Lawmakers face jam-packed agenda after elections with government funding and debt limit on the horizon

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill face major deadlines and key issues on their to-do list after the November elections, including averting a federal government shutdown before the end of 2024 and taking action to address the debt limit in the new year.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill face major deadlines and key issues on their to-do list after the November elections, including averting a federal government shutdown before the end of 2024 and taking action to address the debt limit in the new year. The November elections – where control of the White House and both chambers of Congress are at stake – will shake up the political landscape, creating uncertainty over how lawmakers will tackle the challenges ahead. Another unknown is the fate of future Republican leadership in both the House and the Senate, a dynamic that will factor heavily into how legislative fights play out. In the immediate aftermath of the elections, funding the government will take center stage as lawmakers confront a December 20 funding deadline during a lame-duck session – the post-election period before the newly elected Congress is sworn in. There are also growing calls for Congress to pass quickly additional disaster relief in the wake of hurricanes Milton and Helene and the widespread damage caused by the storms. A new Congress will convene in the opening days of 2025, and lawmakers will have to confront the federal debt limit, which will be reinstated on January 2, a challenging and high-stakes issue that often comes down to the wire on Capitol Hill. Congress set up a spending fight at the end of this year after passing a stopgap bill in late September to fund the federal government until December 20.