Congress is in its final planned week of activity before the upcoming November elections, with a strategy in place to prevent a government shutdown next month. However, there are only a limited number of days remaining to finalize this plan.
On Sunday, congressional leaders unveiled a proposal for a short-term budget extension designed to fund federal operations through December 20. This funding is intended to ensure minimal disruption to federal programs and services as the fall elections approach and to allow the new administration to participate in determining the complete federal budget later this year.
Initially, House leaders aimed for a longer budget extension and additional measures concerning voting security in their proposed budget drafts. However, these proposals did not receive sufficient support to advance.
If lawmakers fail to approve the compromise by October 1, a partial government shutdown could occur, leading to delayed paychecks for military personnel and the suspension of certain nonessential services within the Defense Department and Veterans Affairs.
In a letter to House members on Sunday, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., stated that “shutting the government down less than 40 days from a fateful election would be an act of political malpractice” and encouraged his colleagues to support the budget extension.
In addition to budget negotiations, several significant hearings and meetings are scheduled on Capitol Hill this week:
On Tuesday, September 24, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hear from cyber threat experts at 10 a.m. Meanwhile, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will consider contempt charges against Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the same time. In the afternoon, the House Oversight Committee will assess Department of Defense financial management, and the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee will address allegations of sexual misconduct at the Hampton Roads VA Medical Center.
On Wednesday, September 25, the Senate Homeland Security and Senate Foreign Relations committees will meet to discuss pending business. Also, the House Transportation Committee will focus on Coast Guard operations, and the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee will hear from veterans advocates regarding caregiver support.
Finally, on Thursday, September 26, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee will investigate scheduling issues in VA medical centers and the impact of waste and abuse within the State Department’s foreign policy budget.
The week promises to be busy with a mix of urgent budgetary concerns and crucial discussions on veteran and national security issues.