GEOFF BENNETT: The U.S.

Senate is just days away from taking its monthlong August recess, but Congress is also rapidly running out of time to avoid a government shutdown this fall and handle a host of other items.

Lisa Desjardins is just back from Capitol Hill, as lawmakers are scrambling to take action on everything from funding the Iran war to regulating cryptocurrency in a matter of days.

Welcome back from the Hill, Lisa.

LISA DESJARDINS: Thank you.

GEOFF BENNETT: Always good to see you.

So, remind us what is on the plates of lawmakers this week, because, even by D.C.

standards, it's a lot.

LISA DESJARDINS: Right.

I'm a nerd, and this is a very long list.

So let's take a look at what people should be watching for and what Republicans are hoping to pass in just the next few days, as I said, a long list.

At the top you can see government funding.

That runs out September 30.

We have got a slew of nominations, including, as Amna just reported, Todd Blanche for attorney general, but also the head of the CDC, and 74 other nominations moving, Russia sanctions bill.

There is also a bill that would deal with the NIL or sort of the chaos in college sports and for athletes there.

There is Iran war funding that is on the table here, and also nothing less than crypto regulations.

Now, because Republicans have run out of time, they need Democrats to agree to speed things up.

So there are negotiations over what can go now and what can't.

And one source in the Republican leadership told me basically the Senate is trying to cram a month's work on major bills into one week.

GEOFF BENNETT: And with the spending bills, you have got one aimed at funding the government, another aimed at funding the war in Iran.

Why is one moving and another is not?

LISA DESJARDINS: That's right.

So, when you look at these bills, there really is a spectrum of what is going to move when and how.

When you talk about the funding for government in September, that ends on September 30, the issue is that neither party really wants a shutdown in the midterm elections right now.

So Senator Thune and Senator Schumer have cobbled together a bipartisan agreement that pushes that funding off until December 11.

They want that to move this week.

That does seem like it has traction.

It is caught up in these negotiations.

However, when you talk about the Iran war funding, which seemed to be on track when we last spoke about this even last week, there are a variety of problems now with it.

Some Republicans want more money for it.

Some are raising other issues to bring alongside it, including the SAVE Act, the election law.

That is getting tangled up.

And right now, talking to senators, they just think it cannot move at this time.

There are multiple problems with that, and I don't think we're going to see action now, and there could be problems farther down the road.

GEOFF BENNETT: So what's the plan then to get all of this done?

LISA DESJARDINS: OK.

I asked Republicans about this exact question, and the ever quotable Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana put it to me this way: SEN.

JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): I am prepared to and will vote to stay here as long as it takes to get our work done.

Now, what is the plan for doing that?

I don't know.

I have no idea, absolutely none.

LISA DESJARDINS: So what is the plan?

Talking to sources, Republican sources, we're going to find out more tomorrow.

That Iran war funding bill, they haven't even put out the text yet.

So we could see text of that tomorrow.

That will tell us exactly a little bit about how they're planning to move forward.

But I want to talk about what this all means in terms of the calendar.

Let's take a look at why this is all such a big deal.

Here we are right now, the first week of August, all innocent, happy, looks easy.

But what happens next for the Senate?

Here's that recess that you mentioned earlier going right into the middle of September.

The House is gone most of that time as well.

Then here is that government funding deadline in red you see at the end of September.

So they just have those few weeks once they're gone after this week, Geoff, to figure out government funding.

That's not a lot of time.

And that's why we're talking about it tonight on the show.

GEOFF BENNETT: Yes.

On another matter, last night you reported on the abuse allegations facing Republican Congressman Max Miller, allegations he denies.

There's an update tonight?

LISA DESJARDINS: Right.

As we reported, he is facing allegations that he denies of domestic abuse.

Those are coming out of a custody dispute with his ex-wife.

Now, today, the House Ethics Committee announced it is investigating those allegations.

That came after Miller himself went on social media and said he wanted the committee to do so.

Now, also today, Max Miller went on CNN to defend himself.

He said he spoke with President Trump yesterday about this and that Trump told him over the phone -- quote -- "It's going to be a tough race" if he stays in it for the fall, and that he might not be able to pull this one out.

But Miller says he responded to Trump by pointing to Trump's own example in 2016 as a reason why he's staying in.

At the same time, multiple senators now are saying he should resign, in addition to Miller's father-in-law, who's a senator from Ohio.

Overall, if Miller stays in this race past next Monday, he will not be able to take his name off the ballot.

Republicans won't be able to do it.

And he says that is his plan.

He is not going to pull out of the race, and his name will be on the ballot.

GEOFF BENNETT: Lisa Desjardins, our thanks to you, as always.

LISA DESJARDINS: You're welcome.