Legislative Update
Shutdown was averted, but leadership of the House is not clear. Republican leaders of the House hope to vote a new Speaker of the House by the end of the week. For now, Representative McHenry (R. NC) is the “speaker pro tem.” This is temporary and he is limited in what he can do in this position; the main role is to organize an election of the new Speaker. Until a new Speaker is elected, the rules will likely not allow a vote on any of the pending bills, including the federal budget. The continuing resolution requires a budget be approved prior to November 18th, 2023 to avoid a federal government shutdown.