Congress Leaves Much to Work on in Fall

Congress has gone on a recess through August, leaving several important bills unfinished and facing the prospects of new demands on its time in the autumn regarding base closings and the Supreme Court vacancy. The buildup of work already is leading to speculation that—as in similar situations in the past—Congress will not finish action on individual spending bills for the fiscal year that starts October 1. However, a government shutdown is not expected, since leaders likely would resort to a series of short-term measures, possibly once again leading to a catchall spending bill.