--- title: Congress Confronts a Daunting to-Do List description: Faced with a packed legislative calendar and looming deadlines, President Trump cut a deal with congressional Democrats on Sept. 6 to temporarily fund the government... canonical: https://time.com/4931038/congress-confronts-daunting-to-do-list/ author: Nash Jenkins article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-09-07T10:07:01.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T17:19:05.029Z article:section: Politics og:title: Congress Confronts a Daunting to-Do List og:description: Faced with a packed legislative calendar and looming deadlines, President Trump cut a deal with congressional Democrats on Sept. 6 to temporarily fund the government... og:url: https://time.com/4931038/congress-confronts-daunting-to-do-list/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltca5f26ff34aaa1c6/6988dcbdcf40a8b958c49453/congress-confronts-to-do-list-fall.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2405 og:image:height: 1353 og:image:alt: congress-confronts-to-do-list-fall og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Congress Confronts a Daunting to-Do List twitter:description: Faced with a packed legislative calendar and looming deadlines, President Trump cut a deal with congressional Democrats on Sept. 6 to temporarily fund the government... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltca5f26ff34aaa1c6/6988dcbdcf40a8b958c49453/congress-confronts-to-do-list-fall.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Congress Confronts a Daunting to-Do List > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Nash Jenkins](https://time.com/author/p-nash-jenkins/) ## Nash Jenkins Sep 7, 2017 10:07 AM UTC  The sun rises near The United States Capitol Building on March 20 in Washington, D.C. The Senate will hold a confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch and FBI Director James Comey will testify before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. The sun rises near The United States Capitol Building on March 20 in Washington, D.C. The Senate will hold a confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch and FBI Director James Comey will testify before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. Zach Gibson—Getty Images by [Nash Jenkins](https://time.com/author/p-nash-jenkins/) ## Nash Jenkins Sep 7, 2017 10:07 AM UTC Faced with a packed legislative calendar and looming deadlines, President Trump cut a deal with congressional Democrats on Sept. 6 to temporarily fund the government and lift the U.S. debt limit, while providing a down payment for disaster relief. Here’s a look at what lawmakers still have to do this fall: KEEP THE LIGHTS ON Reached over the objections of Republican leaders and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the deal puts off two fiscal showdowns until December: approving spending to keep the government running and increasing the nation’s borrowing authority. Conservative lawmakers may balk at a debt-limit hike that doesn’t include offsetting spending cuts. HELP HURRICANE VICTIMS The devastating storm in Houston was rapidly draining FEMA’s coffers even before Hurricane Irma spiraled toward the East Coast. The House quickly passed a $7.9 billion package to assist with recovery efforts. But the Trump Administration is still calculating how much more will be needed, and here, too, conservatives may object to the hefty price tag unless the package is paired with reductions. DO ANNUAL HOUSEKEEPING Several programs still require congressional attention by the end of the month. The Children’s Health Insurance Program needs funding. The National Flood Insurance Program must be renewed. And the Federal Aviation Administration requires reauthorization. TACKLE THE TRUMP AGENDA Having dropped his insistence on funding for a border wall, Trump’s end-of-year wish list is now topped by a tax-reform package, though lawmakers and the Administration are still haggling over details. In the meantime, Trump has dropped another complicated project on legislators: reaching a deal to replace the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children. 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