This Week in Congress

There are now less than seven work weeks before Congress leaves town for its month-long August recess.  By the time the members return in September, the fervor of the midterms will be the focus and most legislative priorities will be sidelined.  Much to the chagrin of the Democratic leadership, crises and unexpected issues have dominated this year’s legislative calendar and are expected to do so for much of the summer.  While Congress did successfully pass a Ukraine aid bill the week before the Memorial Day Recess, the $10 billion COVID funding bill that was negotiated back in April is still stalled over disputes surrounding the Title 42 border issue.  There is also a renewed push in the Senate to pursue bi-partisan gun control legislation, an objective that has eluded the chamber for decades, in response to the tragic mass shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo.  Further, the Senate still has a large backlog of nominees to confirm, which will be a priority for Senate Majority Leader Schumer (D-NY) given the razor thin majority that his party will be defending in November.  Additionally, Congress will need to pass a FY23 budget or an extension by October 1st to avoid a government shutdown and it becomes very clear that there simply are not enough days, let alone legislative work days, for everything to get done.