Usually these weeks bring with them approval of some major piece of legislation, as Congressional leaders use the upcoming recess as a pressure point to get something done.

But this year, we don't really have anything like that.

The closest is a self imposed action deadline for Democrats to clear health care reform legislation through two Senate committees.

The Senate Health Committee has a chance to approve a bill this week, but it will be an incomplete one, since the Senate Finance Committee isn't doing anything on how to fund reform until next month.

Democrats had talked about voting on what's known as the cap-and-trade energy bill this week, but it wasn't on the legislative schedule for the House.

Instead, the House will try to finish two more spending bills for next year on Homeland Security and Interior Department programs. Those will lead to several blogs in coming days on earmarks.

The Senate will spend a second week trying to act on the Travel Promotion Act - basically a bill that's designed to have the US better promote itself as a destination for foreign tourists.

A handful of Republicans have been delaying action on that bill, forcing Democrats to go through parliamentary hoops to get it finished, as most of the attention this week will be focused not there, but on health care reform.