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As the US House left Thursday on a long summer break that will last until Labor Day, Republican leaders in Congress
reported that 2018 will not be very different from the last twenty years on the Capitol, as lawmakers once again will not be
to ensure that their expenses are completed on time before the end of September, which requires the approval of a temporary financing plan to avoid
a government shutdown on October 1st.
"Some bills will not be passed or will not be ready by then," said Speaker Paul Ryan,
grateful at a press conference Thursday that everyone on Capitol Hill already knew, that Congress will not end its spending
work in time for the twenty-second consecutive year.
Up to now, the House has approved six of the twelve bills that fund federal government operations. The Senate has
voted on three of these spending bills.
Legislators in the House certainly have time to act on the six unfinished bills awaiting a decision – but the House is now a party
until 4 September – leaving only 11 days of legislative work scheduled for September – between the end of July and the beginning
the new fiscal year on October 1st.
While the Senate will work most of the month of August – the House calendar does not show any legislative work in August in D.C. – and if you're
not in session, it is a bit difficult to pass bills.
In an event last week at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, there was no surprise to the House's inability
and the Senate to make their spending time work among those who have worked in Congress or watched lawmakers closely for years.
"I think a lot of things are that there's simply no desire to get the process of credits every year," Molly Reynolds said.
from the Brookings Institute.
Since Congress reformed its budget process in 1974, the Congress has completed its work in time only in 1976, 1988, 1994,
and 1996.
And this year will be no different, requiring the use of interim financing measures, called "Permanent Resolutions", and
perhaps a giant "omnibus" finance bill to complete this spending job – something that President Donald Trump had vowed not to do
year.
"I think it's better to be ready to sign another continuing resolution or omnibus bill before the end of the year," Bill said.
Hoagland, former staff member of the Senate Budget Committee.
Up to now, the House has approved 6 of 12 spending bills for 2019:
"The best of the scenarios – five or six (bills) – probably more realistic three or four, will be promulgated," by October 1,
said Donald Wolfensberger, a former senior official of the Rules Committee of the House.
"So you're going to have a continuous resolution, and they'll be back after the election to tinker with things," Wolfensberger
added, bringing into play the possibility of an Omnibus funding bill, something that President Trump said in March there
would not approve.
"I will never sign another bill like this – I will not do it again," said the president in March, when Congress
scrambled all spending measures into one giant bill, and sent him to the White House for his signature.
This time, maybe what the President will be asked to sign in terms of late spending legislation will be something a little bit
smaller – but still, this will only happen after the expiry date.
"We know that Congress is bad enough to meet these deadlines," said Reynolds of Brookings, as some have suggested to get
get rid of the fiscal year, and simply budget on a calendar year, or switch to a two-year biannual budget.
"I guess the big question always looming around October 1, will there be another government shutdown?" Said Wolfensberger.
"I do not think one of the parties wants to have one, to help one party or the other in the November elections," he said.
added.
Obviously, it would be much easier to do the job – if the House were in session in August.
"Congress and Congress members could stand up and improve the process," said John Fortier of Bipartisan Politics
Center, who noted that a special panel is now looking to change the budget process.
"The current budget process has a dysfunction and disorder inherent in the process," said Senator David Perdue (R-GA), who is
a special committee of the House and Senate to examine changes to the budget system at Capitol Hill.
Part of this dysfunction could be the five-week break that the House is now, which almost ensures failure when it comes
at the end of the expense invoices for 2019.
But this reform effort will not change the budget process this year, further increasing the threat of a government shutdown and a
omnibus finance bill – a Capitol Hill rehearsal has seen every year since 1997.
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