This Week on Capitol Hill

Congress returns this week for an - optimistically speaking - brief stint before hitting the campaign trail full force.

The week's legislative line-up is still taking shape, but sure to be at the top of the list are:

Energy: Lawmakers may continue July's political stalemating over gas price fixes, when Dems and the GOP butted heads over off-shore-drilling, but forces for compromise - albeit less likely - could push through a bipartisan bill this month. The House is planning to bring an energy bill to the floor this week matching an off-shore drilling measure - that would allow coastal drilling in Virginia, North & South Carolina and Georgia - with a host of green measures including tax breaks and funding for alternative energy and a mandate for renewables in electricity production. The cost of the bill would be picked up by taxes on the oil industry.

• read more about energy bills in Congress

Defense: Passage of the yearly Defense Authorization bill (S 3001) got sidetracked by energy politicking in July, but senators hope to make swift work of it this week.

Later this month

A second stimulus: With a still flagging economy, Congress plans a second - $50 billion - cash injection to stoke national spending. But instead of checks to taxpayers this time round the boost will come in the form of infrastructure investments, cash to help states with Medicaid costs, home heating assistance and a possible expansion of food stamp coverage.

• read more about this year's stimulus packages

09's budget: In theory, Congress is supposed to finish a budget by October 1, when fiscal year '09 starts. In practice, Dems have known all year they'd be punting the passage of a final budget to January, when they hope to have a more sympatico president. In the meantime, Congress will have to pass a "continuing resolution" to keep the government funded at 08's budget levels.

If you want to let your Congressfolk know where you stand on any of the issues above, you can email them through Congress.org, because...

Hey, it's your democracy too.

- teamJoe

Next update: September 15