It looks like the end of the current congressional session is in sight, maybe. While legislators had an insurmountable work load to complete in the three weeks of work in September, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) still hopes to adjourn the Senate a week from tomorrow (Sept. 26). Reid is hoping the Senate can still finish quite a lot in the next 6 days, including energy legislation, a tax cut extension bill (with an Alternative Minimum Tax patch), a new economic stimulus package, and some number of appropriations bills and a continuing resolution.

We'll be shutting down the BudgetBrigade a bit early today to head off to OMB Watch's 25th Anniversary celebration. Yup, that's right. OMBW is 25 years young this year and we're primed and ready for our quarter life crisis! We're taking some time to celebrate tonight with friends and supporters and remember 25 years of fighting for a more transparent and accountable federal government.

Yesterday (Wed.), the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee approved the $487.7 billion FY 2009 Defense Appropriations bill. The defense spending bill is passed every year, despite Congress's chronic inability to approve the other 11 individual annual spending bills, so it's no surprise to see this one advance. With less than three weeks remaining in the fiscal year, here's how close Congress is to passing the legislation necessary to keep the federal government operating past Sept. 30.