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John:
Hello from Capitol Hill.
The House and the Senate are out of session and are back in their home districts and states.
The Senate was the last chamber to depart for the August recess after President Trump appropriately declined to cut a deal on spending with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in exchange for a deal on nominations. As Senator Mike Lee wrote on X, “Trump = wise not to take Schumer’s offer.” The Senate can process nominations without cutting a deal on spending and President Trump signaled that by ending any negotiation. It is the Senate's advise and consent power that needs to be exercised.
This puts all eyes on September when the House and Senate will reconvene the first week in September to reengage the spending process with just 14 days scheduled to be in session before the end of the fiscal year. Senators tried to breathe life into a few appropriations bills before leaving town but how much life is yet to be determined. If the Congress wants to try and move the remaining number of spending bills before the September 30th funding deadline, a major amount of work remains.
Minority Leader Schumer, left with the scars from choosing between shutting down the government and voting in favor of a Continuing Resolution (CR) back in March, has been forward leaning in saying that any resolution on cutting a spending deal lies squarely in the hands of the conservative majority. Senator Schumer knows that President Trump, his conservative allies in Congress, and Office of Management and Budget Director, Russ Vought, carry extraordinary influence in shaping the nation's spending plans and desperately wants to avoid another CR or a shutdown.
Members of Congress might not be in Washington for August, but negotiations on spending will continue as the days of August draw to a close.
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Sincerely,
Hugh Fike
Director of Government Relations
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