Photo credit: www.govexec.com
Congress Passes Short-Term Spending Bill, Avoids Government Shutdown
On Wednesday, Congress passed a three-month spending bill that is set to be signed by President Biden, successfully averting a government shutdown before the upcoming elections.
The continuing resolution (CR) will allow federal agencies to operate until December 20, paving the way for further negotiations on full-year appropriations in the lame duck session of Congress, which will take place just before Christmas. Despite significant partisan disagreements on the approach to long-term funding, lawmakers managed to prevent a shutdown on October 1.
After a weekend of negotiations, congressional leaders announced a bipartisan agreement. House Republicans, who had previously indicated reluctance to support a short-term funding solution without certain partisan concessions, ultimately backed the CR. The resolution gained substantial bipartisan approval, passing in the House with a vote of 341-82 and moving swiftly through the Senate.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, faced pressure from former President Trump, who had urged party members to reject any funding measure that did not include provisions addressing his unfounded claims of voter fraud by non-citizens. Johnson stood firm on the deal, stating, “I’m not defying President Trump. We’re getting our job done,” emphasizing that avoiding a shutdown close to a presidential election was essential.
The CR maintains agency funding at fiscal 2024 levels but does include some specific allocations, such as $231 million for the U.S. Secret Service, which is under increased scrutiny following recent security incidents involving Trump. The measure also prohibits agencies from furloughing employees due to budget shortages and allocates additional resources for various governmental operations, including health benefits for the U.S. Postal Service and transitional activities for several federal agencies.
With the vote concluded, lawmakers can return to their constituencies until after the election. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer commended the bipartisan effort, stating, “Americans can breathe easy that because both sides have chosen bipartisanship, Congress is getting the job done.” He emphasized the importance of keeping critical government services operational.
Upon reconvening after the elections, Congress will shift its focus to finalizing full-year appropriations. The House has passed five of the twelve necessary spending bills along party lines, but at levels lower than previously agreed upon in a two-year budget deal. In contrast, the Senate has successfully passed 11 of its 12 bills with bipartisan support, although none have advanced to a floor vote yet.
Johnson plans to avoid combining all spending bills into a single omnibus package, stating, “There will be no Christmas omnibus.” He intends to take a more segmented approach to the upcoming budget discussions during the lame duck session.
Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington and chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, reaffirmed her commitment to advancing full-year spending bills before the new December deadline. “There are so many urgent national priorities that still must be addressed in our full-year funding bills,” she said, expressing her determination to work collaboratively across party lines to meet these goals.
Representative Rosa DeLauro, the leading Democratic appropriator in the House, indicated that Congress would likely fund agencies according to the levels established in the Fiscal Responsibility Act, reflecting a compromise reached with House Republicans earlier this year. “We know where we must end up,” she stated, urging that the passage of the CR should create momentum toward achieving a consensus on the budget.
Source
www.govexec.com