Lawmakers Break For Recess as ‘All Hands on Deck’ September Looms – By Kaia Hubbard (US News) / July 29, 2023
As Congress sets off on its August recess, with its busiest month of the year looming, the country is barreling toward a government shutdown.
The Senate scored a victory late Thursday when lawmakers approved a must-pass defense spending bill on a bipartisan basis before leaving town for August recess. But the bill’s passage sets up a tumultuous September when Congress returns, when the two chambers must reconcile their legislation – along with a whole host of other to-dos – ahead of the fiscal year’s end.
“What are we going to do when we come back in September? Well, it’s going to be all hands on deck,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.
Lawmakers will have just a few weeks to resolve a number of spending fights before the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. And as Congress leaves Washington behind, the country is barreling toward a government shutdown.
Nevertheless, Schumer celebrated the National Defense Authorization Act’s passage on Thursday night, with a 86-11 vote, citing it as an example of the Senate’s bipartisanship that he said sits in “stark contrast” with the House.
