WASHINGTON WEEK AHEAD

DRIVING THE WEEK:

• The House and Senate are set to return Wednesday. The Senate is expected to take up bipartisan legislation to address the opioid crisis. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) indicated the Committee could vote on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh as early as September 13 but is not ruling out Democrats pressing for additional time to review answers to written questions and delaying the vote until next week.  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has stated he expects Kavanaugh to be confirmed by October 1 - the first day of the Supreme Court session.

• Congress faces a September 30 government funding deadline they must meet in order to avoid a government shutdown.  A cluster of appropriations bills is likely to advance this week as Republicans work to avoid a shutdown showdown with President Trump over funding for a border wall.

• The year's final primary elections will be held this week, in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Rhode Island on Wednesday and for New York state-level contests Thursday.

• Attorney General Jeff Sessions is set to meet with state attorneys general later in the month to consider allegations that tech companies are "stifling the free exchange of ideas" through censorship, as well as whether the platforms hurt competition.

• House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Tx) says he anticipates that the second round of tax legislation will come to the House floor by Oct. 1, with a markup on "tax reform 2.0" expected this week. Republican lawmakers said they are considering extending the cap on state and local tax deductions, rather than making it permanent, in the second round of tax cut legislation. The SALT deduction cap of $10,000 could make re-election difficult for Republicans in high-tax blue states such as California, New York, and New Jersey.

• Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday that he has $267 billion in tariffs on Chinese products "ready to go on short notice" if he chooses. Those duties would be in addition to the tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods that the administration is preparing to impose, which Trump said would be implemented "very soon, depending on what happens."  

• Trump also said the U.S. has started trade talks with Tokyo. The move comes after a report that Trump, who has previously expressed displeasure at the trade deficit with Japan, said he was prepared to tackle trade issues with the Asian country.

• The Federal Open Market Committee is expected to meet Sept. 25-26.

HANDICAPPING TWO IMMINENT AIR FORCE CONTRACTS: T-X and H-1 Replacement (LMT, BA, DRS) | General Emo Gardner writes that the Air Force will announce the winners of it 16B Advanced Trainer competition by September 30 and its $4.2 B H-1 replacement soon thereafter.  Read his piece here.

U.S. SENATE SCHEDULE:

U.S. House of Representatives Schedule