Congress’ last three weeks in session before the November elections will be dominated by a scramble to extend government funding, as well as last-ditch efforts to pass additional legislative priorities — including on energy and the environment.
But the partisan haggling over the best way to avert a shutdown before Sept. 30 has already begun, fueling uncertainty about just how much Congress will be able to accomplish in the next 20 days and how much will have to be punted into the lame-duck session before the end of the year.
Indeed, delays caused by disagreements over the duration of the funding stopgap — also known as a continuing resolution — and any policies it might include threaten to trigger a lapse in government funding. They could also further delay possible action on everything from energy permitting reform and the farm bill to critical reauthorizations and the defense policy bill.
“As I have said before, the only way to get things done is in a bipartisan way,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told colleagues in a letter Sunday. “Despite Republican bluster, that is how we’ve handled every funding bill in the past, and this time should be no exception.”
