The House of Representatives came into session for three days last week and promptly adjourned until after the November elections. With short-term funding approved until December, Speaker Johnson felt staying in town would only further expose his vulnerable members to difficult votes, and getting members back to their home districts was the best path forward. The Senate remains in town this week but similarly has a short agenda and will soon be in full election mode. We discuss some of the politics at play below, but from a policy standpoint, all of D.C. is looking at a lame-duck session and trying to line up what can move in November/December. The to-do list includes funding the Department of Defense, reauthorizing our highway programs, efforts to move a cybersecurity bill, and final passage of funding the government for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027. Normally those are all achievable and bipartisan bills that could move regardless of election outcomes. But in this climate, there is a chance that one or all of them fail to get passed. A very real concern for Speaker Johnson will be fielding a quorum. A record level of retirements and members seeking other offices may alter the shape of Congress even before swearing in day in January. This year has been full of surprises, and I would bet on more to come.

-Brian Wild