Congress will be in recess from July 16 through September 5 and again for the entire month of October. The anticipated legislative calendar means only 22 legislative days remain for the House and Senate before the November election. With such little time left, members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus continue to advocate to take the threat of a government shutdown off the table by voting next week on a continuing resolution to fund the government through next March at current spending levels. Freedom Caucus members have openly discussed their disappointment with past lame-duck negotiations over funding with the President, believing House Republican leadership caved on too many important issues. The conservative strategy, if successful, would likely result in a short and unproductive lame-duck session after the November elections. House leadership has not publicly weighed in on the strategy, although some individual House appropriators have already signaled an unwillingness to give up on the appropriations process. Senate leadership has not addressed the strategy.
