Congress Breaks for Thanksgiving Recess

What’s happening in Congress?

• It will be a quiet week ahead in the Capitol as lawmakers departed D.C. late last week to begin their Thanksgiving recess, but when they return next week they’ll face a fast-approaching deadline to avoid a government shutdown and may need to address the nation’s debt limit.
• Congress has until December 3rd to enact another stopgap funding bill to avoid a partial government shutdown. Democrats and Republicans have yet to agree on funding levels for the full fiscal year 2022, so another short-term continuing resolution (CR) is likely to be enacted. It’s unclear at this time how long a CR would extend funding for, but it could range anywhere from two or three weeks to a few months.
• There may also be a need for lawmakers to raise the national debt limit again before the end of December, as the most recent $480 billion hike enacted in October might not be enough to sustain the federal government’s obligations through the end of the year. Secretary Janet Yellen informed Congress that her agency can fund the obligations through December 15th, but that uncertainty around federal cash flows may not leave enough funding beyond that date.
• Republicans have insisted that Democrats raise the debt limit on their own through reconciliation given their ongoing push to enact a partisan $1.7 trillion social spending plan, and the Senate GOP is reportedly negotiating with Democrats on a streamlined vote-a-rama process for debt limit reconciliation measures. If they reach a deal, the first steps in that process could occur once lawmakers return from recess.
• The $1.7 trillion social spending measure, known as the Build Back Better Act, is now being negotiated among Senate Democrats, who must unanimously support the proposal for it to advance. It’s unclear whether they will be able to reach an agreement before the end of the year, although Democratic leaders are pushing for passage before Christmas.

SENATE SCHEDULE

• The Senate is scheduled to return from recess on Monday, November 29th, when it’s expected to resume consideration of the national defense authorization act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2022. 
• Prior to recess, Senators were negotiating a list of NDAA amendments that will receive votes, and once a deal is reached the chamber will likely move quickly to consider those amendments and pass the underlying NDAA. Then the Senate will likely need to set up a conference committee to negotiate a compromise NDAA with the House. 

HOUSE SCHEDULE 

• The House is expected to return from its recess on Monday, November 29th. Its schedule for that week is yet to be announced.

Schedule subject to change. All times Eastern.

HOUSE

• No votes are expected.

SENATE

• No votes are expected.

— Eric Revell