Every few years, the House and Senate bundle individual public land and water bills into a large (omnibus) package that moves in the waning days of Congress. Congressional leaders (and their staff) carefully curate bills that have readily passed the House or Senate but not both. It is political horse-trading at its best.  

The conditions of this lame duck session might present an opportunity to move some of the 400+ bills that were referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. To date, only a small portion of the these  bills lawmakers introduced have made it to the President's desk. To be clear, we are not talking about major legislation amending long-standing land and water policy. We are talking about targeted, local  bills to transfer land, adjust park boundaries, or authorize expansion of existing water infrastructure.  

Currently, there are 14 Senate-passed bills are awaiting  House action and 94 House-passed bills t pending in the Senate. On top of that, another 100+ bills have been considered in committee and are waiting for approval by the House or Senate. A lot of Members get motivated to clear the backlog of legislation prior to starting a new Congress. Also, there are a number of outgoing Members of Congress who would like to end on a high note. 

As the 119th Congress approaches the end of its session, there is a possibility for an omnibus bill to come together. With numerous bills awaiting action and a sense of urgency among lawmakers, there is a unique opportunity to address the backlog of legislation. However, the success of any initiative over the next five weeks will ultimately depend on the ability of Congress to navigate the political landscape and find common ground before time runs out. In other words, is there the time and the will to pull something together that the President will sign?