Another government shutdown deadline. Retiring senators determined to cement their legacies. A looming November election likely to reshape Congress. And Republicans ready to retaliate over Democrats’ huge spending bill.
It’s not exactly a formula for a smooth ride, as the House and Senate have just weeks after their August break to pass a short-term funding patch that keeps the government open after Sept. 30. While a shutdown isn’t likely, Republicans and even some progressives have suggested that approving a bipartisan stopgap won’t be easy if it includes certain energy permitting provisions meant to button up the climate portions of Democrats’ signature party-line domestic policy bill.
