With Eye on Midterms, Congress Recessing Early - September 22, 2010

With members of both parties anxious to return home to run for reelection and most legislative issues at a standstill, Congressional leaders are signaling that they will likely cut short the ongoing legislative session to campaign. House leaders are discussing recessing by the end of this week. The Senate will likely stay in session next week, but could recess as early as Sept. 30 or Oct. 1. The only “must-pass” legislation left on the agenda before the election is a short term Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the federal government into at least November. The current fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. Leaders are still debating the strategy for passage of the CR, but the Senate may take the unusual step of passing the funding bill first to spare wary House Democrats of an unnecessary vote on a CR that could be blocked in the Senate. Both chambers are expected to reconvene the week after the election for a “lame duck” session to deal with carry-over issues, particularly Fiscal Year 2011 appropriations bills.