The 115th Congress will begin its lame-duck session next week when legislators are expected to finalize federal spending for Fiscal 2019 and pass a Farm Bill extension before crop insurance programs begin to expire.  The House and Senate hope to pass a federal budget for Fiscal 2019 before the current stopgap spending measure expires on December 7, 2018. 

Several key appropriations packages remain unfinished, including a minibus package of Agriculture, Financial Services, Interior, Transportation-HUD, in addition to Homeland Security, Commerce-Justice-Science, and State-Foreign Operations.  The Trump Administration wants to attach funding for a border wall to the Homeland Security appropriations bill that would force Senate Democrats to filibuster the bill, threatening a government shutdown.

The Farm Bill Conference Committee continued to work through the recess on negotiations for a 2018 Farm Bill. The Committee still lacks a comprehensive framework for a negotiated bill, and the prospects of a new Farm Bill in the lame-duck are dim.  As the calendar creeps closer to January, Congress will pivot to consideration of a Farm Bill extension that would fund expiring programs.  House Democrats are expected to release a new Farm Bill proposal in the 116th Congress, and a Farm Bill extension will buy Congress time for a fresh start to negotiations.