With no more than an hour's notice, this development:

Meeting Time: 2pm Thursday 6/19

H.Res. ___ – Providing for consideration of the Senate amendments to the House amendments to the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 2642) making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes. (Supplemental Appropriations Act)

H.R. 6304 – The "FISA Amendments Act of 2008".

http://www.rules.house.gov/comm_schedule110.htm

The FISA bill text:

http://www.rules.house.gov/110/text/110_hr6304.pdf

Both items are on the House Rules Committee agenda this afternoon. Floor rules for both will be adopted by mid-late afternoon today (FISA may also get a waiver to speed adoption).

Though called a "FY 2008" supplemental, the Iraq funding extends through most of FY 2009 (and much is "to remain available until expended"). "Enduring bases" endure:

Iraq.—The Administration's request has been reviewed for military construction in Iraq to ensure that the recommended projects are consistent with contingency construction standards. The establishment of permanent bases in Iraq is not supported, and the amended bill does not include any funds to establish any such base, or convert any base in Iraq from a temporary to permanent status. The amended bill includes language prohibiting the obligation or expenditure of funds for Iraq construction projects provided under Military Construction, Army, and Military Construction, Air Force, until the Secretary of Defense certifies that none of the funds are to be used for the purpose of providing facilities for permanent basing of U.S. military personnel in Iraq. The Secretary of Defense is further directed to provide to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, no later than 30 days after enactment of this act, an updated Master Plan for U.S. basing in Iraq, including an inventory of installations that have been closed; those that are scheduled to close, and the timeline for their closure; and a finite list of potential enduring locations describing the mission, military construction requirements, and projected population of these locations.

http://www.rules.house.gov/110/text/110_supp_pp_jes.pdf

The House recessed before 2:45 p.m., supposedly to enable the leadership to "prepare" the Iraq supplemental, according to C-SPAN. They were still out as of 4:00 p.m.

Meanwhile, the House Rules Committee adjourned at some point after 2 p.m., only to reconvene starting at 3:15 p.m., to adopt a floor rule for a revised Iraq supplemental amendment. [No sign of a FISA revision to the supplemental being the revision at issue.]

http://www.rules.house.gov/110/text/110_supp_pp_amnd.pdf

Reports containing the Iraq and FISA rules have yet to be issued by the Rules Committee (I don't think they will be one package, but we should know soon). Apparently, once they have been issued, the House will then be reconvened to do its worst. [I had hoped that principled Democrats - more loyal to Constitution and country than to a political party - had moved to adjourn the House in an attempt to put obstacles in the way of these party leadership machinations, but apparently that was not the cause of the temporary recess.]

http://rules.house.gov/

As an aside: All talk of "third party" (or better yet, independent, no-party) candidates for federal office should differentiate between the presidency (which instantly brings cries of the "Nader" effect) and Congress, as Glenn's effort clearly does. The national obsession and empowerment of the presidency far beyond its actual mandate under the Constitution - as constantly advanced by the national media and now even by Congress itself - obscures the role (and threat to the status quo) that candidates not beholden to the two-party system could and would play in Congress, if more were elected.

The House reconvened at approximately 5:10 p.m., and Louise Slaughter, Chair of the Rules Committee, was recognized and immediately called up H.Res. 1284 - the report and rule from the Rules Committee which is not yet posted to their website - regarding the Iraq supplemental H.R. 2642 (no sign of FISA involvement with the supplemental).

The vote will be divided into two, apparently, to provide dishonest campaign cover for politicians not willing to stand up for their principles. There will be a grand total of one hour of debate on the rule (before the debate on the actual supplemental amendment(s) can commence).

http://rules.house.gov/

Presumably, the Rules Committee has adjourned for the day, and the FISA rule has been agreed to by the committee, though it too is not yet posted to their site (as of 5:14 p.m.).