Susan Ferrechio of the Washington Examiner lists important deadlines Congress faces in the days ahead.
September is crunch time for Congress, which has punted on a slew of critical legislation now set to expire by the end of the month.
Lawmakers return from the summer recess … and will get right to work on a massive government spending bill, now complicated by the sudden need for a significant infusion of federal funds to help Houston recover from epic flooding caused last month by Hurricane Harvey.
Republican aides told the Washington Examiner the path forward on fiscal 2018 spending has not been determined, but that the appropriations panels are prepared with a short-term bailout measure, known as a continuing resolution, that would buy Congress more time to work out a longterm plan.
But there isn’t much time to get it done.
The fiscal year ends on Sept. 30 and if Congress does not refresh funding by then, a partial government shutdown would result.
Efforts to pass the spending bill could be complicated by President Trump’s desire for funding for a southern border wall.
