Congress Set to Pass Three-Month Stopgap Today

Congress is officially in “punt formation” on government funding as both chambers are set to pass the three-month continuing resolution (CR) during today’s session. The House will hold a final up or down vote on the CR under suspension of the rules around 5:30 PM EST this evening, and the underlying measure is expected to pass with strong bipartisan support. Thanks to a “time agreement” announced by Senate leadership during yesterday’s session, the Senate will immediately begin consideration of the CR once it’s received from the House, with final passage occurring later this evening. Today’s votes are slated to be the last ones until Tuesday, November 12.

• Situational awareness. With limited floor time available and Congress well behind on key year-end items like government funding and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the “lame duck” session of the 118th Congress is set to be a sprint to the finish. Lawmakers, especially those who will not be returning to their posts next year, will be eager to wrap up bipartisan legislative deals into a potential year-end spending package to “clear the decks” before the 119th Congress gavels in. However, much remains in flux pending the outcome of the 2024 election.