Congress is in August Recess

Congress stands in adjournment for the August Recess; however, before departing the Senate overwhelmingly passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act in a bipartisan 86-11 vote.  The House version of this bill was approved on almost entirely partisan lines after conservatives inserted provisions restricting abortion and trans-gender care for service members. The bipartisan Senate bill avoided those fights, and likely could win sweeping support from both parties in the House.

This was just the latest example of some of the driving dynamics from the opening stretch of the 118th Congress: the growing, if divisive, influence of the House’s right wing, and the challenge that has created in a government with just a five-vote Republican majority in the House and a one-vote Democratic edge in the Senate. When Congress returns after Labor Day, they will need to approve a dozen appropriations bills before funding expires at the end of that month. They then need to reconcile their competing defense bills, and approve the Farm Bill and the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, among other measures, all while the House potentially moves ahead with an impeachment inquiry into President Biden.