As Congress hits the home stretch before the traditional August recess, it's time to see what Congress has been up to...

As usual, the House is moving along with its bills, leaving the big one (Defense) for last.  It should be noted that the House Appropriations Committee recently increased discretionary budget authority by $133 billion, of which $128.2 billion was for defense spending.  The bulk of the appropriations work now falls to the Senate, where they will likely continue to tussle over items which could face presidential veto, such as F-22s.  Other outstanding, but related items include the healthcare reform and the transportation reauthorization efforts.

As always, you can track the appropriation process here.