Bill > HR339

This bill, titled the "End the Lame Duck Act," proposes significant changes to how Congress operates around federal elections and budget deadlines. Firstly, it mandates that if the House of Representatives is adjourned on the date of the regularly scheduled federal general election, it will be considered adjourned "sine die," meaning for an indefinite period, effectively ending that session of Congress. However, it allows for the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader of the Senate, with the agreement of their respective minority leaders, to recall members if they deem it necessary for the good of the United States. Secondly, and crucially, the bill establishes a system of automatic continuing appropriations. This means that if a regular appropriation bill, which funds government operations for a fiscal year, is not passed into law before the general election, funding will automatically continue at the previous year's levels to prevent a government shutdown. This provision aims to ensure government functions continue uninterrupted even if Congress fails to pass its budget on time.