111th Congress, Second Session

Congress has adjourned until after the November 2nd election.  For the next few weeks, members of Congress will be focused, almost exclusively, on campaigning for re-election.  Congress is expected to return in the third week of November for a “lame duck” session - a post-election legislative session during which members convene to wrap up unfinished business before the end of the calendar year.  Because these sessions include those members who failed to win reelection and some who are retiring, lame duck sessions are not usually very productive and can be very volatile and difficult to predict.

While the exact agenda for the upcoming lame duck session is still unclear, measures that will likely be taken up include a food safety bill and certain tax provisions.  In addition, Congress must address how to fund the federal government for the next fiscal year as they have yet to finalize all of the various bills that fund current government services and programs, including funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

Continue to check back regularly for feedback and insight on issues of interest before and after the election, during the congressional lame duck session and as the federal agencies continue to conduct business.