This week: Lawmakers aim to pass big bills, leave town

It’s crunch time as Congress has only a few days to avoid a government shutdown.

Leaders in both parties hope to adjourn for the year by Thursday, which is the same day the current government funding bill expires. 

{mosads}The House Appropriations Committee plans to release the “cromnibus” spending bill on Monday, which would fund all of the government through September 2015 except for the Department of Homeland Security. Agencies dealing with immigration policy would only be funded through late winter, likely into February.

A Monday release would mean a House vote on Wednesday at the earliest, leaving a short timeframe for the Senate to clear the measure to President Obama.

House GOP leadership will likely need Democratic help to pass the appropriations package, as many conservatives who think the strategy doesn’t go far enough to block President Obama’s executive action to delay immigrant deportations will likely vote against it.

The House plans send its members home once the appropriations package is headed to Obama’s desk. But the Senate’s adjournment could be later since it still hasn’t passed a package to renew expired tax breaks, the defense authorization, various nominations and other unfinished business. 

Both the defense authorization and tax extenders package passed in the House last week.

Terrorism risk insurance

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have been negotiating a renewal of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) before it expires Dec. 31. The program was created after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The emerging deal would reauthorize the program, which provides a financial backstop for cities after terrorist attacks, for six years. It would also increase the threshold for when the insurance would be offered to $200 million, twice the current $100 million.

That would be a compromise with Hensarling and other conservatives who wanted to raise the threshold to $500 million. 

If a deal is reached, it would be on both the House and Senate floors this week for a vote.

Gruber hearing

In what will likely be the last hearing House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) presides over, ObamaCare consultant Jonathan Gruber will testify Tuesday about his controversial comments about voter “stupidity.” 

Gruber, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will appear alongside Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Marilyn Tavenner.

Farewell addresses

Many departing members of Congress will take to their respective chamber floors to bid farewell to the institution. More than 60 lawmakers are either retiring, lost their primary or general elections, or will take on a new elected office in January. 

Retiring House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) all delivered farewell speeches last week.

Below is a day-by-day schedule of the week ahead:

Monday

The House will convene at noon for morning hour speeches and 2 p.m. for legislative business. At that time, the House will debate a series of bills under suspension of the rules, as well as legislation to provide relief to areas in California affected by prolonged drought. 

However, no House roll call votes are expected, since the chamber was originally scheduled to be in recess on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Senate will convene at 2 p.m. At 5:30 p.m., the Senate will vote to confirm the nominations of Jeffery Martin Baran to be a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Lauren McGarity McFerran to be a member of the National Labor Relations Board and Ellen Dudley Williams to be director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency at the Department of Energy.

Tuesday

The House will take any postponed votes on bills debated Monday. In addition, the House will consider more noncontroversial bills under suspension of the rules.

At 9:30 a.m., ObamaCare consultant Jonathan Gruber will testify before the House Oversight Committee regarding his controversial comments about voter “stupidity.”

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing with Secretary of State John Kerry at 2 p.m. about authorizing military force against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. It was rescheduled from Monday.

Timing remains fluid for when the Senate will consider more nominations, the defense authorization or the tax extenders package.

Wednesday

Assuming the “cromnibus” appropriations package is released Monday, the House will likely vote on the measure. A vote won’t be until Wednesday at the earliest due to a House GOP rule that legislation must be publicly available for at least three calendar days before hitting the floor.

The Select Committee on Benghazi will hold its second public hearing of the year at 10 a.m.

The Senate will be in the midst of considering unfinished lame-duck business, including the defense authorization, tax extenders and nominations.

Thursday

The House could vote on an extension of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act if it hasn’t already. House leadership plans to adjourn for the 113th Congress by Thursday.

The Senate will likely vote on the appropriations package. If senators manage to complete all of the items on their agenda, they may also depart Washington for the year.

– Kevin Cirilli contributed.