共和党领导层正冲向一段跛脚鸭时期，届时他们计划为政府提供资金、解决债务上限问题并推动一项必须通过的国防授权法案——同时还要压低那些将目光投向和解法案的议员的预期，许多人认为该法案不会成行。
Republican leaders are barreling towards a lame-duck period when they plan to fund the government, address the debt ceiling and push through a must-pass defense authorization bill — all while tempering the expectations of members who have their sights set on a reconciliation package many believe won’t materialize.
执政党面临一份冗长的必办事项清单，以及一份更长的愿望清单，尤其是如果他们在11月3日失去参众两院中一院或两院的控制权。虽然中期选举结果将决定首要任务，但议员们已经为即将到来的“将十磅东西塞进五磅口袋”的问题感到焦虑。
The party in power is staring down a lengthy must-do list and an even lengthier wish list, especially if they lose one or both chambers come Nov. 3. While the midterm results will determine the top priorities, members are already fretting about the looming issue of fitting 10 pounds into a 5-pound sack.
“我认为我们的食欲肯定会大过我们的胃口，”一位资深参议院共和党助手在获准匿名自由发言的情况下告诉《华盛顿太阳报》。
“I think our appetite’s definitely going to be bigger than what our stomach can hold on this one,” one senior Senate Republican aide, given anonymity to speak freely, told The Washington Sun.
“这在一定程度上肯定取决于1月3日后两院的席位分布如何，以此来看每一方在这些谈判中拥有何种筹码，以及可能推迟到下一届国会处理的事项有哪些，”该助手继续说道。
“It’ll certainly depend to some extent what the chamber breakdowns are gonna be after January 3rd to see what kind of leverage each party has in these negotiations and maybe what’s punted to the next Congress,” the aide continued.
共和党已经通过了两项和解法案。今夏，他们为第三项和解法案奠定了基础，重点主要关注国防开支。但2027年出现分裂政府的前景，给希望在年底前通过共和党优先事项的共和党人增添了一种紧迫感。
Republicans have already passed two reconciliation bills. This summer they laid the groundwork for a third, focused primarily on defense spending. But the prospect of a divided government in 2027 has added a sense of urgency for Republicans looking to pass GOP priorities before the end of the year.
如果共和党失去众议院多数党地位，议员们正在酝酿一长串共和党优先事项。正在讨论的事项包括许可改革、对儿童使用社交媒体实施新限制、交通项目再授权、续签一项监控计划，以及为农民和五角大楼批准更多资金。
Members are socializing a long list of GOP priorities should Republicans lose the majority in the House. Among those being discussed are permitting reform, imposing new restrictions around children using social media, transportation reauthorization, renewing a surveillance program and approving more money for farmers and the Pentagon.
俄亥俄州参议员伯尼·莫雷诺上周对记者表示：“我们将推动一项和解法案。无论以何种方式，我们都会推动。无论选举结果如何，我们都必须推动一项和解法案。显然，如果我们失去对国会的控制权，这将是‘最后的晚餐’。”然而，党内对于这甚至是否可行存在分歧。
“We will do a reconciliation bill. One way or the other, we will,” Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno told reporters last week. “Regardless of how the election turns out, we have to do a reconciliation bill. Obviously, if we lose control of Congress, it’ll be the Last Supper,” However, there is a split in the party whether that’s even achievable. Senate Republicans were unable to get the ball rolling on a third reconciliation bill in the months leading up to the election because they did not have the votes to start the process.
在大选前几个月，参议院共和党人因缺乏启动程序所需的票数，未能就第三项和解法案启动进程。众议院共和党人以微弱优势通过了一份框架大纲，但进程随即停滞。目前尚不清楚，两院在中期选举后重新召开会议后，这一局面是否会有所改变。
House Republicans narrowly approved an outline, but the process stalled. It is unclear whether that will change once the chambers reconvene after the midterm elections.
当被问及莫雷诺对第三项和解法案包充满信心时，身为领导层成员的西弗吉尼亚州参议员雪莱·摩尔·卡皮托对这一可能性表示怀疑。
When asked about Moreno’s confidence about a third reconciliation package, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, a member of leadership, cast doubt on that possibility.
卡皮托谈及共和党若失去多数派地位后推动“最后的晚餐”式法案时表示：“我还没准备好做出那种预测。那听起来像是‘哦！孤注一掷！我们都要疯了。’我看不到那种可能性。”
“I’m not ready to make that prediction. That sounds like, ‘Oh! Hail Mary! We’re all going to freak out.’ I don’t see that,” Capito said about a “Last Supper” style bill if Republicans lose their majority.
跛脚鸭会期的其他复杂因素包括：即将离开华盛顿的议员可能出现出席率问题，以及即将卸任、已无顾虑的“激进派”议员在任期最后几天的作为。
Other complications in the lame-duck period are potential attendance issues from lawmakers exiting Washington and outgoing flame throwers with little to lose in their final days as sitting members.
一位资深共和党助手谈及另一项党派法案时表示：“我认为这不会发生。我当然理解支持它的理由。我们或许能让己方就国防补充拨款达成一致，但我实在不认为我们现在切实有足够的日程时间来完成这项工作。”身为环境与公共工程委员会主席和拨款委员会成员，卡皮托表示，她仍希望在选举后的工作期间，除了拨款法案外，两党的许可改革立法也能取得进展。资金将于12月11日到期。
“I don’t think it’s going to happen,” the senior GOP aide said about another party line bill. “I certainly get the argument for it. We could probably get our side to agree on a defense supplemental at this point, but I just don’t think we have the calendar time realistically to do that now.”As the Environment and Public Works Committee chairwoman and an appropriator, Capito says she is still hopeful that bipartisan permitting reform legislation can move in the postelection work period on top of funding bills. Funding is set to expire on Dec. 11.
“还有大量工作要做。如果再加上一个大规模的……和解方案，那就是一大块内容。我们拭目以待，”卡皮托说。“这可能会成为推动我们朝那个方向前进的动力。我不知道选举是否会成为[那个动力]。就目前而言，我们仍有大量立法工作要做，无需动用和解法案。”
“There’s plenty of work to do. If you couple that with a massive … reconciliation package, that’s a big chunk. We’ll see what happens,” Capito said. “It may be the impetus to move us in that direction. I don’t know that the elections may be [that impetus]. For right now, we still have plenty of legislative work to do without going to a reconciliation bill.”
她警告说：“那些事情需要大量时间。我们早前……没有足够的票数通过和解方案。”待办事项榜首是为2027财年提供政府资金。对于在年底前通过尽可能多的拨款法案，有广泛支持。但预期是国会将依靠临时拨款决议为剩余机构和项目提供资金，直到3月中旬，这削弱了全年临时拨款决议的任何可能性。
She cautioned: “Those things take a lot of time. We didn’t have the votes … for a reconciliation package earlier.”Atop the to-do list is funding the government for fiscal 2027. There is broad support to pass as many appropriations bills as possible before the end of the year. But the expectation is that Congress will rely on a continuing resolution to fund the remaining agencies and programs until mid-March, dulling any suggestion of a year-long CR.
“我能看到会出现那样的短期临时拨款决议。我只是不认为我们会通过全年临时拨款决议，”该助手说。
“I could see a shorter-term CR like that. I just don’t think we’ll do a year-long CR,” the aide said.
失去一院或两院控制权的可能性，预计也将影响其他战线，包括债务上限。
The possibility of losing one or both chambers is also expected to impact other fronts, including the debt limit.
共和党高层已表明，他们愿意在和解方案中提高债务上限，以便如果民主党赢得一院或两院控制权，将其从谈判筹码中移除。如果跛脚鸭会期不处理，很可能需要在2027年上半年以两党合作的方式提高。
Top Republicans have already indicated that they are open to raising the debt ceiling in a reconciliation package to take it off the table as a negotiating point for Democrats if they win one or both chambers. If it’s not handled in the lame duck, it would likely need to be raised in the first half of 2027 on a bipartisan basis.
然而，多名议员表示，除非有相关的削减开支措施来帮助支付，否则票数可能不够。
However, multiple members are indicating the votes may not be there unless there are associated spending cuts to help pay for it.
即将退休的怀俄明州参议员辛西娅·拉米斯本月早些时候告诉《Punchbowl News》，支持再次提高债务上限将“非常困难”。即将退休的北卡罗来纳州参议员汤姆·蒂利斯将债务之争称为“明年才要处理的事”。众议院自由核心小组成员已发出信号，抵消措施是不可商量的。“不会给白条支票，”路易斯安那州众议员克莱·希金斯告诉《The Sun》。不过，当事关重大时，一些人表示他们别无选择。
Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis, who is retiring, told Punchbowl News earlier in the month that it would be “really hard” to back another debt limit increase. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, another retiree, labeled the debt fight as a “next year thing.”And House Freedom Caucus members are already signaling pay-fors are non-negotiable. “There will be no blank check,” Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana told The Sun. When push comes to shove though, some said they do not have a choice.
莫雷诺表示，他认为共和党方面会有足够的票数。“没人想看到债务违约。那将是‘类固醇版’的1929年。”参议院共和党清单上的另一项任务是确认法官。
Moreno said he believed the votes would be there on the Republican side. “Nobody wants to see a debt default. That would be 1929 on steroids.”Another item on Senate Republicans’ checklist is confirming judges.
确认特朗普提名的法官一直是参议院多数党领袖约翰·图恩和司法委员会主席查克·格拉斯利的首要任务。如果民主党赢得控制权，确认更多法官的压力只会增加。
Installing Trump’s judicial nominees has been a top priority of Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley. The pressure to confirm more will only heighten if Democrats win control.
自特朗普重返白宫以来，共和党已确认了57名法官，提名人选储备充足，足以让参议院持续处理确认事务直到年底。增加紧迫感的是，格拉斯利今年将因任期限制卸任委员会主席职务。
Republicans have confirmed 57 judges since Trump’s return to office, with enough nominees in the pipeline to keep the chamber churning through them through the end of the year. Adding to the urgency, Grassley is term limited as committee chair this year.
还有多项必须通过的法案也在议程上。除了政府拨款法案，通过年度《国防授权法案》也是重中之重。多位消息人士表示，在这方面感觉不到太多焦虑。
There are also a number of must-pass bills also on the docket. In addition to government funding, passing the annual National Defense Authorization Act is also top of mind. Multiple sources do not sense much consternation on that front.
领导层想要处理的另一项法案是《外国情报监视法》第702条，这是一项于6月到期的国家安全工具，消息人士认为它可能会被附加到《国防授权法案》中。两党议员在9月表示，他们仍视延续这一关键监视工具为优先事项，但该事项已搁置数月。
Another bill leaders want to address is Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a national security tool that expired in June, which sources believe could get attached to the NDAA. Members in both parties indicated in September that they still viewed reupping the key surveillance tool a priority, yet it has fallen through the cracks for months.
当议员们游说领导层推进特定议程时，他们都同意一点：除非知道是否仍将控制国会两院，否则前路不会清晰。
As lawmakers lobby leaders to move specific items one thing they all agree on is that the path won’t be clear until they know if they’ll still control both chambers of Congress.
卡皮托承认，关于试图再打包一揽子法案以涵盖多项共和党优先事项的看法可能会转变。“也许选举结果不同，我们会这么做，但我们目前还没有这个问题的答案。”
Capito admits the sentiment about trying for one more package wrapping together several Republican priorities could shift. “Maybe with different results with the election, we might, but we don’t have the answer to that question.”