Congressman Ehlers helped kick off November as National Adoption Month by presenting Jan and Harold Woods of Rockford the 2006 Congressional Angels in Adoption Award. The Woods, who have been foster and adoptive parents for 35 years, have cared for more than 50 special-needs children. In addition to raising seven biological children, they have adopted seven more special-needs children. As guests of Congressman Ehlers, the Woods attended the national Angels in Adoption award ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 20. They were among nearly 200 people from all 50 states and the District of Columbia who were recognized by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption at a gala dinner for their adoption and foster care advocacy efforts.

Students and parents interested in learning more about the nation's five service academies and how to apply for an appointment to them are invited to attend and Academy Night sponsored by Congressman Ehlers on Monday, Nov. 20, in Grand Rapids.

If Congress gets its way, the U.S. Navy’s next aircraft carrier, CVN-78, will be named after the 38th President of the United States, Gerald R. Ford, Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers announced.

On Monday, the House will meet at 2 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.

Suspensions (11 bills):

(Bills on suspension are generally considered non-controversial and have reduced debate time, but require a two-thirds majority vote to be passed.)

1. H.R. 409 - Sierra National Forest Land Exchange Act of 2006: Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey specified federal land in Mt. Diablo Meridian, California, in exchange for certain non-federal land in Mt. Diablo Meridian and a payment of $50,000, if the owner of such land offers to make such exchange during the year following enactment of this Act. 
2. H.R. 3085 - To amend the National Trails System Act to update the feasibility and suitability study originally prepared for the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail and provide for the inclusion of new trail segments, land components, and campgrounds associated with that trail, and for other purposes
3. S. 1131 - Idaho Land Enhancement Act: Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior, if the State of Idaho offers to convey specified state land to the United States, to accept the offer, and on receipt of title to such land, simultaneously convey to the State specified Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Forest System land.
4. S. 4001 - New England Wilderness Act of 2006: Designates specified federal lands managed by the United States Forest Service in the White Mountain National Forest area of New Hampshire as wilderness areas and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System (lands to be known as the Wild River Wilderness and lands to be incorporated in the Sandwich Range Wilderness).
5. H.R. 1129 - Pitkin County Land Exchange Act of 2006: Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretary) and the Secretary of the Interior, upon receipt of title to certain lands located in Pitkin County, Colorado, and certain lands located on Smuggler Mountain in the County (the non-federal lands), to convey to the County or to the Aspen Valley Land Trust, if the County so requests, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to certain National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands located in the County.
6. S. 435 - Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2005: Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a specified segment of the lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook in Connecticut for study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. 
7. S. 819 - Pactola Reservoir Reallocation Authorization Act of 2005: Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to reallocate, in a manner consistent with specified federal reclamation law, the construction costs of Pactola Dam and Reservoir, Rapid Valley Unit, Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, South Dakota, from irrigation purposes to municipal, industrial, and fish and wildlife purposes.
8. H.R. 6121 - To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize a program relating to the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, and for other purposes: Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (popularly known as the Clean Water Act) to extend to FY2011 the authorization of appropriations for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program in Louisiana and Mississippi.
9. S. 1140 - Senator William V. Roth, Jr. Bridge Designation Act: Designates the State Route 1 Bridge over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in Delaware as the "Senator William V. Roth, Jr. Bridge."
10. H.R. XXXX - To authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of Vietnam, and to establish a procedure for imposing quotas on imports of subsidized textile and apparel products of Vietnam
11. S. 3880 - Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act: Amends the federal criminal code to revise criminal prohibitions against damaging or interfering with the operations of an animal enterprise to include intentional damage or loss to any real or personal property and intentional threats of death or serious bodily injury against individuals (or their family members, spouses, or intimate partners) who are involved with animal enterprises. Expands such crime to include conspiracies and attempts. Revises and increases monetary and criminal penalties for such crime.

On Tuesday, the House will meet at 10 a.m. for morning hour and 11 a.m. for legislative business. On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10 a.m. for legislative business.

Suspensions (7 bills):

1. H.J.Res. 96 - Recognizing the contributions of the Christmas tree industry to the United States economy
2. H.R. XXXX - To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend certain expiring provisions of law: A summary of this legislation was not available at time of publication.
3. H.R. 1245 - Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act of 2005: Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national campaign to increase the awareness and knowledge of women with respect to gynecologic cancers, which shall include: (1) maintaining a supply of written materials to provide information to the public on gynecologic cancers; and (2) developing and placing public service announcements to encourage women to discuss their risks of gynecologic cancers with their physicians.
4. H.R. 864 - Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act: Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish an interagency coordinating committee to guide policy and program development across the Federal Government on underage drinking; (2) issue an annual report card to rate the performance of each State in enacting, enforcing, and creating laws, regulations, and programs to prevent or reduce underage drinking; (3) develop a set of outcome measures to prepare report cards, including the strictness of the minimum drinking age laws and the number of compliance checks conducted; (4) fund and oversee the Ad Council's national adult-oriented media public service campaign; (5) award grants to reduce the rate of underage alcohol use and binge drinking among students at institutions of higher education; and (6) collect data on, and conduct or support research on, underage drinking, including the impact alcohol use and abuse has upon adolescent brain development, the scope of the underage drinking problem, and progress in preventing and treating underage drinking.
5. H.Res. 993 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to raising awareness and enhancing the state of computer security in the United States, and supporting the goals and ideals of National Cyber Security Awareness Month
6. H.R. 5585 - Financial Netting Improvements Act of 2006: Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the Federal Credit Union Act to revise treatment of certain agreements entered into before appointment of depository institution conservators or receivers, including securities contracts, forward contracts, swap agreements, and certain walkaway clauses.
7. H.J.Res. XXXX - Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 2007, and for other purposes: A summary of this legislation was not available at time of publication.

On Thursday and Friday, there are no votes expected in the House.

• Possible Motions to go to Conference
• Possible Motions to Instruct Conferees