Congress returned to Washington this week with a bevy of items waiting for them in the first week of the lame duck session. The biggest news of the week comes on the budget front, where Republicans have decided to punt on an omnibus package that would have set spending limits and appropriations for all government agencies. Instead, leadership has decided to pass another short-term continuing resolution through March so that it can work with the Trump administration when dealing with FY 17 spending priorities. Assuming that the CR passes, it means that President Obama has signed his last budget. Expectations of what might come from a Republican Congress and signed by a Trump administration vary, but hits to funding for the EPA and its wetlands work are likely inevitable.
Lead negotiators for WRDA are hopeful that they can get something to the president's desk before the end of the year, but realistic expectations are beginning to falter. According to Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman Jim Inhofe, the holdup is coming from the House conference negotiators. House Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Peter DeFazio still has issues with the conference package due to changes made in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, while some House republicans are still wary of spending on Flint. Without an omnibus package, WRDA is likely the last potential home for aid for residents of Flint, Michigan to recover from lead contaminated drinking water.
Finally, Energy conference negotiations continue, but the results from the election have shaken up just how willing some Republicans are to compromise with their Democrat colleagues. However, Senate Energy Chairman Lisa Murkowski has said that she remains committed to trying to get a bill to the president's desk before the end of the year and is not thinking about the deal she could potentially strike with a Trump administration. So far, she appears unwilling to toss aside the work she and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell have put into this bipartisan package unless compromise with the House simply becomes too onerous. A logical assumption is that permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund would not make the final cut of an energy package that comes from a Republican Congress to be signed by a President Trump.
Congress will be in recess again next week for the Thanksgiving holiday, before returning to Washington on November 28th.
