While the 113th Congress will officially draw to a close early next year, the actual legislative calendar leaves little time to address a mounting list of important issues. The Independence Day recess, month-long August recess and the midterm elections have whittled away the days that the House and Senate will technically be in session in the coming months, and lawmakers have little more than a month of working days in Washington from now until Election Day in November. Members of Congress will be spending a lot of time in their states and districts, which will provide great opportunities for CTE advocates to connect directly with policymakers. For ideas and tips on connecting with legislators, please consult our Advocacy Toolkit. Here is a summary of the upcoming recess schedule:
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House on Recess |
Senate on Recess |
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Independence Day |
June 27-July 7 |
June 30-July 4 |
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August Work Period/Labor Day |
August 1-September 5 |
August 4-September 5 |
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Election Recess |
October 3-November 11 |
TBA |
What’s left on Congress’ plate? The 12 annual appropriations bills must be approved to keep the federal government up and running. This issue is a particularly pressing concern because the fiscal year ends on September 30. As we reported last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee has indefinitely postponed work on the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, which includes funding for Perkins. Moreover, House appropriators have not even set a date to begin consideration on their bill. While it’s unlikely that we will see another government shutdown in the fall, a stopgap Continuing Resolution may be necessary to extend current funding levels several weeks or months past the fiscal year deadline.
The reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) appears to be nearing the finish line very soon. The House and Senate may hold votes on final passage of the bipartisan bill in June and July. The reauthorizations of the Higher Education Act (HEA) and the Perkins CTE Act are unlikely to be completed in the 113th Congress, but expect more hearings and proposed legislation on these issues before the end of the year.
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