BS BRIEF:
- House Republicans are attempting to advance a budget framework that could ultimately carry the SAVE America Act, additional Pentagon funding tied to operations involving Iran, and agricultural spending through the budget reconciliation process.
- The House also approved a temporary government funding measure that would keep federal agencies operating through early December, though its path in the Senate remains uncertain because it would normally require bipartisan support to overcome a filibuster.
- With lawmakers preparing to leave Washington for the August recess, the outcome of this week’s votes could shape Congress’s agenda for the remainder of the year, including election legislation, defense funding and federal spending negotiations.
HOUSE ENTERS PRE-RECESS SPRINT WITH SAVE AMERICA ACT, IRAN FUNDING AND SPENDING FIGHT ALL ON THE TABLE
The House of Representatives is heading into one of its busiest stretches before lawmakers leave Washington for the August recess, with Republican leaders trying to move multiple high-profile legislative priorities in just a matter of days.
Among the biggest items on the agenda is a budget resolution designed to pave the way for a broader reconciliation package. Republican leaders say that future legislation could include the SAVE America Act, additional Pentagon funding tied to military operations involving Iran, intelligence spending and agricultural assistance. Because reconciliation bills can pass the Senate with a simple majority under certain budget rules, GOP leaders view the process as a potential path around the chamber’s 60-vote filibuster threshold for qualifying provisions.
The House also approved a continuing resolution that would extend current federal funding levels through Dec. 4, avoiding a government shutdown when the current funding expires. Supporters describe the measure as a short-term bridge while lawmakers negotiate broader appropriations bills later this year.
However, the proposal faces a more difficult road in the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said senators will first evaluate the House package but acknowledged other legislative options remain under consideration if negotiations stall.
“We will hold that, subject to obviously, being able to move a continuing resolution to fund the government. It’s a possibility, that if necessary, we could pull that budget resolution passed by the House and use it to fund government,” Thune said.
Such a move would represent an unusual use of the reconciliation process for government funding and could become a major point of contention between the parties.
Republicans are also working to replenish military stockpiles following recent operations involving Iran. According to House GOP plans outlined this week, the broader package could include roughly $60 billion for defense, billions more for intelligence programs and funding intended to replenish munitions and military equipment.
Meanwhile, another measure expected to receive floor consideration would prohibit members of the House from trading individual stocks while serving in Congress. The proposal goes beyond the 2012 STOCK Act, which bars lawmakers from using nonpublic information obtained through their official duties for financial gain but does not prohibit stock ownership or trading outright.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has argued that any trading ban should apply more broadly across the federal government rather than only to members of the House, setting up another policy disagreement as lawmakers race toward adjournment.
President Donald Trump has continued urging Republicans to unite behind the SAVE America Act, describing election legislation as a major priority for his administration and encouraging lawmakers to move the package before Congress leaves town.
Even if the House completes action this week, several of the proposals are expected to face additional debate in the Senate, where procedural hurdles and negotiations with Democrats could determine how much of the House agenda ultimately becomes law.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- Fox News – Reporter’s Notebook: House’s final sprint puts SAVE America Act and Iran funding in play: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/reporters-notebook-houses-final-sprint-puts-save-america-act-iran-funding-play
- Reuters – US House Republicans push forward on Trump funding plan for Iran war, election overhaul
- Reuters – US House Republicans move forward on Trump priorities, defense bill as August break looms
- Fox News – President Trump urges lawmakers to pass the SAVE America Act
