Standard & Poor’s announcement downgrading the United States’ credit rating claimed “the political brinkmanship of recent months” shows that “America’s governance and policymaking becoming less stable, less effective, and less predictable.”

Looking ahead at Congress’ to-do list over the next six months, there are five big opportunities for Congress to prove S&P wrong. While none of Congress’ upcoming business threatens to shut down the federal government as extensively as not raising the debt limit would have, there are no less than five opportunities for significant disruptions if Congress fails to act.