Republican lawmakers are postponing several major legislative disputes until after the November election, creating a six- or seven-week lame-duck session expected to begin the week of Nov. 9 and run through Christmas, with a Thanksgiving recess planned for Nov. 26. The House on Tuesday passed a bill funding the government through Dec. 11, setting up a post-Thanksgiving battle over defense and nondefense spending. The Trump administration has requested a historic $1.5 trillion in defense spending, while Senate Democrats have rejected that figure and blocked spending bills over what they describe as a proposed 4.5-to-1 defense-to-nondefense spending increase. The agenda could also include emergency funding for the Pentagon, drought and commodity-price assistance for farmers, disaster relief, a six-month Iran conflict, and up to $10 billion for states that tighten voting regulations. Congress must also address expanded Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) authorities that expired in June, the $1.15 trillion annual National Defense Authorization Act, and the farm bill, which stalled in the Senate Agriculture Committee after Sen. Mitch McConnell could not attend an August markup. Lawmakers may need to complete legislation governing college athletes’ name, image and likeness recruitment and compensation if the Protect College Sports Act advances in the Senate. The Senate is also preparing to consider the Clarity Act, a cryptocurrency-industry-backed bill to create a digital-asset regulatory framework, but it is expected to fail because Democrats want stronger conflict-of-interest provisions concerning the Trump family’s crypto investments. Republicans are weighing an omnibus spending bill for Pentagon emergency funding and other priorities, followed separately by a budget reconciliation package for Iran funding. That process would require a budget resolution and two all-night vote-a-rama sessions, adding to concerns that the agenda cannot be completed by Christmas. Democrats could become less willing to compromise if they make major gains in the House or win the Senate, while some Republican aides predict reconciliation 3.0 may slip beyond January.