The Week Ahead

The Queen travels to the Palace of Westminster on Tuesday morning to open the 2007/08 session of Parliament. She will deliver the "Queen's Speech". Debates on the speech will held in both chambers during the rest of the week.

The highlight of the coming week in the US will be the visit of new French President Nicolas Sarkozy. On Monday the House of Representatives will consider a House Resolution under the suspension procedure to welcome him to the United States. It will hold a joint session with the Senate at 10.45 on Wednesday to meet the French President.

In all 20 pieces of legislation are due to be considered under the suspensions procedure. There will also be consideration on Tuesday of the Conference Report on H.R. 3043 - 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Small Business Contracting Program Improvements Act . The same day there will be a vote on Overriding the President’s Veto of H.R. 1495 Water Resources Development Act of 2007.

Other bills subject to special rules will be:

H.R. 3688 - United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (Rep. Hoyer – Ways and Means)
H.R. 3355 - Homeowners' Defense Act of 2007 (Reps. Klein / Mahoney – Financial Services)
H.R. 3996 - Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007 (Rep. Rangel – Ways and Means) (Subject to a Rule)

The Senate returns at 2 p.m. Monday to begin debate on the five-year farm bill (HR 2419).