January 1, Congress Faces Budget Showdown As Summer Ends

Wyatt’s Take

• Congress returns from summer recess facing serious budget and spending fights.
• Failure to pass bills could lead to stopgap measures that keep kicking the can down the road.
• Multiple investigations will add even more heat to an already tense atmosphere.

Lawmakers are coming back to Washington as summer wraps up, and they’ve got their work cut out for them. The end of Congress’s break means tough talks on how the government should spend taxpayer money.

Earlier this year, Congress set a framework with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, laying out President Trump’s big priorities. But setting broad goals is only the first step. Actual funding takes a stack of detailed bills, and both the House and Senate need to work out their differences before anything gets signed into law.

If they can’t finish the job by the September 30 deadline, expect them to use a stopgap plan. This sort of fix just keeps spending the same as last year, which puts off decisions and leaves government agencies in limbo.

For example, last year Congress failed to pass a defense budget, keeping our military on hold with a yearlong extension. That’s no way to treat national security.

The farm bill, another important funding plan for agriculture, is about to run out too. Congress hasn’t agreed on a new version, so the old one keeps getting extended while rural communities wait for certainty.

While all this budget wrestling goes on, Congress is also investigating years of political drama. They’re digging into the alleged coverup of Joe Biden’s mental decline, the “Russia, Russia, Russia hoax,” and whether Jeffrey Epstein’s past connections could reveal wrongdoing by current leaders.

House members are also meeting with victims from the Epstein scandal, and lawmakers are set to ask tough questions about issues in public health leadership.

There’s no shortage of fights ahead, and everyday Americans will be watching to see who stands up for their interests.

Read the full report here

Wyatt Matters

When Congress delays real financial decisions, it hits regular folks first. Communities in Middle America deserve leaders who put them ahead of politics and get the job done on time.