Congress faces long lame-duck to-do list
Senate Democrats will have to decide whether they’re ready to advance a bipartisan permitting reform bill or hold off until the next year.
Congress faces a lengthy "lame-duck" period with a multitude of tasks to complete before the end of the year. One critical issue is avoiding another government shutdown on December 11. The House and Senate must find a way to extend farm and surface transportation laws during this time-limited sprint.
Beyond these immediate concerns, there are other pieces of legislation that remain uncertain. Senate Democrats must decide next week if they are prepared to advance a bipartisan permitting reform bill or postpone it until the following year when their political standing is expected to improve significantly. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson faces the challenge of deciding how to handle a Senate-passed college sports bill that his members wish to modify.
Additionally, some Republicans are planning to pursue a final reconciliation bill to address their remaining legislative priorities, such as increasing defense spending. However, it remains unclear whether the party will have sufficient votes to attempt this push.
Written by urgent.news from Semafor's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
