at 10.00am and on Friday at 9.00 for legislative business. There are a further 14 suspensions bills and the Native American Housing Assistance & Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2007 (H.R.2786); Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2007 (H.R.811) and the Patent Reform Act of 2007 (H.R.1908) - each of which will be subject to a Rule laid down by the Rules Committee.
In the Senate Chamber at 1pm, the Appropriations Bill for Military Construction; the Department of Veterans Affairs and related Agencies will be considered. At 2.30pm it will proceed to executive session to consider the nomination of Jim Nussle, a former Congressman, to be the Director of the OMB (Office of Management & Budget). Senate committees also return - with a closed hearing of the senate Armed Services Committee examining issues relating to the treatment of detainees. The first hearing on this summers disaster in a Utah mine will begin at 10.30 on Wednesday, and is being conducted bt the Labor, Health & Human Services, Education & Related Agencies subcommittee of Appropriations.
The UK Parliament has another 5 weeks before it returns, but the party conference season is about to begin.
