The halls of Congress shall be empty the subsequent six weeks as lawmakers brace for a really totally different state of affairs in Washington — and doubtlessly in the US — when lawmakers return after Election Day.
The Home and Senate are in recess till Nov. 11.
The break provides susceptible legislators ample time to marketing campaign earlier than voters head to the polls on the primary Tuesday of November. Leaders on either side of the aisle, in the meantime, are busy planning for the ultimate weeks of the 118th Congress, often known as the “lame duck” session.
When lawmakers file again in, it will likely be on the cusp of a brand new presidential administration and probably a brand new stability of energy in Congress.
DOES IRAN’S HACKING OF THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN PROVE THEY WANT KAMALA HARRIS TO WIN THE ELECTION? EXPERTS WEIGH IN
Speaker Mike Johnson’s dealing with of key points when Congress returns will seemingly rely upon whether or not Vice President Harris or former President Trump wins the election. (Getty Photographs)
They’ll additionally spend the majority of their time throughout the 5 weeks in session between Election Day and the end-of-year holidays wrestling with no less than three deadlines.
Federal funding for discretionary authorities packages — these managed by Congress’ annual appropriations course of, in contrast to necessary packages together with Social Safety, Medicare and sure state and native authorities funds — will dry up by Dec. 20 if lawmakers fail to achieve an settlement earlier than then.
The deadline initially lined up with the top of the fiscal yr Sept. 30, however Congress punted that struggle with a short-term extension of the present yr’s federal funding ranges.
The way in which that battle performs out will rely closely on which celebration controls Congress and the White Home subsequent yr.
IRAN TRIED TO INFLUENCE ELECTION BY SENDING STOLEN MATERIAL FROM TRUMP CAMPAIGN TO BIDEN’S CAMP, FBI SAYS
It’s seemingly that if former President Trump wins, Republicans will push for an additional extension into the brand new yr to present the incoming commander-in-chief management over fiscal yr 2025 federal spending.
The Home GOP majority will seemingly be extra inclined to take an lively position concerning authorities funding if Vice President Kamala Harris wins, although it’s unclear how profitable any effort shall be contemplating it’s prone to meet important resistance within the present Democrat-controlled Senate.
Home Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., stated nationwide safety needs to be one of many prime coverage priorities of Congress when it returns. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Name, Inc through Getty Photographs)
Congress will even should wrestle with a brand new Nationwide Protection Authorization Act (NDAA), which units army and nationwide safety coverage yearly.
Steil contends protection spending and coverage, specifically, ought to take precedence when lawmakers return.
“Our adversaries are working against U.S. interests across the globe, and they’re doing that because they see the weakness of the Biden administration’s foreign policy,” Steil stated. “So, our need to come back with a strong defense bill to protect our troops, in the interest of national security, is going to be absolutely essential.”
One other key battle on the horizon is the annual farm invoice, a broad piece of laws setting American meals and agricultural coverage that should be renewed each 5 years.
The farm invoice impacts federal meals advantages, crop costs and forestry conservation, amongst different points.
HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN: THE EDGE IS CLEAR ON THIS KEY ISSUE
Congress final yr prolonged the 2018 farm invoice by means of the top of December 2024.
Steil stated he was optimistic Congress might authorize a brand new farm invoice, noting its significance to the agriculture business in his state and others.
“We’ve got to recommit to going through the appropriations process, go ahead and get all that moving so we can be successful next year,” he stated.
President Biden shall be in his lame duck window when Congress returns. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg through Getty Photographs)
Ogles added, nevertheless, that he needs Home Republicans to keep away from placing their 12 annual appropriations payments into an enormous “omnibus” spending invoice in December, which the GOP argues furthers authorities bloat whereas decreasing transparency.
Home GOP leaders have insisted they won’t advance an omnibus spending invoice.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
However some senior Republicans stated they’d relatively end the appropriations course of this yr to go away a clear slate for a brand new administration.
“I would hope whoever the next president is, whether it’s Vice President Harris or, as I expect, former President Trump, that person decides to make this administration and this Congress do their job,” Home Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., informed reporters. “I don’t think we should, because we can’t do our job in this Congress, give them a government shutdown crisis [in the first] couple of months. It’s just irresponsible.”
