Congress is back. Lawmakers have more than just a looming government shutdown fight on their hands.
An upcoming vote on the Jeffrey Epstein files and the next phase of President Donald Trump’s takeover of Washington could threaten the chances of reaching a funding deal ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline.
Here’s what to watch heading into September.
GOVERNMENT FUNDING TALKS — Senate GOP leaders and appropriators are pushing for a short-term funding patch to buy extra time for a larger deal. But that’s certain to face pushback from conservatives who want to jam Democrats with a full-year funding bill that reflects Republican priorities.
Trump increased the risk of a shutdown Friday when he moved to unilaterally claw back roughly $5 billion in foreign aid funding, further eroding already-frayed bipartisan trust. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sent a Dear Colleague letter Tuesday calling on Republicans to work across the aisle to get their support on government funding.
“Senate Republicans must decide: stand up for the legislative branch or enable Trump’s slide toward authoritarianism,” Schumer said in the letter, adding that he spoke with House Minority Hakeem Jeffries and the two are aligned.
EPSTEIN FILES — Expect the discharge petition standoff to come to a head this week. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said he and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) will start the process of forcing a vote “immediately” now that lawmakers are back.
“This has not gone away like the speaker had hoped,” Massie told POLITICO in an interview. “If anything, now that the DOJ is releasing documents, it’s increasing the momentum.”
Rep. Riley Moore, a West Virginia Republican, indicated over recess that he will support the discharge petition, adding to Massie’s confidence that they can gather the necessary 218 signatures. The GOP dissent threatens Speaker Mike Johnson’s control over the House as the shutdown deadline approaches.
DC AND TRUMP’S MYSTERIOUS CRIME BILL — Trump wants Republicans to assemble a comprehensive crime bill, fast. Over recess, DOJ officials spoke with a small group of Republican staffers about assembling a crime package, according to two Republicans granted anonymity to discuss the early talks.
The president is also pressuring Congress to extend his 30-day takeover of the D.C. police, which expires Sept. 9. Senate Democrats are all but certain to block him.
What else we’re watching:
— Stock trading bans: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who has been threatening to launch a discharge petition to force action on Rep. Tim Burchett’s (R-Tenn.) ban on congressional stock trading, plans to give GOP leaders until the end of September to act on their own terms. A group of bipartisan House lawmakers say they plan to unveil a separate compromise soon, but GOP leaders have yet to sign on to any ban.
— Senate rules changes: Republicans are expected to resume talks on changing Senate rules to accelerate the confirmation of Trump’s nominees during closed-door lunches this week. Ideas under discussion include reducing debate time for most nominees, confirming nominees in groups or eliminating the need for procedural votes.
— Appropriations work resumes: House Rules will consider the fiscal 2026 Energy-Water funding bill Tuesday. A House Appropriations subcommittee will mark up the fiscal 2026 Labor-HHS-Education funding bill Tuesday as well.
Meredith Lee Hill and Jordain Carney contributed to this report.
