Patriot Update

The 112th Congress has been one of the least productive in recent history. A look at what Congress has accomplished and left undone in its final week before leaving for the election campaign:

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Accomplishments:

—Congress early Saturday completed its major task for the week with Senate passage of a six-month stopgap spending bill to keep federal agencies running past the end of the budget year and the elections. The House approved the legislation last week. Action was needed before the budget year ends on Sept. 30 to avoid a partial government shutdown.

—The House passed a package of measures to promote increased coal production and ease environmental restrictions imposed on coal by the Obama administration. The bill is unlikely to be taken up in the Senate.