This week, Congress is in session for what should be the last week of the 115th Congress. That said, best not to count your chickens before they hatch. The spending fight that has been raging since the last continuing resolution (CR) is no closer to being wrapped up than it was a month ago. The border wall remains the principal issue and the path forward is not entirely clear. While the White House is itching for a fight over this, there's a question as to how eager Congressional Republicans are to join them. One path forward could be to pass another CR and have this fight after the holidays.

In the health space, House passage of the IMPROVE Act moves the ball to the Senate where there is hope that it will pass this week. While IMPROVE carries a number of popular provisions, such as Money Follows the Person and the ACE Kids Act, it still needs to clear all 100 Senate offices to pass by unanimous consent. This is the season when that becomes more difficult not less.