The Senate left Wednesday for a five-week August recess, two days earlier than expected and will return to Washington on September 8. When Congress returns after Labor Day, both the House and Senate will be facing a very busy agenda.
The end of the fiscal year is September 30 and Congress must approve a new government-funding bill before that date. Senate Democrats have refused to allow Republicans to bring up a single appropriations bill to fund the government this year, trying to force the majority party to prevent sequestration cuts to nondefense spending next year. Republicans, so far, are not biting. And the House’s appropriations process is also stalled, with GOP leaders unwilling to bring up spending measures because they fear Democrats will seek to attach language banning the Confederate flag in federal cemeteries, according to a report by the National Journal. As a result, it seems likely that Congress will need to pass a short-term continuing resolution to buy time to deal in-depth with federal government’s spending levels.
When the Senate returns, they will begin debate on a resolution to either approve or disapprove of the administration’s nuclear deal with Iran. With only nine days to deliberate once Congress returns, neither chamber appears likely to muster the two-thirds majority necessary to override President’s Obama’s promised veto of a disapproval resolution.
The September rush will be followed by a similar calendar in October, when Congress will have to pass another highway funding bill as the legislation passed just last week expires on October 30. And the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that Congress will have to increase the debt-ceiling limit, a perennial congressional battle, in either October or November.
