The Final Countdown
Congress returns for its final working week of the year before breaking for the holidays. In that time, lawmakers are set to pass national defense and water project authorization legislation, along with a short-term government funding bill lasting through March to avoid a shutdown this Friday.
House lawmakers will also take up a slew of bills under expedited procedures this week, including those dealing with congressional and VA operations, healthcare resources and payments, and telecommunications policy.
Committee hearings are also scheduled for this week, including the following:
- The House Homeland Security committee will examine the Coast Guard’s polar security cutter acquisition program
- The House and Senate Judiciary Committees will discuss U.S. competition on intellectual property
- The Senate Budget Committee will discuss climate change’s impact on insurance coverage
For next year, lawmakers will return on January 3rd to be sworn into the 119th Congress, and will certify the results of the presidential election three days later.
Soon after that, House and Senate Republicans are expected to pursue a reconciliation package to enact the incoming Trump Administration’s border policies, followed by a second reconciliation package to extend expiring tax cuts.