Yes, it’s Been Quite a Summer

05 Sep Yes, it’s Been Quite a Summer

After an eventful July and a healthy August recess, Congress comes back in town next week facing a busy September, with the main efforts still focused on FY2020 government funding. Even though a budget deal was reached over the summer, details and specifics still need to be worked out, likely necessitating a temporary spending extension into November or December. Along with the fact that the agreement was not reached until late July, and even after coming off of a long break from Washington, Congress is only in session for 13 days this month before leaving town for a two-week recess at the end of the month (starting on the 27th) and into October for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Additionally this month, we could see major policy positions from the Administration, such as the imminent release of a plan to reform the nation’s housing finance system, including how eventually to remove Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from conservatorship. September also will see the first whittled-down Democratic presidential debate, as only ten candidates qualified this month to be on the Texas stage next Thursday the 12th. One other political event guaranteed to receive attention next week is a special congressional election in North Carolina to determine the representative for a district that has been without a House Member since ballot fraud invalidated its 2018 election. We highlight these and other issues below as we briefly preview what we believe will be the focus in Washington in September, subject as always to external or unexpected events that could disrupt the schedule.