WASHINGTON – Congress'summer breakis over, and lawmakers don't have much time to waste if they want to keep the federal government's lights on through October. As a strict government funding deadline approaches by the end of September, Republicans need 60 votes in the Senate – and help from Democrats – to pass a budget bill and avoid a shutdown. For that reason, Democrats know they have a fair amount of political leverage over Republicans for thefirst time since March. It remains to be seen, though, whether they can get Republicans to grant any of their demands – or if budget brinksmanship may lead the American economy intoanother government shutdown. It's been a busy year so far for lawmakers, as Republicans have maneuveredhuge cuts to taxes and spendingthrough a GOP-controlled House and Senate. Before heading into the August break, Congress passed the "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act," a massive domestic policy lawchampioned by the White Housethat will cut social safety-net programs like Medicaid and food stamps while providingtax breaks mostly to wealthier familiesand to corporations. Read more:An unusual six months in Congress of long days and short fuses Passing that legislation was Republican lawmakers' first big hurdle this year. But there are more issues to watch on Capitol Hill in the next few weeks and months. Here are a few to keep an eye on. The first big item on lawmakers' to-do list is passing a budget measure by Sept. 30 to keep the government funded through the next fiscal year. Democrats can stand in the way of that. Unlike with the "One Big, Beautiful bill Act," appropriations bills can be filibustered in the Senate, which require 60 votes to overcome. Republicans only have a 53-47 majority. March was thelast time Congress was in this position, and at the time, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumerthrew his supportbehind a funding extension and bypassed a filibuster. Though he drew ire from progressives for reaching across the aisle, Schumer said he did so because he feared the GOP would drag a shutdown on "for months and months and months." "How you stop a shutdown would be totally determined by the Republican House and Senate," he said in the spring. "And that is totally determined, because they've shown complete blind obeisance, by (President Donald) Trump." This time around, Schumer isn't playing nice. Both he and some Republicans – includingMaine Sen. Susan Collins, the powerful chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee – are angry with the White House for clawing backbillions of dollarsin previously appropriated funding for foreign aid. Trump administration officials have hinted that more "pocket rescissions," this time canceling money for Education Department programs, could be coming. Read more:Education Department delays are putting parenting college students in a bind Bipartisan frustration with those efforts threatens to upend any budget negotiations. "Republicans don't have to be a rubber stamp for this carnage," Schumer said in a statement before Labor Day weekend. "But if Republicans are insistent on going it alone, Democrats won't be party to their destruction." Democrats' shutdown strategy will become clearer in the coming weeks, and whether the White House sticks to its funding clawbacks will influence those plans. Then there's Jeffrey Epstein, the financier who was convicted of child sex trafficking before hanging himself in jail in 2019. In the six years since, conspiracy theories about Epstein's associates have swirled in right-wing media. Some conservatives care deeply about the case and have long called for more transparency around government investigations into Epstein. The Epstein controversy has putMike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, in a tough situation. Trump, the leader of his party, has said "nobody cares about" Epstein anymore. While the Justice Department has publicly released some of its findings about him, some congressional Republicans and GOP voters still aren't satisfied. Johnson even sent lawmakers home early in late July toavoid another clashover the Epstein files. The issue has become perhaps the most significant wedge between congressional Republicans and the president.Trump was friends with Epsteinfor years and spoke warmly about him publicly, until theyhad a falling outabout 20 years ago. The president denies any wrongdoing related to his relationship with Epstein. On Aug. 5, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Justice Department for thousands of pages of Epstein-related documents and started receiving them within two weeks, according to thepanel's Republican chair. Capitalizing on the GOP divide before the recess, Democrats proposed several measures to release more files about Epstein to the public. Similar legislation may come up again in the weeks ahead. Efforts are intensifyingto redraw statewide congressional maps ahead of next year's midterm elections. Despite bruising losses in 2024, Democrats are better positioned to take back one or both chambers of Congress in 2026 because ofTrump's low-approval ratings. Republicans only have aseven-seat majorityin the House of Representatives, so they're undertaking an unusual mid-decade redistricting campaign to shore up their chances of keeping their majority. Both chambers of the Republican state legislature in Texas haveapproved new maps, likely notching the GOP five more seats in the U.S. House next year. Lawmakers in Californiaresponded in kind, approving a measure to put a proposal on the November ballot that would suspend current redistricting rules and allow Democrats to gain a similar number of seats. Redistricting battles are brewing inOhioandIndianatoo. In both states, Republicans are trying to create more GOP seats. The controversies over gerrymandering will be top of mind for many lawmakers over the next year, especially if their own districts are redrawn. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Congress is back in session. These 3 major issues loom.
