Public Policy Network

Government funding runs on a fiscal year that ends on Sept. 30. Ideally, Congress would have passed all twelve appropriations bills long before the deadline, but “regular order” has become rare and large omnibus funding bills the norm. 

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August recess is in full swing, and Congress is only scheduled to be in session for three more weeks until the November elections. During that limited time, government funding will be the primary focus and a continuing resolution is all but guaranteed to temporarily extend funding past Sept. 30.

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By summer of a Presidential Election Year, Congress becomes consumed with positioning themselves for success in November. The Senate and House this year will be in recess all of August and October campaigning.

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The first vote of the 118th Congress, for Speaker of the House, made it immediately clear that slim majorities are going to make things difficult. Small groups within and across parties will have outsized influence on nearly every vote—impacting important legislation—over the next two years. 

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The midterm elections have produced results reminiscent of 2020 – narrow majorities and another runoff in Georgia. However, the dynamics have shifted as Republicans gained control of the House with a slim seven seat majority with two seats remaining to be called.

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With just days remaining until August recess, Congressional Democrats had largely given up on passing any major legislation. So, the announcement of a deal between Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Joe Manchin surprised nearly everyone. 

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Congress started 2022 with a long list of difficult policy items including those related to pandemic recovery and high inflation. Unexpected items, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a vacancy on the Supreme Court, quickly changed the focus.

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The start of the new year brings an increased focus on the midterm elections as primary ballot deadlines loom. For many elected officials, the primary election is their biggest hurdle as they face opposition from within their own party. This creates increased urgency for Democrats to pass President Biden’s major legislative priorities, but narrow majorities continue to hamper that effort.

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