This week was a rare moment in Washington, D.C., a return to normalcy in Congress with both chambers in session. There’s a Speaker, no immediate government shutdown looming, and both chambers scheduled a fairly routine legislative schedule. In the spirit of Halloween, I hope this is not “a trick,” but maybe a “treat!” The House voted on 2024 spending bills for the Departments of Interior, Transportation-HUD, and the Legislative Branch. These votes were part of plan Speaker Johnson crafted to advance eight appropriations bills by the current stopgap’s November 17th deadline. Meanwhile, the Senate continued work on a spending minibus bill and installed an ambassador to Israel.
