House
and Senate leaders are scrambling to complete work on legislative priorities
before Friday's (9/26) target year-end adjournment date. While Congressional leaders are hoping to
avoid a post-election, lame-duck session, but it is possible that Congress will
have to come back for a short time in November to deal with unfinished FY 2009
appropriations bills and other possible measures, unless a deal is struck
soon.
In
this regard, key staff say that House Democratic leaders are looking to pass a
continuing resolution that will fund the federal government at FY 08 levels
until March 6, when a there will be a new president and Congress, rather than
deal with President Bush, who has threatened to veto any appropriations bills
that spend more than he has recommended. While most of the CR is FY 08 funding levels,
the bill includes language to fund the Low Income Home Energy Assistance
(LIHEAP) program at $5.1 billion - an increase over the FY 2008 of $2.57
billion.
On
a procedural front, however, because of the financial crisis, Congressional
leaders announced last week that they will not officially adjourn for the
year. Rather, they will remain in "pro
forma" session in order to be able to come back, as necessary, to deal with the
crisis.