A closer look at next week: Why can’t we be friends?

With the Senate out for the week, the House will have a chance to practice the long-forgotten art of working together. The main event is a bipartisan water resources bill, which would authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to maintain ports and waterways and work on flood prevention projects.

{mosads}The legislation aims to speed up the approval process for these projects, including by streamlining environmental reviews. The bipartisan bill unanimously cleared the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in September.

Also up is a bill requiring states that receive federal education funds to run criminal background checks on all school employees. This bill, from House Education and the Workforce Committee ranking member George Miller (D-Calif.), would prohibit the employment of anyone convicted of homicide, crimes against children and other crimes.

Miller proposed the bill in May, and House Republicans were prepared to move the bill in early October until the government shutdown delayed its consideration.

Additionally, the House will vote on a bipartisan bill would extend a federal grant program to states that helps connect children in foster care with families looking to adopt. This bipartisan bill is from House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) and ranking member Sandy Levin (D-Mich.).

Finally, the House will call up a bill naming a courthouse in Texas, and who can disagree with that?

Below is a more detailed look at the week ahead:

Monday

The House is out, and the Senate is out all week.

Tuesday

Members meet at noon, and later in the day they will work on three suspension bills:

— H.R. 185, naming a courthouse in Texas,

— H.R. 2083, the Protecting Students from Sexual and Violent Predators Act, and

— H.R. 3205, the Promoting Adoption and Legal Guardianship for Children in Foster Care Act.

Wednesday-Thursday

Members meet at noon both days to take up:

— H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act.

Friday

The House is out.