Congress has only seven working days left to avoid a government shutdown, and a host of distractions in coming days will make that work even more difficult.
Despite the looming deadline, work on budget problems will all but shut down for two days this week. Congress will break from work Tuesday night for the start of Yom Kippur, and return to work Thursday morning to hear an address from Pope Francis.
Both events threaten to tighten an already hectic schedule for budget negotiators, who must reach agreement on at least a continuing resolution by midnight on Sept. 30 to keep federal programs funded, up and running into the new fiscal year.
A short-term budget extension is seen as the most likely solution because congressional plans for a full-year federal budget have stalled over a push by Republicans to use temporary war funds to get around mandatory budget caps for fiscal 2016 imposed by Congress, which would channel extra money to defense programs but leave spending limits for other government programs locked in place.
Democrats have pushed for a repeal of the caps on all programs, and are blocking any of the GOP-back budget plans from advancing.
Complicating the picture are vows from conservatives to include language defunding Planned Parenthood in any budget measure, even a continuing resolution. Democrats have promised to block that as well, and are clamoring for a "clean" budget extension as the two sides work toward a long-term compromise.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has promised that lawmakers will find a way to avoid a shutdown, citing the damage that the funding gap could cause in a host of federal operations, including defense and Veterans Affairs programs.
Amid all the political sparring, defense lawmakers also are working to finalize the annual defense authorization bill, which would mandate a host of military benefits updates and overhaul the military retirement system. Conference committee members have described that work so far as moving slowly but steadily.
The busy slate of backroom action means a light schedule of public hearings on defense and veterans issues this week.
On Tuesday, retired Army Gen. David Petraeus. former CIA director and U.S. Central Command chief, will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the situation in the Middle East, offering his perspective on the threat posed by the Islamic State militants.
Also on Tuesday, members of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee will hear from Veterans Affairs whistleblowers and the Office of Special Counsel on continued accountability and retribution problems within the department.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
