So Many Bills, So Little Time: Looking at Congress's Fall Agenda

Sep 1, 2009

September 1, 2009

To: FCNL Key Contacts
From: Ruth Flower, Legislative Director
Re: So Many Bills, So Little Time: Looking at Congress's Agenda for the Fall

On Tuesday, September 8, members of Congress return from the summer recess with a big agenda for legislative action and not much time to act. With breaks for religious holidays and a normal Tuesday to Thursday workweek, members of Congress have fewer than 15 legislative days for votes before their next big deadline: the beginning of the federal government's new fiscal year on October 1. The House does expect to be in session at least until October 30, so action on many non-budget issues may be pushed back into October.

Health care tops the congressional agenda this fall.
The media is full of reports that opposition to health care reform is growing, but polls show continuing public support for fixing our broken national health care system. Members of Congress from both chambers broadly agree on many of the major issues: regulating private insurance companies so they cannot exclude people who need health insurance, making health care affordable for low- and moderate-income people, and establishing standards to ensure the quality of basic health insurance. The debates -- about a public plan, how to fund the programs, and whether to include non-citizens -- pale in comparison to the strength of the broad agreements. The House leadership is now putting the final touches on legislation they hope to pass in the next month, but action in the Senate could be delayed since a final bill has not been agreed on by all of the different committees.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is also a stated priority.
The House passed weak legislation in June that would not do enough to address global climate change. Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (NV) has said publicly that he hopes to have a final draft of legislation to address global climate change ready before the end of September. FCNL will be working with other groups to strengthen the climate change bill in the Senate and to make sure the legislation starts reducing harmful emissions now.

More troops for the war in Afghanistan.
Following the elections in Afghanistan, the president's military advisors are reportedly preparing a request to send additional U.S. military troops to Afghanistan. We at FCNL will be working to persuade Congress to oppose any expansion of the war in Afghanistan and to urge the president to develop a strategy for withdrawing troops from that country. We will be asking Congress to pass legislation sponsored by Rep. Jim McGovern (MA) that calls on the president to articulate an exit strategy from Afghanistan. Calming U.S. relations with Iran would contribute to a positive solution in Afghanistan as well, so FCNL is keeping a close watch on administrative and congressional actions and pronouncements with respect to Iran.

Passing legislation to fund the federal government.
The House has passed all 13 of the appropriations bills that providing funding for the federal government for the fiscal year that extends from October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010. The Senate has only passed five of these bills, however, and none have been sent to the president for his signature. In theory, Congress attempts to pass all of these funding bills by September 30, but our lobbyists expect that several of the bills will not be finished until October at the earliest. The funding bills, particularly for foreign aid, international cooperation, diplomacy, and military issues, provide FCNL with opportunities to influence federal government priorities and policy directions.

The fall will be packed with attention to many of the major issues that have been the focus of the FCNL network's lobbying efforts. We hope everyone will follow up on their July and August actions and keep in close touch with their representative and senators. It's an important time, and much is possible.