Congress will have a busy week to end the month of September, focusing on a number of important issues that will have a long-term impact on the United States.
What’s happening in Congress right now?
Indeed, per NPR, Congress is facing a number of huge problems right now:
- The government could shut down by Friday.
- The U.S. is nearing its debt limit.
- An infrastructure bill is still hanging in the balance.
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., told NBC News that the upcoming week shows how much drama Congress is about to have.
- “Everything’s drama. We play drama with people’s lives. We can’t shut the government down. We’re going to shut the government down in the middle of a pandemic? It’s the most irresponsible action that anybody could take,” she said. “And it’s the same on the debt limit. It’s total political rhetoric, drama. And it is real people’s lives, it’s our position in the world. ...”
What’s happening in Congress this week?
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect from Congress this week.
Monday — The Senate failed Monday to pass a procedural vote to advance a short-term government funding bill, according to NBC News.
- Republicans — who were expected to block the Senate’s bill — opposed the measure because it extended the debt ceiling, per NBC News.
Now, the deadline to avoid a government shutdown is set for the end of the week. Per USA Today, Democratic leaders now have to “scramble to avoid a government shutdown and default.”
Thursday — The House will vote on an infrastructure bill.
- Democrats will likely block this bill to vote on a different infrastructure package, hoping to use their leverage of denying the first bill to earn support for the second bill, NBC News reports.
Why it matters
The deadlines for a potential government shutdown and the debt ceiling deadline are creating a tumultuous week for Congress, according to The Wall Street Journal.
- “Biden’s domestic agenda is hanging in the balance, at risk of collapse and political fallout if he and Democratic leaders cannot pull their party together to deliver what could be a signature piece of legislation and the biggest overhaul of government priorities in decades,” according to The Associated Press.