September 3, 2021 What to Expect as Congress Returns from Recess

September 3, 2021

What to Expect as Congress Returns from Recess

When Congress reconvenes, they will have a lot of work to do. Elected officials will need to tackle the upcoming end of the fiscal year, the debt ceiling, and the expiration of various COVID-19 relief benefits. At the same time, Senate and House committees must provide recommendations on spending priorities under the proposed $3.5 trillion Democrats-only reconciliation bill. Some moderate Democrats have raised concerns over the price tag; as a reminder, passing the reconciliation bill will require all Democrats in the Senate and nearly all in the House to vote in favor. These circumstances give individual members significant leverage. Finally, House Democrats will consider the Senate-passed infrastructure bill on September 27.

In this week’s News & Notes, we wanted to provide a ticker list of key dates to keep in mind:

• September 6, 2021: Extra $300/week federal pandemic unemployment benefit expires. Several states have already discontinued distributing these benefits.
• September 15, 2021: House and Senate committees to report their portions of Democrats’ reconciliation package.
• September 27, 2021: Deadline for House consideration of the Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure package.
• September 30, 2021:
  • FY21 funding and other major programs expire, including:
    • Surface transportation authorization (FAST Act)
    • National Flood Insurance Program
    • Transportation Security Administration
    • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
  • Employer tax credits for providing emergency sick and family leave, the 15% benefit increase for SNAP, COBRA premium subsidies, and Veterans Affairs Department cost-sharing waiver expire.
• December 31, 2021:
  • Several tax extenders, including for energy and mortgage insurance premiums, expire.
  • Expansions of EITC, child tax credit, child and dependent care tax credit, and employee retention credit expire.
  • Medicare sequestration suspension expires.
• January 31, 2022: Student loan repayment and interest accrual suspension expires.