Washington, Sep 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) The US Congress returned to Washington on Monday with a crowded agenda but little time to act before lawmakers leave the capital to campaign for the November 3 midterm elections.
The House is expected to remain in session for only one week, while the Senate has yet to secure agreement on several Republican priorities, CQ Roll Call reported.
Congress has limited must-pass business because President Donald Trump has already signed legislation funding the federal government through December 11.
The shortened calendar leaves lawmakers considering action on cryptocurrency regulation, sanctions against Russia and Iran, college-athlete compensation, energy permitting and surveillance powers.
One measure with significant international implications is a bipartisan sanctions bill that has already cleared the Senate by an 86-11 vote.
The legislation would impose penalties on the Kremlin and some entities doing business with it for five years. It would also extend certain sanctions against Iran for the same period.
The House Rules Committee was scheduled to consider a rule on Monday that would govern debate on the measure. House approval could send the legislation to Trump for his signature.
Some House Democrats have raised concerns that the bill gives the President too much authority. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, one of its principal Senate supporters, has urged lawmakers to accept the compromise.
He described it as “the result of painstaking, sometimes painful, negotiations” involving Congress and the Trump administration.
The Senate’s immediate business is a procedural vote on Tuesday on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act.
Republicans released a revised version on Sunday containing tougher ethics provisions and more than 120 changes sought by Democrats. Senate Majority Leader John Thune previously said supporters appeared short of the 60 votes required to advance it.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that failure to proceed could undermine US leadership in cryptocurrency regulation.
“Failing to do so would send a troubling signal to our allies and adversaries alike that America is unwilling to lead on the future of digital assets and willing to forgo enhanced national security tools to combat their misuse,” Bessent said.
Thune said legislation governing college athletes’ ability to profit from their name, image and likeness would be next on the Senate’s agenda.
He also wants a vote on changes intended to accelerate permits for energy and infrastructure projects.
“I think that’s enormously important, not just as an energy policy issue, but an economic policy issue for our country,” Thune said.
The House could leave Washington as early as this week. That would equal or surpass its modern record for the earliest departure during an election year, set on September 18, 2014.
All 435 House seats and roughly one-third of the Senate are contested during US midterm elections. The results determine which party controls each chamber during the final two years of a presidential term.
Source: IANS
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