Wednesday: Hobby Lobby, appropriations

The Senate starts at 9:30 a.m. and around 2 p.m. it will hold the first procedural vote on a bill that would require companies to offer birth control coverage in staff health plans..

The Supreme Court recently ruled that companies, such as Hobby Lobby, don’t have to provide their employees birth control coverage as mandated under ObamaCare. The 5-4 decision stated that the mandate violated the religious liberties of employers who don’t believe in the use of contraceptives.

{mosads}At 2:10 p.m., Democrats will need at least five Republicans to support a motion to end debate on S. 2578. Republicans are expected to block the advancement of the bill from Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Mark Udall (D-Colo.).

But before that, the Senate will vote at 10:15 a.m. to end debate on the nomination of Ronnie White to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern Missouri. If cloture is invoked, a vote on his final confirmation will occur at 12:20 p.m.

In the evening, all senators will be briefed on the White House’s supplemental emergency spending proposal of $3.7 billion to address the border crisis. Thousands of undocumented children from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador have been detained along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The House is expected to complete consideration of the fiscal 2015 Financial Services appropriations bill.

Members have been debating the contentious measure since Monday evening. House Republicans have offered a multitude of amendments largely aimed at cutting the Internal Revenue Service budget.

As with other appropriations bills, the measure is being considered under an open rule that allows members to offer an unlimited number of amendments.