Senate Republicans rush to complete busy to-do list before leaving town for August recess

Senate Republicans are busy this week trying to complete a long "to-do" list before they leave town for the August recess and those running for reelection begin campaigning in their respective states.

The to-do list includes passing a stopgap spending bill designed to avert a government shutdown until after the midterms, confirming Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as the head of the Justice Department and advancing a $95 billion package that would provide more funding for the Iran war and for farmers, according to the Washington Post.

Senators have already confirmed President Donald Trump's choice to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and advanced the continuing resolution to avert the shutdown, but a final vote on it has not yet been scheduled. 

The chamber has also voted to invoke cloture on an en bloc of 74 Trump nominees, which includes nominees for the Departments of State, Energy, Treasury and Justice.

Whatever senators fail to accomplish during the rest of the week is expected to be pushed to September, when Congress is scheduled to be in Washington briefly before going back on the campaign trail.

If the stopgap measure is pushed until September, lawmakers will only have a short window to pass it to avert a shutdown because federal funding as it stands is expected to run out Oct. 1. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.