Senate Republicans blocked an extension of middle class tax cuts, which the House passed earlier in the week. Republicans also tried to hold up a child nutrition bill, but it eventually passed and now goes to President Obama. Congress also passed a new food safety regulations bill, but it may need to be redone due to a constitutional issue, and a bill to lower the volume on TV commercials. Lastly, the House voted to censure Rep. Charlie Rangel for ethics violations.

The House of Representative by a vote of 152-4 approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would ban junk food in schools and require new and healthy nutritional standards to be developed for food sold in all school cafeterias and vending machines.

The Senate rejected a proposed comission to tackle the deficit, largely because it would have required Congress to either completely accept or reject its recommendations without the ability to make changes. President Obama has issued an executive order to create something similiar, however. The Senate did accept pay-as-you-go limits on federal spending and to raise the debt ceiling without a single Republican vote on either. The Senate also confirmed (with a bipartisan mix of votes) Ben Bernanke for a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve.

As for health care reform? Who the hell knows.

Congress quickly adopted legislation that adds $7 billion to the highway trust fund, replenishes the federal unemployment insurance trust fund and gives new lending authority to Federal Housing Administration programs that play a large role in providing low-interest housing loans.

The House of Representatives passed $2 billion in emergency funds to keep the CARS or “cash for clunkers” program going and and unanticipated amount of people rushed to take advantage of it (the Senate will likely vote on it next week). The House also passed a bill restrict Wall Street pay and passed a far-reaching food safety bill requiring more government inspections and imposing new penalties on those who violate the law. Additionally, the House passed a defense appropriations bill, cutting the F-22 but not other programs the Obama administration and Pentagon want cut, but differences will need to be worked out with the Senate. Oh, and House members unanimously approved a resolution that in part recognizes President Barack Obama as being born in Hawaii which the Senate joined.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-6 to send Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the full Senate, which will take up confirmation on Tuesday (there’s no firm date for a vote yet). Sen. Lindsey Graham was, sadly, the only Republican on the committee to vote in favor.

Unfortunately, a full House vote and a Senate Finance Committee vote on health care reform have both been put off until September.