The document outlines the key priorities and challenges facing Congress during the lame duck session following the Republican midterm victory, emphasizing the need for bipartisan compromise on the fiscal year 2015 budget and the completion of appropriations bills. Important upcoming issues include the confirmation of nominees, tax extensions, national defense authorization, and addressing the Ebola outbreak. Additionally, the document highlights ongoing discussions regarding cybersecurity, military involvement in Iraq/Syria against ISIL, and the implications of these matters on legislative workflow.

1. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU ARE EXPECTING
NOTHING
A VIEW OF THE FUTURE: CONGRESS (AND THE BUDGET)
Michelle Mrdeza
President/MXM Consulting
Senior Consultant/Cornerstone Government Affairs
President/LaRosa Garden Designs
703-772-9803

2. Budget, Confirmations Among
(Many) Lame Duck Priorities
Key Date
• Negotiations on key items in the lame duck session will be shaped by the Republicans’ midterm victory
• Democrats are seeking to compromise while they still have a seat at the table, while Republicans want to tie up loose ends to
make room for more ambitious legislation in the 114th Congress
• Members from both parties would prefer to pass an omnibus bill to finish the FY2015 budget process, but Congress will need
to reach compromise on specific budget details before an omnibus bill can be passed
Sources: National Journal Research, 2014.
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30
November 2014
Congress in Session*
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31
December 2014
Louisiana runoff
elections take place
Dec. 6
Key Dates in 2014 Lame Duck Session
Terrorism Risk
Insurance Act expires
Dec. 31
Current
continuing
resolution
expires Dec. 11
Party leadership
selections expected to
take place in first week
or two of the lame duck
session
Other Possible Congressional
Priorities in Lame Duck Session
 Confirm nominees for administrative
posts (possibly including Attorney
General)
 Pass tax extender legislation
 Pass National Defense Authorization
Act
 Consider authorizing the use of force
in the Middle East
 Consider increasing funding to
address the Ebola outbreak
 Consider the Internet Tax Freedom
Act
 Grant the President Trade Promotion
Authority
Analysis
* Days in session during the lame duck weeks have not been completely scheduled and are subject to change

3. Congress Lags in Appropriations Process
Status of FY2015 Appropriations Bills
(in billions)
Subcommittee Appropriations House bill Senate bill Both Chambers
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food
Drug Administration
Commerce, Justice, Science
Defense
Energy and Water Development
Financial Services and General
Government
Homeland Security
Interior, Environment
Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education
Legislative Branch
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs
State, Foreign Operations
Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development
Not passed
$71.5 Passed
Chamber
Analysis
• Since approving the two-year budget
deal in December 2013, the House
has passed seven FY2015 spending
bills and the Senate has passed none
• Senate and House did not complete
all 23 spending bills by the start of the
new fiscal year, instead passing a
Continuing Resolution to keep the
government funded at current levels
through December 11, 2014
$51.2
$491
$34.0
$21.3
$3.3
$71.5
$52.0
Source: Billy House, “Is the Congressional Budget Process Going Off the Rails?” NJ Daily, May 22, 2014; U.S. Senate 2014; U.S. House
of Representatives 2014.

4. PUTTING THE BUDGET IN PERSPECTIVE
FY 2014/FY 2015
FEDERAL BUDGET
$3.6/3.9 Trillion
MANDATORY
$2.1/2.3 Trillion
INTEREST ON THE DEBT
+/- $300 Billion
DISCRETIONARY
$1.013/1.015 Trillion
DEFENSE
$521/523 Billion
NON-DEFENSE
$492/493 Billion
Agriculture; Justice;
Interior; Health;
Education; Energy;
Transportation;
Housing; Homeland;
Veterans
Defense; NSA;
Intelligence

5. Homeland Security Appropriations
Analysis
Appropriations, FY2008-FY2014*
(in billions)
• Since FY2008, Homeland Security appropriations have averaged $41. 2 billion
• In FY2010, Homeland Security appropriations peaked at $53.9 billion, a 31% increase from the previous year; since then, appropriations
have fallen to $39.3 billion, a 27.1% change from FY2010
• Since FY2008, Homeland Security appropriations have averaged 7.7% of total non-defense appropriations; more recently, Homeland
Security appropriations have hovered around 7.4% of total non-defense appropriations
As Percentage of Total
Non-Defense Appropriations, FY2008-FY2014
* FY2014 figure includes disaster relief funding
Source: The Heritage Foundation, 2014; Congressional Research Service, 2014; United States House of Representatives, 2014.

6. DHS APPROPRIATIONS AT A GLANCE
(dollars in millions)
FY 2010 FY 2014 FY 2015
Actual Estimate Request House Senate
Departmental Offices 1,267 1,037 1,171 966 1,033
CBP 10,126 10,579 10,701 10,871 10,683
ICE 5,436 5,269 5,014 5,485 5,162
TSA 5,258 4,928 4,325 4,628 4,824
USCG 9,898 9,973 9,602 9,917 10,000
USSS 1,482 1,585 1,635 1,637 1,635
NPPD 1,317 1,470 1,515 1,454 1,526
--Cyber 397 792 746 745 757
FEMA (non-disaster) 7,128 4,354 3,969 4,320 4,328
--Disaster Relief 1,600 6,220 7,033 7,033 7,033
--Grants 4,165 2,530 2,225 2,530 2,530
S and T 1,006 1,220 1,071 1,106 1,071
TOTAL DHS* 40,975 41,423 40,108 41,378 41,307
*Direct appropriations only; excluding Disaster Relief, OCO and mandatory programs

7. House Appropriations Committee Overview
Jurisdiction Committee Members
Republicans (29) Democrats (22)
Ranking Member: Nita Lowey (D-NY)
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Pete Visclosky (D-IN)
José Serrano (D-NY)
Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Jim Moran (D-VA)†
Ed Pastor (D-AZ)†
David Price (D-NC)
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)
Sam Farr (D-CA)
Chaka Fattah (D-PA)
Sanford Bishop (D-GA)
Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)
Betty McCollum (D-MN)
Adam Schiff (D-CA)
Mike Honda (D-CA)
The House Committee on
Appropriations is responsible
for setting expenditures of
money by the government.
Major Upcoming Issues
FY2015 Appropriations
• In 2014, the House
Appropriations Committee
passed seven appropriations
bills
• None of these bills, however,
went to conference
• Before leaving for recess in
September 2014, Congress
passed a continuing resolution
that leaves the government
funded at current levels until
December 11
• The committee will continue
to work towards completing
FY2015 appropriations, either
in the lame duck session or in
the new Congress
Tim Ryan (D-OH)
Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Mike Quigley (D-IL)
Bill Owens (D-NY)†
Chairman: Hal Rogers (R-KY)
Frank Wolf (R-VA)†
Jack Kingston (R-GA)†
Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)
Tom Latham (R-IA)†
Robert Aderholt (R-AL)
Kay Granger (R-TX)
Mike Simpson (R-ID)
John Culberson (R-TX)
Ander Crenshaw (R-FL)
John Carter (R-TX)
Ken Calvert (R-CA)
Tom Cole (R-OK)
Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL)
Charlie Dent (R-PA)
Tom Graves (R-GA)
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA)
Steve Womack (R-AR)
Alan Nunnelee (R-MS)
Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE)
Thomas Rooney (R-FL)
Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN)
Kevin Yoder (R-KS)
David Joyce (R-OH)
David Valadao (R-CA)
Andy Harris (R-MD)
Martha Roby (R-AL)
Mark Amodei (R-NV)
Chris Stewart (R-UT)
Source: National Journal Research, 2014.
*Tossup Race According to the Cook Political Report
†Retiring after 2014

8. House Homeland Security Committee Overview
Jurisdiction Committee Members
Ranking Member: Bennie Thompson (D-MS)
Loretta Sanchez (D-CA)
Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)
Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
Brian Higgins (D-NY)
Cedric Richmond (D-LA)
William R. Keating (D-MA)
Ron Barber (D-AZ)*
Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ)
Beto O'Rourke (D-TX)
Filemon Vela, Jr. (D-TX)
Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
The House Homeland Security
Committee is responsible for
oversight of the Department of
Homeland Security.
Major Upcoming Issues
Cybersecurity
• Although the House passed the
National Cybersecurity and
Critical Infrastructure and
Infrastructure Protection Act of
2014, the Senate Homeland
Security Committee has not
acted on it, despite having
introduced legislation with
similar goals
Iraq/ISIL
• Now that Congress has
authorized greater involvement
in Iraq and Syria against ISIL (also
known as ISIS), the committee
may focus on threats to the
homeland from ISIL in upcoming
months
Republicans (17) Democrats (12)
Chairman: Michael McCaul (R-TX)
Lamar S. Smith (R-TX)
Peter T. King (R-NY)
Mike D. Rogers (R-AL)†
Paul Broun (R-GA)†
Candice Miller (R-MI)
Pat Meehan (R-PA)
Jeff Duncan (R-SC)
Tom Marino (R-PA)
Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)
Steven Palazzo (R-MS)
Lou Barletta (R-PA)
Richard Hudson (R-NC)
Steve Daines (R-MT)†
Susan Brooks (R-IN)
Scott Perry (R-PA)
Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Source: National Journal Research, 2014.
*Tossup Race According to the Cook Political Report
†Retiring after 2014

9. House Intelligence Committee Overview
Jurisdiction Committee Members
Ranking Member: Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD)
Mike Thompson (D-CA)
Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
Jim Langevin (D-RI)
Adam Schiff (D-CA)
Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)
Ed Pastor (D-AZ)†
Jim Himes (D-CT)
Terri Sewell (D-AL)
The House Committee on
Intelligence is a permanent select
committee with oversight
responsibilities for the U.S.
intelligence community, including
the CIA and the military
intelligence program.
Major Upcoming Issues
Republicans (12) Democrats (9)
Chairman: Mike Rogers (R-MI)†
Mac Thornberry (R-TX)
Jeff Miller (R-FL)
Mike Conaway (R-TX)
Peter King (R-NY)
Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ)
Devin Nunes (R-CA)
Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA)
Michele Bachmann (R-MN)†
Tom Rooney (R-FL)
Joe Heck (R-NV)
Mike Pompeo (R-KS)
Source: National Journal Research, 2014.
*Tossup Race According to the Cook Political Report
†Retiring after 2014
ISIL/Al-Qaeda
•The committee is exploring recent
developments and threat assessments
regarding ISIL and Al-Qaeda in Iraq and
Syria
•More hearings are likely on these
matters in the lame duck session as the
renewal date for funding the arming and
training of rebel forces approaches and
a potential push for congressional
reauthorization of the use of military
force for operations in the region looms

10. Senate Appropriations Committee Overview
Jurisdiction Committee Members
Sources: National Journal Research, 2014.
Major Upcoming Issues
Republicans (14)
•Vice Chairman:
Richard Shelby (R-AL)
•Thad Cochran (R-MS)*
•Mitch McConnell (R-KY)*
•Lamar Alexander (R-TN)*
•Susan Collins (R-ME)*
•Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
•Lindsey Graham (R-SC)*
•Mark Kirk (R-IL)
•Dan Coats (R-IN)
•Roy Blunt (R-MO)
•Jerry Moran (R-KS)
•John Hoeven (R-ND)
•Mike Johanns (R-NE)†
•John Boozman (R-AR)
Democrats (16)
•Chair:
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
•Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
•Tom Harkin (D-IA)†
•Patty Murray (D-WA)
•Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
•Richard Durbin (D-IL)*
•Tim Johnson (D-SD)†
•Mary Landrieu (D-LA)*
•Jack Reed (D-RI)*
•Mark Pryor (D-AR)*
•Jon Tester (D-MT)
•Tom Udall (D-NM)*
•Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)*
•Jeff Merkley (D-OR)*
•Mark Begich (D-AK)*
•Chris Coons (D-DE)*
The Senate Appropriations Committee is
responsible for all discretionary spending
legislation in the Senate. It is also the largest
committee in the Senate.
FY2015 Budget Process
• The Senate failed to pass any appropriations
bills in 2014
• The committee will continue to work
towards completing FY2015 appropriations,
either in the lame duck session or in the new
Congress
U.S. Response to Ebola
• President Obama requested committee
approval of $88 million of additional funding
to respond to the Ebola outbreak in West
Africa
• The committee suggested more funding than
that would be necessary to respond to the
threat of the epidemic
Defeated in 2014 Midterm Election
*Up for re-election in 2014
†Retiring after 2014

11. Senate Homeland Security and Gov’t Affairs Committee Overview
Jurisdiction Committee Members
Sources: National Journal Research, 2014.
Major Upcoming Issues
Republicans (7)
•Ranking Member:
Tom Coburn (R-OK)†
•John McCain (R-AZ)
•Ron Johnson (R-WI)
•Rob Portman (R-OH)
•Rand Paul (R-KY)
•Mike Enzi (R-WY)*
•Kelly Ayote (R-NH)
Democrats (9)
•Chairman:
Tom Carper (D-DE)
•Carl Levin (D-MI)†
•Mark Pryor (D-AR)*
•Mary Landrieu (D-LA)*
•Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
•Jon Tester (D-MT)
•Mark Begich (D-AK)*
•Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
•Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)
The Senate Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee has
jurisdiction over the Department of
Homeland Security and other government
functions, such as the Census and the Postal
Service.
Cybersecurity
• In 2014, the committee has held several
hearings and passed several bills related to
improving cybersecurity, but the House and
Senate have not been able to resolve
differences between their respective bills
Postal Service Reform
• The committee passed the bipartisan Postal
Reform Act of 2014, but the Appropriations
Committee may upend reform by
implementing a moratorium on postal facility
closures
Defeated in 2014 Midterm Election
*Up for re-election in 2014
†Retiring after 2014

12. Senate Intelligence Committee Overview
Jurisdiction Committee Members
Sources: National Journal Research, 2014.
Major Upcoming Issues
Republicans (7)
•Vice Chairman:
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)†
Richard Burr (R-NC)
•Jim Risch (R-ID)*
•Dan Coats (R-IN)
•Marco Rubio (R-FL)
•Susan Collins (R-ME)*
•Tom Coburn (R-OK)†
Democrats (8)
•Chairwoman:
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
•Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)†
•Ron Wyden (D-OR)
•Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
•Mark Udall (D-CO)*
•Mark Warner (D-VA)*
•Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
•Angus King (I-ME)
The Senate Committee on Intelligence is a
select committee with jurisdiction over the
U.S.’s intelligence gathering operations and
services. Many of its committee hearings are
not open to the public due to their classified
subject matters.
ISIL/Al-Qaeda
•The committee is studying recent
developments and threat assessments
regarding ISIL and Al-Qaeda in Iraq and
Syria
•More hearings on these matters are
likely in the lame duck session as the
renewal date for funding the arming and
training of rebel forces approaches and
a potential push for congressional
reauthorization of the use of military
force for operations in the region looms.
Continued NSA Fallout
•The committee is continuing to respond
to criticisms of the NSA’s data collection
programs, including accusations of
wiretapping committee members
One
independent
caucuses with
the Democrats
Defeated in 2014 Midterm Election
*Up for re-election in 2014
†Retiring after 2014