Weekly Washington Policy Pulse: Government Shutdown? Venezuela Deal (August 31, 2026)

Balance of Power · Aug 31, 2026 · 11m

With the House of Representatives returning to Washington after August recess, the likelihood of a government shutdown -- only 20% in our view -- led Bloomberg Intelligence's Aug. 31 Washington Policy Pulse. The House will most likely embrace a Senate deal that extends the government funding until Dec. 11 before leaving town to further campaign ahead of the midterm elections. A potential vote on a separate measure on a Russian sanctions package will likely be pushed back until after the election. We also discussed President Donald Trump's announcement of a deal in Venezuela to have the US…