Congressional Vacation Halts Budget Negotiations

National Journal reports that “as congressional negotiators work to craft a budget agreement, they’re working against an old foe: the calendar.”

“Congress will soon likely be forced to consider yet another short-term, stopgap bill to fund the federal government, not because a budget deal can’t be reached, but because there isn’t time to reach one… The two chambers of Congress have scheduled just 10 days in session together between Nov. 22 and Jan. 15, out of a possible 51 days, not counting Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.”