The Senate convened at 10:00 A.M. and resumed consideration of H.R.6833, the legislative vehicle for the Continuing Resolution (CR). Cloture has been filed on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-New York) substitute amendment #5745 and the underlying bill, H.R.6833. As a result of cloture having been filed, the filing deadline for 1st degree amendments is 1:00 P.M. today. The substitute amendment from Leader Schumer is the text of the spending bill, after the leader filed cloture on the substitute amendment and the underlying bill. Final passage of the stopgap spending bill today will require agreement from all 100 senators to speed up the usual 30 hours of post-cloture time. Leader Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced plans for a final vote at 1:45 P.M. If approved, as expected, the stopgap measure would still need to be passed by the Democratic-led House and signed by President Joe Biden to avert a partial government shutdown at midnight Friday. House Democratic leaders have signaled that the bill will pass by the deadline. Republican leaders are urging their members to vote against it because of the December 16th expiration date and because it does not address issues at the border.
In addition to roll call votes on the CR, the Senate is also likely to take up other executive items and nominations including the nomination of Arianna J. Freeman to be a U.S. Circuit Court judge for the Third Circuit.
The Senate is now set to leave this afternoon, with the October schedule still undetermined. Leader Schumer has said he will bring the Senate back ahead of the midterms, with the Senate scheduled to return to Washington for two weeks, starting October 11th. Following a meeting of his Democratic caucus on September 28th, Leader Schumer didn’t tell members whether the Senate would return in October, leading some to speculate they wouldn’t return until after Election Day, November 8th. Leader Schumer later told reporters the Senate schedule hasn’t changed, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, (R-Kentucky), said he expected to be off during the entire month of October.
The House reconvened at 10:00 A.M. and is expected to complete work on S. 3969 – PAVA Program Inclusion Act, H.R. 7780 – Mental Health Matters Act, and H.R. 3843 – Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022. The House will also take up twenty seven bills under suspension of the Rules.
