Once again Congress is racing against the clock to keep the federal government open as the House and Senate work towards passage of a short-term funding extension needed to keep the government running before a midnight deadline on Wednesday.

As has become customary in recent years, debate over the federal budget and annual spending has become a highly partisan spectacle and down-to-the-wire event. The tumultuous process this year fits this pattern and led to the surprise announcement last Friday from Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) that he will resign from his leadership post and his seat in Congress effective October 30.

The Speaker had been engaged in a struggle in recent weeks with members of his own party over funding for Planned Parenthood. Congress has initiated an investigation of the organization after a series of undercover videos, showing Planned Parenthood employees willing to sell parts from aborted fetuses, was released. Many social conservatives in the House and Senate threatened to block passage of a continuing resolution to fund the federal government beyond the September 30 end of the fiscal year unless the measure also stripped all federal funding for Planned Parenthood. While such a measure would likely pass the House, it would not survive a vote in the Senate. In fact, last week the Senate failed to pass a short-term continuing resolution that would have defunded Planned Parenthood by a vote of 47-52, with eight Republicans opposing the measure. With no viable path forward in the Senate, Speaker Boehner was left to decide whether to hold his ground on the Planned Parenthood provision, which would guarantee a government shutdown, or, to the ire of his conservative colleagues, allow for consideration of a “clean” continuing resolution, i.e., one that did not cut off funding for Planned Parenthood. While this fight was not the Speaker’s first with the more ideologically pure members of the conservative wing of his conference, several House members went so far as to threaten to attempt to remove Rep. Boehner as Speaker of the House over the issue. In order to prevent further turmoil within the House Republican conference that he feared could “do irreparable harm to the institution,” Speaker Boehner announced he would instead step down.

The Speaker’s announcement on Friday seemed to ease the threat of a shutdown and the immense pressure from House conservatives to include language in the stopgap funding measure to defund Planned Parenthood. A “clean” continuing resolution is likely to receive support from most House Democrats, enough support for passage through the House, though the measure may still lose the support of Tea Party-aligned conservatives. Without having to worry about maintaining his position, however, the Speaker can, for the next month, rely on Democratic votes to pass legislation. Beyond this week, the Speaker’s impending retirement is likely to prompt a spate of legislation on several matters that have been contested by conservatives. While no announcements have yet been made and, given the unexpectedness of the Speaker’s resignation decision, little planning has likely been done by House leaders and their staff, but the highway-funding bill, the debt-ceiling increase, and the renewal of the Export-Import Bank could all see action before the end of October.

On the short-term funding bill, the Senate is expected to move first. In the wake of the Senate’s failure to pass a continuing resolution last week that would have defunded Planned Parenthood, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has scheduled a cloture vote for Monday on a ten-week continuing resolution that will keep the government financed through December 11. Should the Senate pass the bill, it is expected to move to the House on Tuesday and on to the President for signature before the Wednesday evening deadline. While the Speaker’s announced resignation is likely to allow Congress to avoid a government shutdown for now, it is unclear how Congress will be able to move forward and pass a bill to fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year as the December 11 deadline approaches.

Outside of the stopgap spending measure, the House has teed up other legislation related to Planned Parenthood for consideration this week. The House is expected to vote on H.R. 3495, a bill that would give states greater flexibility to exclude those medical providers that perform abortions from Medicaid contracts. In addition, the House will take up a number of bills under suspension of the rules early in the week. Among these are expected to be bills to extend the Federal Aviation Administration for six months, as it is due to expire on September 30. The House also plans to approve legislation to extend the Perkins Loan Program for college students for one year, as that program too is set to expire on September 30. The House also plans to consider the Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees Act, a bill to prevent companies with 51 to 100 employees from having to provide health-care benefits under the Affordable Care Act. Other suspension bills this week will extend federal agriculture programs and extend expiring authorities of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Aside the continuing resolution and H.R. 3495, the House may consider the Justice for Victims of Iranian Terrorism Act and the conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act, if the latter becomes available.

Press reports also indicate that there are plans in the Republican conference to develop reconciliation legislation to permanently defund Planned Parenthood. The House Ways and Means Committee has scheduled a markup of reconciliation measures for Tuesday morning. Reconciliation rules would allow for Senate consideration with limited time for debate and passage with a simple majority vote. However, such legislation would not necessarily sustain a veto from President Obama, which he has adamantly promised throughout the debate over Planned Parenthood.

It is unclear what the Senate will turn to once the government funding issue is resolved, although it is likely that the chamber will quickly pass a short-term reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Perkins Loan Program, along with other bills needed to maintain agency functions into the new fiscal year. The Senate may also consider the conference report on the National Defense Authorization Act, should conference committee members work through the remaining differences between the House- and Senate-passed versions of the bill.

With China’s President Xi Jinping having visited Washington during the past weekend on an official state visit, relations with China are the subject of several congressional hearings this week, most focused on the issue of cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is currently a thorny issue between the two countries, due to several recent and high-profile hacks of sensitive information from U.S. companies and government agencies, which some have been blamed on China. The state visit itself produced an agreement between the two countries to resolve cybersecurity disputes, although initial commentary on the deal by some experts has been skeptical of the effectiveness of the agreement. On Tuesday the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities will hear outside perspectives on the Department of Defense cyber strategy while the full Committee meets Wednesday morning to review the DoD strategy. The Senate Armed Services Committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday on U.S. Cybersecurity Policy and Threats while the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy will meet on Tuesday afternoon for a hearing on U.S.-China Relations. The House Foreign Affairs Committee has a hearing scheduled Wednesday on cyber war and foreign relations.

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law will be discussing health insurance mergers on Tuesday, which was the subject of a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing last week. At the time of its enactment and since, the Affordable Care Act was thought by experts to produce ultimately consolidations in the health-care field. Recent mergers have justified those judgments. Two major insurance providers, Anthem and Aetna, have proposed the acquisitions of two other major insurance companies: Anthem plans to buy Cigna for a reported $48 billion, while Aetna plans to buy Humana for a reported $35 billion. The Department of Justice is currently reviewing the acquisition deals and whether the mergers would create an imbalance in the health insurance market. House Judiciary Committee members are expected to discuss the impact of the proposed deals on consumers and Medicare recipients.

The state of affairs in Syria and the refugee crisis in Europe will also receive congressional attention this week. Counterterrorism in Syria is the subject of a Tuesday hearing in the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will discuss the humanitarian crisis in Syria on Tuesday, while the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration will review President Obama’s proposal to join European nations in taking in displaced Syrians.

Finally, the House Ways & Means Committee is planning to mark up on Tuesday a budget reconciliation bill to include a provision to defund permanently Planned Parenthood. The reconciliation process allows the Senate to consider and pass legislation by a simple majority vote (although the Senate failed to muster a simple majority last week to defund Planned Parenthood), and the reconciliation maneuver may allow more conservatives to vote for a clean continuing resolution, knowing they will get the chance to vote on a permanent ban on Planned Parenthood funding. Ultimately, however, if the reconciliation bill passes the Senate, it is certain to be vetoed by the President, and neither chamber has the votes to override that veto.

A full schedule of congressional hearings for the week is included below:

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

House Committees

Agricultural Colleges’ Research
House Agriculture – Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 1300 Longworth Bldg.

Outside Perspectives on the Defense Department Cyber Strategy
House Armed Services – Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2118 Rayburn Bldg.

“Protecting Local Business Opportunity Act”
House Education and the Workforce – Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2261 Rayburn Bldg.

ACA Overdue Checkup: Examining the ACA’s State Insurance Marketplaces
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn Bldg.

The Disrupter Series: How the Sharing Economy Creates Jobs, Benefits Consumers, and Raises Policy Questions
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade
Subcommittee Hearing
10:15 a.m., 2322 Rayburn Bldg.

The Semi-Annual Report of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection
House Financial Services
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2128 Rayburn Bldg.

Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2015
House Judiciary – Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice
Subcommittee Hearing
11:30 a.m., 2237 Rayburn Bldg.

Marine National Monuments Designations
House Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans
Subcommittee Oversight Hearing
10 a.m., 1324 Longworth Bldg.

Federal Forest Management
House Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Federal Lands
Subcommittee Oversight Hearing
10:30 a.m., 1334 Longworth Bldg.

Planned Parenthood’s Taxpayer Funding
House Oversight and Government Reform
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2154 Rayburn Bldg.

Astrobiology Outlook
House Science, Space and Technology
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2318 Rayburn Bldg.

The Blacklist: Are Small Businesses Guilty Until Proven Innocent?
House Small Business – Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce; House Small Business – Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations
Committee Joint Hearing
10 a.m., 2360 Rayburn Bldg.

Reconciliation Measures
House Ways and Means
Full Committee Markup
10:15 a.m., 1100 Longworth Bldg.

U.S. Air Force Bomber Force Structure
House Armed Services – Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
Subcommittee Hearing
3:30 p.m., 2118 Rayburn Bldg.

The Impact of Domestic Regulatory Standards on the U.S. Insurance Market
House Financial Services – Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2128 Rayburn Bldg.

U.S. Counterterrorism in Syria
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2172 Rayburn Bldg.

Healthy Competition? An Examination of the Proposed Health Insurance Mergers and the Consequent Impact on Competition
House Judiciary – Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2141 Rayburn Bldg.

Tribal Recognition
House Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 1324 Longworth Bldg.

Senate Committees

Transportation Security Administration
Senate Appropriations – Subcommittee on Homeland Security
Subcommittee Hearing
11 a.m., 138 Dirksen Bldg.

U.S. Cybersecurity Policy and Threats
Senate Armed Services
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 a.m., G-50 Dirksen Bldg.

Treasury, FDIC Nominees
Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
Full Committee Confirmation Hearing
10 a.m., 538 Dirksen Bldg.

Clean Air Policy
Senate Environment and Public Works
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 406 Dirksen Bldg.

Financial and Economic Challenges in Puerto Rico
Senate Finance
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 215 Dirksen Bldg.

U.S. Role and Strategy in the Middle East: The Humanitarian Crisis
Senate Foreign Relations
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 419 Dirksen Bldg.

Veterans Health
Senate Veterans’ Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 418 Russell Bldg.

Pipeline Safety
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation – Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m., 253 Russell Bldg.

Endangered Species Act
Senate Environment and Public Works – Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Water
Subcommittee News Conference/Briefing
2 p.m., 406 Dirksen Bldg.

U.S.-China Relations
Senate Foreign Relations – Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m., 419 Dirksen Bldg.

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

House Committees

U.S. Food Aid
House Agriculture
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 1300 Longworth Bldg.

Implementing Department of Defense Cyber Strategy
House Armed Services
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2118 Rayburn Bldg.

Energy Bill
House Energy and Commerce
Full Committee Markup
TBA, 2123 Rayburn Bldg.

Cyber War: Definitions Deterrence and Foreign Policy
House Foreign Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2172 Rayburn Bldg.

Homeland Security Bills
House Homeland Security
Full Committee Markup
10 a.m., 311 Cannon Bldg.

Respecting State Authority, Responsibilities and Expertise Regarding Resource Management and Energy Development
House Natural Resources
Full Committee Oversight Hearing
10 a.m., 1324 Longworth Bldg.

Dyslexia Measure
House Science, Space and Technology
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2318 Rayburn Bldg.

Great Lakes Restoration
House Transportation and Infrastructure – Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn Bldg.

Labor Department Fiduciary Rule
House Ways and Means – Subcommittee on Oversight
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 1100 Longworth Bldg.

The Threat of Islamist Extremism in Russia
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2200 Rayburn Bldg.

Ridding Central Africa of Joseph Kony
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2172 Rayburn Bldg.

Toll Interoperability
House Oversight and Government Reform
Full Committee Hearing
2 p.m., 2154 Rayburn Bldg.

Senate Committees

Securities Investor Protection Corporation
Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs – Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and Investment
Subcommittee Oversight Hearing
10 a.m., 538 Dirksen Bldg.

Waters of the United States
Senate Environment and Public Works – Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Water
Subcommittee Oversight Hearing
10 a.m., 406 Dirksen Bldg.

Health Bills and Nominations
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Full Committee Markup
10 a.m., 430 Dirksen Bldg.

Education Review
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 a.m., 342 Dirksen Bldg.

Judicial Nominations
Senate Judiciary
Full Committee Confirmation Hearing
10 a.m., 226 Dirksen Bldg.

Economic Crisis in Ukraine
Senate Foreign Relations
Full Committee Other Event
2 p.m., S-116 Capitol Bldg.

Government Spending
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs – Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m., 342 Dirksen Bldg.

Pension Advances
Senate Special Aging
Full Committee Hearing
2:30 p.m., 562 Dirksen Bldg.

Veterans Affairs Nomination
Senate Veterans’ Affairs
Full Committee Confirmation Hearing
2:30 p.m., 418 Russell Bldg.

Joint Committees

Cost of Higher Education
Joint Economic
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 562 Dirksen Bldg.

Thursday, October 1, 2015

House Committees

Navy Shipyards
House Armed Services – Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
Subcommittee Hearing
8 a.m., 2118 Rayburn Bldg.

Medicare Program
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Health
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2322 Rayburn Bldg.

Nuclear Material Transport
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy
Subcommittee Hearing
10:15 a.m., 2123 Rayburn Bldg.

Senate Committees

Navy Aircraft Carrier Program Review
Senate Armed Services
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 a.m., G-50 Dirksen Bldg.

“American Crude Oil Export Equality Act”
Senate Banking
Full Committee Markup
10 a.m., 538 Dirksen Bldg.

Improper Payments
Senate Finance
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 215 Dirksen Bldg.

Foreign Policy Nominations
Senate Foreign Relations
Full Committee Business Meeting
10 a.m., 419 Dirksen Bldg.

Health IT
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 430 Dirksen Bldg.

Immigration Measure
Senate Judiciary
Full Committee Markup
10 a.m., 226 Dirksen Bldg.

Gold King Mine Wastewater Spill
Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 428-A Russell Bldg.

Soda Ash Measure
Senate Energy and Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m., 366 Dirksen Bldg.

Refugee Resettlement
Senate Judiciary – Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 226 Dirksen Bldg.

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Photo of Kaitlyn McClure Kaitlyn McClure

Kaitlyn McClure is a policy advisor in Covington’s Public Policy Practice, leveraging her experience in government and politics to provide strategic advisory services and support to clients with legislative matters before government agencies and Congress.

Before joining the firm, Ms. McClure was the…

Kaitlyn McClure is a policy advisor in Covington’s Public Policy Practice, leveraging her experience in government and politics to provide strategic advisory services and support to clients with legislative matters before government agencies and Congress.

Before joining the firm, Ms. McClure was the Associate Vice President of Client Relations at DDC Advocacy. Prior to working for DDC, Ms. McClure served as the strategy assistant for former presidential candidate Governor Mitt Romney. Her experience also includes working in the U.S. Senate as a legislative assistant for Republican Senators John Hoeven of North Dakota and Judd Gregg of New Hampshire.