Congress returned to work this week following a five-week summer recess. The House and Senate are in session together for a mere ten legislative days this month. First up for both chambers will be a vote on a measure of disapproval on the Iran nuclear deal. The Iran nuclear agreement votes are symbolic at this point since President Obama has secured the public support of enough Democratic Senators to overcome a veto.
On the domestic front, the biggest item facing Congress in the near-term is passing a stopgap funding resolution by September 30, 2015 to keep the government from shutting down. Enacting a clean temporary spending measure will not come easy as conservatives have indicated their interest in using that vehicle to block federal dollars for Planned Parenthood. Also, Congress will be allocating time this month on high-profile visits by Pope Francis and the President of China.
Other big ticket legislative items Congress will have to tackle in the coming months include: enacting a new transportation reauthorization bill with revenue raisers to replenish the highway trust fund, increasing the debt ceiling, a potential omnibus FY16 appropriations measure, and the annual tax extender package.
New and untested political dynamics between the White House and GOP leaders, who are controlling both chambers for the first time in eight years, will ultimately determine whether Congress can work its way through the upcoming legislative minefield. For now, the only certainty is that partisan politics, strict spending caps, and looming presidential primaries, are setting up lawmakers for an unpredictable four-month stretch between now and the end of the calendar year.