President Joe Biden and lawmakers return to Washington this week facing
a lengthy lame-duck to-do list with only three weeks scheduled to
resolve it — a recipe for a very un-merry holiday season should
negotiations falter in the final throes of the 117th Congress.

— First up: government funding, which expires Dec. 16. The verdict is
still out on whether a bipartisan full-year appropriations deal is
within reach — or whether Congress will just kick the can down the road
and pass another continuing resolution into next year.

All eyes this week will be on Senate Republicans — and especially GOP
Leader Mitch McConnell, who will have to decide whether to help put up
the 10 needed GOP votes to clear a 2023 omnibus.

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