Currently,  there is a great deal of attention on the possible tax and spending scenarios that Congress may enact during the lame duck session (the period between Congress’s return to session after the election and before the next Congress convenes in January), as lawmakers will have a lot of fiscal issues to address in a very short amount of time. Most notably, the House and Senate will attempt to find a way to avoid the so-called “fiscal cliff” – the automatic spending cuts and tax increases set to go into effect at the beginning of next year. If this is achieved, it could be done so by reaching a “grand bargain” to avoid the cliff and replace it with a long-term deficit reduction deal. Lawmakers could also attempt to postpone the effective date of sequester and leave it to the new Congress to address. Alternatively, some combination of these two approaches may be used.

In addition to the fiscal cliff, there are a number of other items that Congress could tackle during the lame duck. The Farm Bill expired at the end of the last fiscal year on September 30, 2012, and has yet to be extended or replaced. However, some nutrition assistance programs under the bill, which include the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), were extended through March by the Continuing Resolution (CR) (HJR 117). The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program also expired on September 30, but like SNAP, the program was extended by the CR through March. Congress may or may not act to further extend or reauthorize these programs during the lame duck. Lawmakers are not likely to complete regular fiscal 2013 appropriations during the lame duck, because the current CR does not expire until March 27, 2013.

Link: HJR 117