Congress has returned from the Easter recess to a very busy schedule this week on ag, energy and trading issues, and what should be a busy schedule in the remaining weeks of this session. There are some scheduled votes on judicial nominations in the Senate and some bills under rules suspension in the House. Then things turn to:

The Keystone Pipeline coupled with the transportation bill extension goes to the House Rules Committee. If it passes, it could be on the House floor Wednesday. That bill includes a 90-day stopgap funding provision for transportation, which could be very contentious as the Senate is seeking a clean transportation bill. The House strategy is a conference with the Senate during which the Senate would be forced to...