The Senate returns from its August recess later Tuesday, with lawmakers facing tight deadlines to pass key legislative priorities — including keeping the government open past the end of this month.
Congress has until Sept. 30 to approve stopgap legislation to avoid a partial government shutdown, but that’s just one of many pressing matters facing the House and Senate with a mere nine weeks to go before the midterm elections.
Complicating any vote to keep the government open is President Biden’s recent proposal for $47 billion in funds to fight COVID-19 and monkeypox, as well as aid for Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.
Republicans have balked at providing the additional funding unless votes are taken on ending the Title 42 public health policy at the US-Mexico border. The White House has pushed to scrap the policy over the objections of some moderate Democrats, and the GOP wants to put liberal lawmakers on the record about where they stand.
Meanwhile, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is pushing an amendment to the temporary funding bill that would ease the permitting process for new energy projects — a key condition of his agreement to support the Inflation Reduction Act last month.
The Senate returns from its August recess while facing tight deadlines to pass key legislative priorities. AP
Congress has until Sept. 30 to avoid a partial government shutdown, one of many pressing issues facing the House and Senate. REUTERSAlong with the grappling over government funding, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has vowed to bring a bill making gay marriage legal nationwide to the floor but acknowledged last month that legislation may be put on the back burner in order for Democrats to push through Biden’s judicial nominations.
“We will have a vote on marriage equality,” Schumer said before the August recess. “Not giving you a timetable. We’ll come back in September. There’s a whole lot to do. And one of the important things we have to do is judges. And, as you know, Court of Appeals judges take 30 hours [of debate] each.”
The House voted 267-157in July to affirm the legality of same-sex marriage after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24 and Justice Clarence Thomas issued a concurring opinion questioning precedent for upholding gay marriage.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), one of the bill’s supporters, said this week she doesn’t want to delay a vote on the legislation until after the election.
“My impression is that the majority leader is eager to put this bill on the floor in September, and I hope that he will,” Collins told Politico. “In an election year, I hope this can be a sincere effort by the majority leader, and that he will resist the urge to play politics with the bill. But we are dealing with Sen. Schumer, so.”
To clear the 50-50 Senate, the bill would need the support of 10 Republicans to overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold.
The bill’s supporters believe they will have the 10 GOP votes.
Collins and Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the Democratic co-sponsor, have lobbied for Republican support and have worked to ensure codifying gay marriage will not affect religious liberty protections.
“We’re in pretty good shape,” Collins told Politico.
After September, the Senate is scheduled to be in session for only eight days in October, barring a last-minute change in schedule. The House, which returns in full next week, is due to be out from Sept. 30 until Nov. 14, when it reconvenes for its lame-duck session.
With Post wires
