Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris prepare for Tuesday's debate, and Congress returns from recess to tackle looming shutdown deadline.
How to watch presidential debate between Harris and Trump
Spectrum News will simulcast the ABC presidential debate live Tuesday night from Philadelphia and stream the first in-person faceoff between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Harris and Trump have both agreed to the same rules as the debate in June between Trump and President Joe Biden on CNN. The microphones for each candidate will be muted unless the candidate is speaking.
Neither candidate will present an opening statement. They will have two minutes to answer the moderators’ questions, two minutes for rebuttals and another minute for clarifications or follow-ups.
Trump will give the final closing statement of the debate — a position he won in a coin toss that also determined the candidates’ stage positions. Harris will appear at the lectern on the right side of viewers’ screens.
The candidates will not be allowed to ask each other questions directly. Neither candidate is allowed to bring notes written in advance or props on stage. They are, however, allowed to have a pen, notepad and bottle of water.
During commercial breaks, the candidates are not allowed to interact with campaign staff.
The debate will not have an audience.
Congress returns to Washington to address shutdown issue
Congress is back in session for the first time in more than a month. And once again, lawmakers are up against a deadline to avoid a shutdown.
The House and Senate are wrapping up their August recess and looking ahead to another six-week break that would keep them in their districts through election day.
But to get there, first they’ll have to deal with the upcoming Sept. 30 budget deadline.
George Washington University professor Todd Belt says they are already behind schedule.
“I don’t think anybody realistically believes that there will be full budget bills coming out of this congress,” Belt said.
The Republican-controlled House has only managed to get five of the 12 parts of the budget done so far.
One factor is the internal debate over just how far to go with cuts.
Belt said that is being led by the members who last year helped Rep. Mike Johnson get the speakership.
“They want to really dig into these bills and find places where they can cut and they just don’t have the time to do that," he said. "I see a continuing resolution as the only way forward."
A continuing resolution would temporarily keep the government open. The question now is for how long.
Johnson is expected to push for a six-month stop-gap that would push the issue off until a new president has taken office.
But the Democrats who control the Senate are expected to favor a shorter version that would wrap things up by the end of the calender year.
“I would say we should expect that the shorter one will be there," Belt said. "And the question is, who has leverage to put any small amendments on it that they’re able to do?”
One possible amendment would be a Republican measure aimed at stopping non-citizens from voting.
Democrats argue the legislation could lead to eligible voters being removed from the rolls.
“In terms of politics, it’s good for Republicans politically, because it looks like it’s creating more integrity in the vote," Belt said. "Nobody wants people who are non-citizens to be voting. It’s illegal. Whereas Democrats are saying, look, it doesn’t happen."
Other amendments could also come up over the next couple of weeks as lawmakers try to work out a deal, and members will have to decide if any are worth risking a shutdown over.