Return of the House: What to Watch This Week in Congress

The House has returned – but act fast; it’s only here for a limited time. Like Halley’s Comet coming around every 75 or 76 years, the two houses of Congress can frequently be seen for weeks – sometimes even a few months – at a time. But just like all the famous celestial events, it never lasts long. The House is back from August recess for just four days before taking off again, not to return until likely sometime near when the Senate comes back on September 14. Still, there’s work to be done while lawmakers are in town. Here’s what to watch out for this week to ensure your best viewing experience before they’re off across the solar system again.

Congress Eases Back In

Despite failing to agree on so much as a continuing resolution – never mind full-year funding – just weeks before the end of the fiscal year, Congress has taken an alarming number of breaks this year. Now, the recess schedule isn’t unusual. It’s the lack of progress or, for that matter, any apparent concern over making progress that stands out.

That said, both chambers at least passed their own version of a continuing resolution before skipping town for August recess. Now the House is briefly back ahead of their second recess in as many months, and there’s a Senate resolution waiting for them with broad bipartisan support that could assuage any fears of a shutdown before the midterms. So naturally, that’s the first item on their agenda today, right?

Wrong.

The House convenes today at noon for their “morning hour,” but actual votes aren’t scheduled until 6:30 this evening. Even then, it’s a procedural day, and any votes that take place are likely to be routine, low-profile bills. They’re broadly bipartisan, uncontroversial, and unlikely to ruffle anyone’s feathers. A light snack for lawmakers to ease their way back into work after nearly a month out of session.

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No, the big but presumably easy vote that doesn’t seem likely to get much pushback but could prevent a partial shutdown on October 1 won’t come until Tuesday. The Senate ignored the House’s already-passed continuing resolution and came up with its own earlier this month, which cleared cloture 91-6 and then on August 8 passed the full floor in an all-night marathon session 90-6. President Trump backed it. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) expressed confidence it’ll pass, and the Freedom Caucus hasn’t yet issued any damning statement against it. The House took up the resolution under a suspension of the rules, saving time but requiring a two-thirds vote in the House rather than a simple majority. Put it all together and there are plenty of good reasons to assume this resolution will pass without much issue.

And if it does, great – the government is funded through December 11, and Congress can get back to ignoring the legislative logjam between the two chambers in favor of campaigning for the midterms. If, on the other hand, amendments are made … well, there are only so many days left for the two sides to come up with a unified package. And with both being in session together on so few of those days, one must wonder if it wouldn’t be faster to send it in by mail.

Postmarked by September 30

But government funding isn’t the only thing on the docket this week – nor is it the only item that requires attention before the end of the fiscal year. There’s also a highway funding extension that must be renewed or replaced by September 30. As well, the current extension of the 2018 farm bill expires on the same day – and there’s no clear path forward there since the Senate Ag Committee failed to advance its own version over a SNAP cost-sharing dispute.

Also on the House’s to-do list are the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act (which passed the Senate 86-11 on August 7) and a bill to block funding to colleges that participate in boycotting Israel and a messaging resolution condemning socialism and the DSA. Like the CR, the sanctions will likely draw a bipartisan vote, but probably relatively few Democrats will vote for either the college funding block or the anti-socialist resolution.

Also worth mentioning are the SAVE America Act and reconciliation 3.0. Neither has seen any progress since the Senate dropped them in favor of August recess, and neither is likely to be addressed until September. Yet they remain, lingering in the legislative docket like a landmine.

Four days – that’s how long members of the House have to complete whatever work they hope to have done before the halls of Congress go silent once again. That isn’t a very long viewing window; don’t blink.