The Week Ahead
Congress is set to return to action today as lawmakers gear up for a high-profile legislative blitz to close out 2019. Government funding will be a top priority for legislators when both chambers gavel in as the Sept. 30 funding deadline looms. While the Senate Appropriations Committee plans to begin marking up measures next Thursday — tackling bills for Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, Energy-Water and State-Operations — it's likely that both chambers will need to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to extend funding beyond the Sept. 30 deadline, allowing negotiators to hammer out broader agreement that averts another potential government shutdown. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) stated late last week that the House will vote on a stopgap funding bill during the week of Sept. 16.