What to Watch in the December Legislating Rush

“The House and Senate are back in session this week, kicking off a December sprint until Christmas and the New Year’s holiday,” Punchbowl News reports.

“For the first time in years, there won’t be a year-end government funding showdown this month. That will come in mid-January. It’s a Christmas miracle!”

“Instead, over the next few weeks, congressional leaders will focus on Israel, Ukraine, the annual defense authorization bill, FISA and other issues. These are some very difficult topics with no guarantee that lawmakers will find consensus.”

Playbook: “Congress gave itself an early Christmas present by kicking the next government funding deadline into early 2024. But December still promises to pack plenty of spending drama.”

“There won’t be a shutdown at stake, but rather the fate of the White House’s $106 billion supplemental funding request for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and the U.S.-Mexico border. Lawmakers are returning from their Thanksgiving break this week facing sharp questions about what a failure to act will mean for America’s allies abroad — and whether they can find a way to avoid it.”