Lawmakers are scheduled to return to Washington after the elections with a heap of unfinished business and little time to get it done. Hurricane Helene may push disaster aid to the top of the agenda, while a year-end spending deal could be a heavy lift amid hopes for a farm bill and a defense policy bill. CQ Roll Call’s Peter Cohn and David Lerman assess the political pressures and legislative possibilities of the upcoming lame-duck session.

Show Notes:

• Short-term funding patch ready for Biden’s signature
• Two roads diverged in a lame-duck spending endgame
• December stopgap funding bill readied for House floor action