This Week on the Hill: Lawmakers Kick Off Year-End Legislative Sprint

Lawmakers will return to Washington this week to begin an end-of-the-year legislative blitz. Funding the government for fiscal year (FY) 2020 will be the top priority for the December work session after House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) reportedly struck an agreement on funding allocations for each of the 12 spending bills earlier last week. In addition to appropriations, big-ticket legislative priorities such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, prescription drug pricing, and tax extenders could also see movement before the end of this year.

On the floor, Senators will return this afternoon to consider of Dan Brouillette’s nomination to be Secretary of Energy. Meanwhile, House lawmakers will return tomorrow to consider a bill that would amend the Securities Exchange Act to prohibit certain securities trading and related communications by those who possess material, nonpublic information. Later in the week, the lower chamber will also take up a bipartisan, bicameral measure that seeks to combat illicit robocalls.