Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios
Congress is back for a flurry of action on spending and energy bills — and plenty of pre-election bickering.
Why it matters: Lawmakers have just three weeks in session before they head home to campaign in October.
Here's a rundown of what they'll be up to…
Spending: Let's start with the Sept. 30 approps deadline. House Speaker Mike Johnson is proposing a CR to kick it to March 28, tied to the SAVE Act, the controversial GOP elections bill.
- The House plans to vote on that this week, but it won't fly in the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for a bipartisan stopgap.
- Meanwhile, the House energy-water bill still hasn't passed on the floor, and the two chambers remain far apart on EPA spending.
- Negotiations will get more serious after the election, but we'll see whether we end up with a late 2024 deadline or if conservatives get their way and move it until next year and a new Congress.
Energy messaging: September will bring plenty of pre-election maneuvering, starting this week with a series of House floor votes on anti-China legislation.
- That includes Rep. Carol Miller's bill that would add new "foreign entity of concern" restrictions to the IRA's 30D clean vehicle credit.
- Shutting China out of supply chains is fairly bipartisan, and 30D is among the most vulnerable IRA policies. It'll be a vote worth watching.
Grappling with permits: Expect lots of politicking over the Manchin-Barrasso permitting bill, as supporters try to push it over the finish line in the lame duck.
- It will likely need at least tacit support from House leadership and the committee chairs with jurisdiction to get into a must-pass bill.
- That might depend on how the election shakes out and where House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman goes with his own NEPA bill.
- Another factor: Lame duck could be chaotic if Trump contests the election again.
- Getting it done this year "assumes that we're not in a duck-and-cover session," said ClearView's Kevin Book. "The last time we had an election in America for the presidency and Democrats won, it got a little complicated."
Must-pass mania: Keep the NDAA and the farm bill top of mind, even though Congress probably won't finish them before the end of the fiscal year.
- The House defense authorization bill passed with some notable mineral sourcing provisions — and a whole bunch of partisan language that could stymie negotiations.
- As the Senate considers its version, lawmakers may try to revive the NEPA CHIPS legislation that fell out last year.
- The farm bill, meanwhile, continues to be stuck in a climate fight, and lawmakers seem likely to punt again.
- The same goes for authorizations for Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration programs and flood insurance.
