CQ Budget: Unfinished business

From Washington, this is the CQ Budget Podcast, your leading Capitol Hill source on how Congress allocates federal taxpayer dollars.

And welcome back to the CQ Budget Podcast.

I'm David Lerman, the Budget Team Editor at CQ Roll Call.

And welcome to the long August recess as the Senate finally left town last week without getting much done.

A landmark cryptocurrency regulatory bill had to be shelved, as did a bill to regulate college sports, while an effort to mark up a five-year farm bill collapsed in a bitter partisan fight over food stamp costs.

Even more important, Senate Republicans had to put their budget resolution on ice, delaying plans for a third reconciliation package, possibly until after the midterm elections.

Senate leaders never had enough votes for that measure, even as the Pentagon kept pressing for a bigger defense budget and extra money for the Iran war.

The Senate did manage to pass a stopgap funding measure to extend current spending until December 11, but that will require another vote in the House, which had passed a more bare-bones measure.

So another funding showdown is still possible in September as lawmakers race to avoid another partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins October 1st.

And a supplemental funding request for the Iran war that President Trump sought back in June has also been left untouched.

All of which sets the stage for a potentially massive and rancorous lame duck session after the midterm elections, when Republicans may have their final chance to pass their remaining legislative priorities if Democrats win control of either chamber in the midterms.

So we want to recap what happened during a frenetic week in the Senate last week and what it means for Republicans in September and the lame duck session.

And joining me for that conversation are Paul Krawzak, a senior budget reporter at CQ Roll Call.

Welcome back, Paul.

Always good to be here.

And Aris Foley, who covers appropriations for us.

Welcome back, Aris.

Thanks for having me.

From Washington, this is the CQ Budget Podcast, your leading Capitol Hill source on how Congress allocates federal taxpayer dollars.

And welcome back to the CQ Budget Podcast.

I'm David Lerman, the Budget Team Editor at CQ Roll Call.

And welcome to the long August recess as the Senate finally left town last week without getting much done.

A landmark cryptocurrency regulatory bill had to be shelved, as did a bill to regulate college sports, while an effort to mark up a five-year farm bill collapsed in a bitter partisan fight over food stamp costs.

Even more important, Senate Republicans had to put their budget resolution on ice, delaying plans for a third reconciliation package, possibly until after the midterm elections.

Senate leaders never had enough votes for that measure, even as the Pentagon kept pressing for a bigger defense budget and extra money for the Iran war.

The Senate did manage to pass a stopgap funding measure to extend current spending until December 11, but that will require another vote in the House, which had passed a more bare-bones measure.

So another funding showdown is still possible in September as lawmakers race to avoid another partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins October 1st.

And a supplemental funding request for the Iran war that President Trump sought back in June has also been left untouched.

All of which sets the stage for a potentially massive and rancorous lame duck session after the midterm elections, when Republicans may have their final chance to pass their remaining legislative priorities if Democrats win control of either chamber in the midterms.

So we want to recap what happened during a frenetic week in the Senate last week and what it means for Republicans in September and the lame duck session.

And joining me for that conversation are Paul Krawzak, a senior budget reporter at CQ Roll Call.

Welcome back, Paul.

Always good to be here.

And Aris Foley, who covers appropriations for us.

Welcome back, Aris.

Thanks for having me.