The Capitol will be empty for the next six weeks as lawmakers prepare for a much different situation in Washington and possibly the United States when they return after Election Day.
The House and Senate will be in recess until November 11th.
The break will give vulnerable lawmakers enough time to campaign before voters head to the polls on the first Tuesday in November. Meanwhile, leaders on both sides of the aisle are busy making plans for the final weeks of the 118th Congress, known as the “lame duck” session.
If they return, there will be a new presidential administration and perhaps a new balance of power in Congress.
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Speaker Mike Johnson's response to major issues once Congress reconvenes will likely depend on whether Vice President Harris or former President Trump wins. (Getty Images)
They will also spend much of the five-week session between Election Day and the year-end holidays grappling with at least three deadlines.
Federal funding for government discretionary programs (programs administered by Congress's annual appropriations process, as opposed to mandatory programs, including Social Security, Medicare, and payments to some state and local governments) is determined by lawmakers. If no agreement is reached by then, the funds will be exhausted by December 20th.
That deadline was originally scheduled for Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year, but Congress blocked that fight by briefly extending federal funding levels for this fiscal year.
The outcome of the battle will largely depend on which party controls Congress and the White House next year.
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“I want to win the election overwhelmingly, so we're in a position to negotiate on everything we need to do, and with a win, we're in a position to negotiate on everything we need to do,” said House Administration Committee Chairman Brian Still (R-Wis.). will be set up for success.” he told FOX News Digital.
If former President Trump wins, Republicans are likely to seek a further extension into the new year to give the next commander-in-chief control over federal spending in fiscal year 2025.
A victory for Vice President Kamala Harris would likely make the House Republican majority more inclined to take an active role on government funding, but it would likely encounter significant resistance in the current Democratic-controlled Senate. Considering this, it is unclear what kind of efforts will be successful and how successful they will be.
House Administration Committee Chairman Brian Still (R-Wis.) said national security should be one of Congress' top policy priorities when it returns. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
Congress also needs to address the new National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which sets military and national security policy annually.
Steil argues that defense spending and policy in particular should be a priority once lawmakers return.
“Our adversaries are working against America's interests around the world, and they have done so because they see weakness in the Biden administration's foreign policy,” Steil said. “Therefore, from a national security perspective, the need to develop a strong national defense bill to protect our military is absolutely essential.”
Another important battle at hand is the annual farm bill. This is a broad law that sets America's food and agriculture policy and must be updated every five years.
The Farm Bill would affect federal food benefits, crop prices, and forest conservation, among other things.
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Last year, Congress extended the 2018 Farm Bill until the end of December 2024.
Steil said he is optimistic that Congress can approve a new farm bill, noting the bill's importance to the agriculture industry in the state and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, told Fox News Digital that he wants the chamber to prioritize the fiscal year 2025 funding process. spoke.
“We have to recommit and move everything forward through the spending process so that we can be successful next year,” he said.
President Biden will likely open the lame duck window once Congress reconvenes. (Yuri Gripas/Abaka/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
But Ogles added that he wants House Republicans to avoid combining the 12 annual spending bills into a large “omnibus” spending bill in December. Republicans say it would increase government bloat while reducing transparency.
House Republican leaders insist they have no intention of moving forward with an omnibus spending bill.
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However, some Republican leaders have expressed the desire to complete the spending process by the end of the year to leave a clean slate for the new administration.
“I hope that whoever the next president is, whether it's Vice President Harris or, I predict, former President Trump, he or she will make the decision to let this administration and this Congress get the job done.” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) to reporters. “I don't think we should put them at risk of a government shutdown because they can't do their job this Congress.” [in the first] A few months. That's just irresponsible. ”
