GOP Congress faces funding deadline, farm bill, lengthy to-do list in year-end session

WASHINGTON — Voters may have given Democrats control of Congress in the midterm elections, but Republicans will remain in charge of both chambers during the lame-duck session that spans November and December. The relatively brief five-week schedule, which begins Monday, gives GOP leaders a chance to wrap up unfinished work before handing over power when the new session begins in early January. Congress could send the president several major pieces of legislation during that time, including the annual defense policy bill, the farm bill, a measure to regulate the college sports landscape and permitting reform to ease regulation on large construction projects. But lawmakers must pass a government funding bill before Dec. 11 to avoid another shutdown. Congress used a stopgap spending bill to keep federal programs up and running after the new fiscal year began Oct. 1.

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