Congress comes back this week from its monthlong August recess to a pile of legislation that needs immediate attention.
This week, a joint session of Congress will hear an address by President Barack Obama, and on the same day --Thursday -- the president will unveil his "jobs bill." The president announced his intention to craft a jobs bill just before he went on his August vacation. His bill is aimed at putting people back to work after August became one of the most dismal unemployment months in over a year, with about 14 million people officially unemployed. Almost 43 percent or almost 6 million of them have been out of work for longer than six months.
Congress also faces the out-of-control debt that is supposed to be tackled by the supercommittee that was created by Congress just before the members took off for their monthlong recess. The supercommittee meets for the first time on Thursday, but most believe the first meeting of the 12 lawmakers will be filled with photo-op sessions and long-winded opening statements. Meanwhile, legislation stacks up in the House and Senate like planes trying to land at Reagan National Airport.
September looks busy, with the following legislative bills awaiting congressional action:
- FAA extension which expires Sept. 16. This Federal Aviation Administration has been operating under 21 short-term extensions since 2008.
- Intelligence authorization which expires Sept. 30. This bill authorizes programs for the CIA, NSA, DIA and other intelligence agencies, and has been operating on various short- and long-term extensions for the last couple of years.
- Federal Flood Insurance expires Sept. 30 and given the August hurricane Irene and tropical storm Lee, there will be efforts to extend the national flood insurance program. The House and Senate are at odds over how much to increase premiums for homeowners. This federal program has relied on short-term extensions since 2008 and the program has accumulated about $18 billion in debt.
- The Federal Gas Tax expires Sept. 30. This is the 18 cent per gallon tax we all pay at the gas pump when we fill up our vehicles. This program has been extended seven times and brings in about $100 million per day to our federal treasury.
Since Congress has once again failed to enact a single one of the appropriations bills that fund all of our federal agencies and departments, a continuing resolution will have to be crafted and passed by Sept. 30. Funding levels will have to be negotiated and the 12 individual bills that are supposed to be passed by Congress each year will have to be "married" into the one big omnibus continuing resolution.
So much more lies ahead for Congress past the month of September, but this writer thought it best to concentrate on the month at hand so as not to overwhelm readers with all the unfinished business that Congress faces.
Labor Day is a celebration of the American worker. Thank a worker when you see him or her on the job -- and those working, be thankful for the job.
Stay tuned for more on Congress.
Elizabeth B. Letchworth is a retired, elected United States Senate secretary for the majority and minority. Currently she is a senior legislative adviser for Covington & Burling, LLC and is the founder of GradeGov.com.
