As the House and Senate reconvene this week, lawmakers are racing against the clock as they work to push through the remaining appropriations bills ahead of the January 30th government shutdown deadline. The Senate is expected to take up a minibus appropriations package that would fund the Department of Justice, Department of Commerce, key science agencies and other related entities; the Department of Energy and water development; and the Department of Interior, Environmental Protection Agency and other related agencies. The package passed the House by a 397-28 vote last week. Even if the package clears the Senate and is signed by President Donald Trump, Congress will still have to pass six more appropriations bills by the end of January to prevent another government shutdown. The House Appropriations Committee released a two-bill minibus package Sunday that would fund the Department of Treasury and agencies related to financial services, as well as the Department of State and national security programs. If it advances through the Rules Committee, the bill could come to the House floor as soon as this week. But the schedule for both chambers is far from ideal. This is the last week of the month that the House and Senate will be in session at the same time. Next week, the House will be in session while the Senate is on recess. The following week, the roles reverse, with the House on recess and the Senate in session. If lawmakers aren’t able to pass the remaining bills, they will need to pass a temporary stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution, to fund the rest of the government.
For today, the Senate will reconvene at 3:00 P.M. and will take up a Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to Calendar #299, H.R.6938, Minibus Appropriations.
The House will meet at 2:00 P.M. for legislative business and at 6:30 P.M. will take up nine bills Under Suspension of the Rules.
