Late last week, there were reports that House Republican leaders were beginning to try and round up support for a deal by the supercommittee that falls short of its $1.2 trillion mandate. House Republican leaders are hoping to avoid another fight over budget related issues, which previously saw the chamber vote down a continuing resolution late last month just days before the end of the fiscal year.

In a similar manner to the Senate, House Republican appropriators expect to work through FY 2012 spending bills in small batches of bills, often referred to as a “minibus”, in an attempt to avoid having to approve an omnibus spending bill. Representative Steven C. LaTourette (R-OH), noted that House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) that there would not be an omnibus measure to cover all FY 2012 spending.

On October 11, the American Jobs Act fell short of the 60 votes necessary to invoke cloture and begin debate, by a 50-48 margin. Senate leaders are now expected to break the bill into smaller pieces to emphasize different aspects of the plan including investments in infrastructure and tax changes to promote job creation. Specifically, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has been researching whether there is enough support to combine a repatriation tax holiday and a national infrastructure bank.

The Senate is expected to turn to an FY 2012 appropriations package. Specifically, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is combining the FY 2012 Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science (S 1572) and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development (S 1596) appropriations bills into a single bill (HR 2112), with the goal of completing action on the “minibus” by the end of this week.

The House is in recess this week.

State Unemployment Rates Fall Slightly

Comparison of State Unemployment Insurance Laws 2011, Department of Labor

State Balanced-Budget and Debt Rules, St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank

Workplace Injury and Illness in the Public Sector, Bureau of Labor and Statistics

On October 12, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded $3.4 million to programs in 19 states working to improve the system of services for children and youth with special health care needs. HRSA also awarded $27 million for the Nursing Scholarships Program and $55 million for the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program.

On October 20, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a schedule by which it will develop effluent limitation guidelines, or standards, for wastewater discharges from natural gas extraction from coal bed and shale formations. The extraction practice most commonly used is known as hydraulic fracturing. Currently, drillers are prohibited from discharging the wastewater, which is a byproduct of hydraulic fracturing, into navigable waters.

On October 20, the Senate approved, 74-26, John Bryson’s nomination to be Department of Commerce secretary. John Bryson succeeds Gary Locke, who resigned to become the U.S. ambassador to China. Secretary Bryson had the backing of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers as well as six former Commerce secretaries under multiple administrations in both parties.

On October 18, the Senate approved the Pipeline Transportation Safety Improvement Act of 2011 (S. 275) by unanimous consent. The legislation would reauthorize the nation’s primary pipeline safety law through FY 2015 and strengthen the authority of the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).