Lame-Duck Congress Prepares for Bumper Crop of Legislation

Congress has postponed several major fights until after the November election, including government funding, money for the war with Iran, and the extension of expanded surveillance authorities. The House passed a bill to fund the government until December 11, setting up a partisan fight over spending levels for defense and non-defense programs.

A senior Senate GOP aide said that 'a lot' is being pushed into the lame-duck session, with the question being whether they can put together an appropriations bill with miscellaneous provisions attached to it. Democrats might be willing to cut deals after the election if they don't reap the windfall of seats in the House and Senate.

The Trump administration has requested a historic $1.5 trillion in defense spending, which Senate Democrats have rejected as a nonstarter. Congress needs to act on several other issues, including emergency funding for the Pentagon, disaster relief funding, and the extension of FISA's lapsed surveillance authorities.