Before the midte elections, lawmakers have five things on their to-do list when Congress reconvenes.

After a month-long recess, Congress reconvenes to discuss a number of issues, including a potential government shutdown, safeguards for same-sex marriage, and a plan to prevent future coup attempts.

In Washington When Congress reconvenes following a month-long August recess in preparation for the upcoming Nov. 8 midterm elections, preventing a government shutdown will be at the top of the agenda.

Tuesday saw the Senate reconvene. Next week, The House will be returning. According to Democratic leaders, Congress will take a break for the most, if not all, of October so that lawmakers can campaign at home before a crucial election that will determine which party will control Congress for the following two years.

But there are a few problems they must first fix.

As he called the Senate back together on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, emphasised the need of maintaining the government's operations and the necessity to confirm more justices.

Invest in the government

Both parties want to prevent a government shutdown before the November elections, but there are a number of challenging problems that need to be resolved.

Congress will be frantically trying to enact a short-term stopgap legislation in the upcoming weeks to keep the lights on in Washington until Election Day, perhaps until December, as funding for the federal government expires on September 30.

Democrats' desire to cram some of their priorities inside the continuing resolution, or CR, complicates matters. The Biden White House wants to tack on a $47 billion plan that includes $11.7 billion for more military and economic aid to Ukraine, over $27 billion for the fight against Covid-19 and monkeypox, and $6.5 billion for aid for recent natural catastrophes including flooding and wildfires.

The CR may also include legislation on permitting reform, which is another topic. Democratic party leaders promised to pass legislation this month that would expedite the approval process for domestic energy projects, including natural gas pipelines, in order to win Sen. Joe Manchin's support for the vast climate and healthcare package.

Progressives and environmentalists, however, are displeased with the side deal because they think that relaxing permitting would slow down the country's move to sustainable energy. Progressive leader and chair of the House Natural Resources Committee Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., announced on Yahoo Finance that he and more than 60 other House Democrats intend to write to leadership requesting that the Manchin bill not be connected to the CR.

On September 30, Congress has another deadline: Numerous Food and Drug Administration user fee schemes that aid in funding the organisation are about to end. The Food and Drug Administration would be forced to experience delays if they weren't renewed.

Defend lawful same-sex unions

Following the Supreme Court's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade and the potential that those rights may be invalidated as well, Democrats have also sought to codify safeguards for same-sex marriage and interracial marriage.

A person holds up a sign in New York on June 24 at a protest against the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images file

With the support of 47 Republicans, the Respect for Marriage Act was approved by the House. However, the issue has not attracted a sizable amount of GOP support on the opposite side of the Capitol, making it unclear how likely it is to survive a filibuster in the Senate.

A congressional Democratic source claimed that senior Senate Democrats were considering included it in the CR in an effort to pass it.

Only four Senate Republicans—Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rob Portman of Ohio, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina—have publicly stated their support for the measure, well short of the ten Republicans required to end a GOP filibuster.

Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri, Ted Cruz, and John Cornyn of Texas are among the Republicans who have told NBC News they oppose the proposal and don't see a need for it since they don't think these rights are in danger. Although Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin first claimed he had "no reason" to oppose the plan, he has subsequently warned there might be problems.

However, Democrats vary on the best course of action. The bill's sponsor, Democratic senator from Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin, said on Tuesday that the government funding measure is "not my preferred approach" to move the legislation further.

In order to convince more than 10 Republicans to endorse the measure, Baldwin stated she is seeking "input on an amendment that would resolve the remaining issues."

According to a representative for Baldwin, "The Senator's aim is to pass the Respect for Marriage Act and she will do whatever it takes to get there." "People in same-sex weddings and multiracial unions need and should have the assurance that their marriage is lawful."

Improve election regulations to stop coups

To prevent future coup attempts, beginning with the 2024 presidential election, many MPs from both parties prioritise passing a new law that tightens election laws. Two measures to do that were released in July by a bipartisan group of senators, led by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., in part in reaction to efforts by supporters of former President Donald Trump to annul the 2020 election.

The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act would strengthen legislation to certify elections for the legitimate winner, clarify the 1887 law on the vice president's role in counting votes, and encourage a smooth transition of power.

On Aug. 3, the matter was heard by the Senate Rules Committee, which is headed by Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. When the legislation will be debated in front of the entire Senate is unknown. Senators are debating whether to vote in the lame-duck session or before the election.

Democrats and some Republicans think the bill needs to pass this year because they fear that a future GOP-controlled House will toss it out the window the next year.

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who recently become the bill's 10th Republican supporter, has put it in a position to pass the Senate if Democrats unite. A second bill, the Enhanced Election Security and Protection Act, would impose penalties for intimidating election officials or workers as well as additional guidelines for safeguarding electronic information.

end of investigation as of January 6

The Jan. 6 committee intends to hold further hearings later this month after holding eight broadcast hearings in June and July.

The bipartisan panel's 15-month investigation, which is anticipated to be summarised in an interim report before the November elections, is expected to be highlighted in those sessions.

The final report of the committee won't be finished until after the election, but it needs to be written before year's end. On CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., remarked, "We're like Cinderella at midnight." Our licence expires at the end of the calendar year.

Members of the committee and staff are still looking for more interviews with prominent witnesses who might be able to fill in the blanks when they write their reports. The panel from January 6 stated that it is still interested in speaking with conservative activist Ginni Thomas, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and former vice president Mike Pence, among others.

According to Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., a committee member, "my guess is... that it's going to be very tough to get the complete report done by the end of October, but we'll have some major findings." There is a huge amount of information that needs to be presented and communicated, ideally in a way that the American public can understand.

Add more judges.

Confirming as many of President Joe Biden's judicial nominations as possible is another item on Schumer's to-do list. 78 positions are open on the federal trial and appellate courts at the moment. According to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Biden has proposed 33 nominations for district courts and four for the appeals court. Processing that will take some time.

Between the election and the swearing-in of the new Congress in January, the Democratic-led Senate will need to decide whether to process judges and how many.

Regardless of the results of the midterm elections, many Democrats will feel less inhibited about voting in November and December than they did in prior Congresses. Republicans broke a long-standing tradition in the 2020 lame-duck session to refrain from confirming judicial nominations submitted by a president who has just lost the election, thanks to Sen. Mitch McConnell's leadership.