Residence. Jed is hearing the bad news about the anti-marriage bill from C.J., Josh, and Toby. He's looking mighty relaxed in a Notre Dame sweatshirt, and he's squeezing a rubber ball in his right hand. He asks, "Didn't they attach a family-planning rider to the highway bill last year?" Toby confirms that they did. Jed: "What's with these people? They can't stop talking about sex." Toby explains that it's because "they can't be having it." Well they certainly can't be having it with me, that's for sure. I have a strict no-Republicans rule. Jed also thinks that the Sanctity of Marriage Act sounds familiar. Josh reminds him that they tried it in the first term: "Marriage Recognition Act. Pocket veto." Jed is surprised to hear that it's Wilkinson who is pushing this, since he normally is not much involved in the budget process. Toby and Josh both recommend issuing a statement threatening a veto if the rider is attached to the budget. C.J. tells them that she disagrees: "It's a bad pitch. Don't swing at it. That's why they're throwing it." You know, C.J., if you really don't want people to think you're a lesbian, you should stop throwing around the sports metaphors. Especially ones that sound like you learned them at softball camp. She points out that the anti-marriage bill is unlikely to survive a court challenge: "This amendment is pure symbolism, an empty gesture. Is that worth holding up our entire agenda?" Jed thinks for a moment, and then tells them to get the amendment removed from the budget bill. Toby wonders what happens if they can't, but Jed is not interested in "what ifs": "Just get it off the bill." Toby and Josh leave, and Jed tells C.J.: "Wilkinson's more of a federalist than an ideologue. What's he doing suggesting we override the states?" C.J. thinks they can leave the anti-marriage provision to the courts: "We need this budget, sir. At the end of the day, you may have to sign it."

Residence antechamber. Josh and Toby are waiting for C.J. They both seem unsure about what's going on. When C.J. emerges, Toby asks her, "You want to enlighten us?" She tells them that Jed wants the anti-marriage provision off the bill. C.J. thinks that the middle of the budget process is not the time to get into a fight with Congress, but Toby points out that they are always in the middle of the budget process. C.J.: "With a president who can't make it down the stairs?" Toby counters, "But he's not running again. Why can't we help him stand up for himself?" C.J.'s beeper goes off -- she's late for her meeting with Abbey. She tells Josh to try to dole out some pork to members of the conference committee. Josh: "Maybe Sioux City needs a monorail." Sing it with me, folks -- "Monorail!" ["But Main Street's still all cracked and broken!" -- Wing Chun] C.J. tells Toby to speak with Wilkinson: "Maybe you can talk him down." Toby thinks there's not much chance of that without the threat of a veto to back him up.