Spending chief: Time drives pre-recess CR talk

The chairman of the House spending panel said Wednesday that members are talking about moving a continuing resolution before the chamber adjourns for the August recess next week but have not made a final decision.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) said limited time is the rationale for moving a funding measure before the five-week break.

{mosads}“We have a limited number of legislative days when we get back in September,” Rogers said.

Congress is scheduled to return from recess on Sept. 8. The House will be in session for eight legislative days before taking another weeklong recess. Then it would return on Sept. 29, a day before the end of the current fiscal year. 

Without a new government funding bill by Oct. 1, the government would shut down.

Republicans could also be worried about a repeat of last year’s August recess, when Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and other Republicans staged events to gin up support for using a government shutdown showdown to defund the healthcare law.

No Republicans are actively making threats to shut down the government this year. Republicans lost support in polls during last year’s shutdown.

This article was updated at 8:32 p.m.