House to be in session all 5 days next week

The House has revised its schedule for next week so that members will be in Washington Monday through Friday to accommodate consideration of a stopgap funding bill and authorization to arm Syrian rebels.

GOP lawmakers remain divided over whether to give President Obama authority to equip and train Syrian rebels fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The White House requested that authority be included in a continuing resolution, leading lawmakers to push a vote on the stopgap bill until next week.

{mosads}Members are eager for Congress to finish its work quickly so that they can return to the campaign trail ahead of November’s midterms. But the debate over Syria has left lawmakers scrambling and could now force them to work into October.

The House’s last votes for this week wrapped up shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday, and lawmakers were scheduled to return Tuesday evening. But House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) office advised members that legislation on Syria and the stopgap funding bill could come as soon as Tuesday.

Lawmakers must pass a continuing resolution to keep the government funded to avoid a shutdown on Oct. 1.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) asked McCarthy if lawmakers would need to return the week of Sept. 29 to finish work.

“There has been no change to that schedule,” McCarthy said.

The Senate is also expected to reconvene on Monday next week.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko will address a joint session of Congress on Thursday, further cutting into the time left for lawmakers to hash out a deal.