(8/27) What to Expect When Congress Returns from Recess: As Congress prepares to return from its August recess next month, its main order of business will be passage of the nation’s twelve yearly spending bills.  Congressional appropriators worked hard in July on the fiscal year 2011 appropriations measures.  House appropriators advanced all twelve bills through subcommittee and won full House approval of the Military Construction-Veterans and Transportation-Housing bills.  The Senate, meanwhile, moved nine of its bills through subcommittee.  While these developments raised hopes for timely enactment of these necessary measures, Senate appropriators now tell us that they expect most spending bills to be put on hold until the likely November lame-duck legislative session, as both parties await the outcome of federal elections.