Congress this week may vote on transportation and housing appropriations, breast cancer research, cybercrime, historic preservation, and energy efficiency and infrastructure security (see our separate article on the energy bill).

Transportation-HUD Appropriations

The Senate leadership had not released its legislative schedule at press time, but the chamber might continue debate on the so-called Transportation-HUD appropriations bill, which would provide funding for the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through September 30, 2016. The legislation stalled on the floor prior to the Thanksgiving recess due to a demand by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) for a vote on his amendment seeking to ban new refugees from receiving welfare assistance, according to The Hill:

“We borrow a million dollars a minute,” said Paul. “We don’t have enough money to do this. It’s a threat to our national security.”

Regardless of the outcome of the debate on Paul’s amendment or the Senate’s Transportation-HUD funding bill, House and Senate appropriators are expected to unveil a massive “omnibus” measure that will fund government operations through the remainder of fiscal year 2016. The catch-all bill is expected to contain the full text of all 12 appropriations bills that cover every major department — ranging from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Defense — as well as independent agencies such as NASA.

Federal agencies currently are operating under a continuing resolution that expires at midnight on December 11.

Breast Cancer Research, Cybercrime, Historic Preservation

Other bills on the House floor calendar for this week include the: