BURSTThe House and Senate returned to Washington on Tuesday after a monthlong August recess and are racing against the clock as the government shutdown deadline approaches.
Republican leadership left Capitol Hill earlier this summer on a high note following the passage of President Trump's landmark tax and spending bill. But now the lower chamber must work to avoid a government shutdown when federal funding runs out on Sept. 30.
Divisions within the GOP about the stopgap measure as well as Democrats' anger at Trump's calls to rescind allocated funding threaten to derail negotiations and potentially force a shutdown.
But lawmakers are not just staring down fraught funding negotiations, they also face increased pressure from the president to confirm his Senate nominees — and are even considering a possible rule change to speed up votes amid Democrats' pushback.
Meanwhile, clashes about the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are once again expected to take center stage in the House as both sides of the aisle call for increased transparency about the case.
Trump on Tuesday will also make an announcement related to the Defense Department, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. He is expected to speak at 2 p.m. EDT.
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