The U.S. House of Representatives gets back to work next week, and Congressman Tim Walberg says it does have some important business to get done before the end of the year.

Walberg tells us funding for the federal government needs to be approved since the current spending resolution will run out on December 20.

“There will be a push to get the spending bills through,” Walberg said. “We also have the National Defense Authorization Act, which we’ve always passed, and it’s important in this time in history in the world that we have the strongest defense capable.”

Walberg says the Farm Bill also needs to be finished. He believes the version put forth by the House will eventually be approved, despite a hold up from Senator Debbie Stabenow. Walberg says the reason for the delay is funding for welfare programs.

“There has been that push to put welfare food and lunch programs in it and the like. So that’s what the holdup is in the House. There’s been some reprioritizing and cutting of some unnecessary funding areas in the nutrition programs.”

Walberg says Stabenow is resisting those cuts. However, he says the cuts will likely be deeper if the Senate waits for a new presidential administration to take office before it moves a plan forward. He expects Stabenow would rather head into retirement with one last Farm Bill approved.