In This Issue:

- Energy and Climate Debate

- Congress

- Administration

- Department of Defense

- Department of Energy

- Department of Transportation

- Environmental Protection Agency

- International

- States

- Miscellaneous

- Excerpt from Energy and Climate Debate:

Congress returns to Washington this week for a two-week session before leaving again to campaign in advance of the November elections. The House will vote on a fairly clean continuing resolution on Thursday, with the Senate to debate the funding measure shortly thereafter. The continuing resolution will likely fund the government through December 11. The measure could serve as a vehicle for two other September priorities: reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, the charter of which is set to expire September 30, and passage of the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act. Following the November 4 election, Congress will return for an intense lame duck session that could include debate on a lengthy and wide range of issues, including a host of expired tax provisions such as the production tax credit.

In addition to the continuing resolution, the House is scheduled to bring up an energy package comprised of 13 already-passed measures, including legislation approving the Keystone XL pipeline (H.R. 3), limiting environmental regulations (H.R. 1582), and opening federal lands to energy extraction (H.R. 4899). The House may also consider three other messaging issues: a jobs measure that draws from a list of 40 previously passed House bills, a healthcare bill (H.R. 3522), and Representative Frank Wolf’s (R-VA) legislation to authorize the use of military force against the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant. The Senate will debate its own line up of messaging bills: legislation to raise the minimum wage (S. 2223), address pay equity issues (S. 2199), and student loan rates (S. 2432), and guarantee access to contraception (S. 2578), as well as a constitutional amendment to limit campaign contributions and spending (S.J. Res. 19). For more information, please see our outlook for the remainder of the year, also out today.