As I write this (roughly 9:30pm Mountain time) the House is still in session. Yes, the 109th soldiers on...
They are debating HR 1104 at the moment.
providing for a severance payment for employees of leadership offices and committees of the House of Representatives who are separated from employment solely and directly as a result of a change in the party holding the majority of the membership of the House
Meanwhile, I'm waiting to see if S.4092, passed down to the House yesterday, comes up for a vote somehow. It seems doubtful, while there are still issues like S.4050 on the table:
to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 103 East Thompson Street in Thomaston, Georgia, as the "Sergeant First Class Robert Lee 'Bobby' Hollar, Jr. Post Office Building"
That one passed at 10:41pm Eastern time, and not a moment too soon!
Back to S.4092....this was introduced in the Senate on Wednesday, by our illustrious Colorado Senators Allard (R) and Salazar (D) jointly. It passed the Senate without debate, or even a roll call vote, in the wee hours last night. It provides for what amounts to a legislative end-run around a local zoning decision in Jefferson County which blocks the installation of a 700-foot digital television transmission tower on Lookout Mountain (which overlooks the Coors brewery, sports fans).
A zoning variance was requested by the Lake Cedar Group, a consortium of local broadcasters, something like six years ago, so that they could erect their Supertower. There is already a slew of RF transmission towers on Lookout Mountain, and a group of local residents said "enough is enough" and organized to block the LCG Supertower. The land is zoned for residential use, after all. After years of hearings and litigation, the opposition group finally prevailed, upon which LCG began a disinformation campaign in the local media. And now, in the waning moments of this Congress, in a lame duck session no less, they have persuaded both of Colorado's Senators to pull a Terri Schiavo move to preempt due process and the rule of law at the municipal/county level.
S.4092
Well, friends and neighbors, it seems doubtful that this piece of legislative merde will make it to the floor of the House on this the last day of the 109th. There's just too much pressing business to be dealt with, like that severance package for the departing GOP...which failed on a voice vote. They've moved on to HR 5304, "to amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a penalty for caller ID spoofing." The night is young, mes amis.