Another Shutdown Showdown
Lawmakers return to Washington this week ahead of another potential government shutdown on Friday for roughly three-quarters of the federal government.
The deadline is the second out of the two-tiered government funding stopgap Congress passed in recent weeks, splitting funding deadlines into two dates for different portions of the federal government.
Congress cleared the first deadline earlier this month, but at risk of shutting down in this week’s deadline include the Departments of Defense, State, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, and others. Negotiations on the bills funding those departments continued throughout the weekend, but no agreement has emerged publicly.
In the meantime, House lawmakers will take up additional bills under expedited procedures, including several foreign policy items such as sanctions, arms and data embargoes, passport processing, and embassy construction. The House is also set to move several energy-related bills through regular order.
Lawmakers will also hold a number of committee hearings this week, including the following:
- The House Ways & Means Committee will discuss how to bolster access to healthcare in America
- The House Appropriations Committee will hear testimony from various Biden Administration officials on the President’s FY25 budget request
- The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will examine PFAS contamination in America
- The House Oversight and Accountability Committee will examine the White House’s approach to AI