Congressional lawmakers were welcomed by a reopened and newly restored Capitol rotunda Tuesday after an almost two-month summer break — and a long list of unfinished business.
- Capitol lawmakers have busy next few months
- Funding government, Zika fight on the table
- GOP also wants more hearings on Clinton email server
"From funding the government, to supporting our service members, and taking action on issues like Zika, we’ve got a lot to get done in this upcoming work period," said Sen. Mitch McConnell from the Senate floor.
Funding the government is the one thing that Congress must do in the coming month or risk another federal government shutdown.
Both sides are eager to pass a bill to avoid being blamed for a shutdown before the November election.
Congress also has to resolve its deadlock over approving more funding to fight the mosquito-borne Zika virus — at the urging of public health groups and the Obama administration.
"Hopefully, they’ll get after it," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said during a briefing. "The American people are going to be watching."
The Zika virus is now being transmitted by mosquitoes in Florida. It’s been linked to the death of an infant in Texas and has been declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico.
On the Senate floor Tuesday, the partisan finger-pointing continued.
"Because of Republican inaction, our entire nation is exposed to this scourge," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said.
Meanwhile, House GOP leaders said Tuesday they're considering how to punish Democrats for their anti-gun violence sit-in on the House floor this past June.
The GOP is also scheduling new hearings on Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.
The efforts add to what is already a packed election-season congressional agenda.