Still, Republicans have threatened to use the looming deadline as leverage to cut spending and Democrats are looking to take away that opportunity by addressing the issue this year. Debt ceiling: The Bipartisan Policy Center has estimated the Treasury Department will not hit the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, which was agreed to last year, until April at the earliest.They have yet to announce a breakthrough agreement on top-line spending levels. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Richard Shelby, R-Ala., the top appropriators in the Senate, are both retiring, however, and have said they will push for full-year funding as their final act. Republicans are favored to take control of the House once all outstanding races are called, which may incentivize them to push for another short-term stopgap into the next Congress to maximize their negotiating power. Lawmakers must either pass an omnibus package to set line-by-line funding across the government or enact another CR to avoid a shutdown next month. 16, the last day the continuing resolution will be in effect. Avoiding a shutdown: The most pressing item on the agenda before the new year will be keeping federal agencies open.Here are some of the top issues impacting federal agencies and their workforces that the lame-duck Congress must or may address: Democrats will maintain a majority in the Senate, and may even gain one seat. With Republicans facing a good chance of taking control of the House, their calculations on what to push for now and what to delay could change. That could include a Social Security fix to boost benefits to some federal retirees and tightening the restrictions lawmakers face in trading stocks.Ĭomplicating matters are the unsettled results of the midterm elections. In addition to those must-pass measures, Congress could look to usher through high-priority items that have gained momentum but previously failed to get over the finish line. Lawmakers will face a jam-packed schedule over the coming weeks as they rush to pass a series of bills required to keep government functioning. The 117th Congress returned to the Capitol on Monday, beginning its final stretch before new members are sworn into office in January.
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