Coons warns appropriations battle could lead to government shutdown.

Sen. ⁣Chris Coons ⁣Suggests Possible Government ‍Shutdown⁢ Amid Appropriations Fight

During a panel discussion at the Aspen Security Forum, Sen. Chris⁣ Coons (D-DE) hinted at the ⁢potential for a government shutdown this fall. The appropriations battle between the House and Senate, ⁣which has resulted in different spending levels for funding⁢ bills, has raised concerns about the future of‌ government operations.

Coons made his comment while discussing Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL)‌ hold on military promotions in protest of the Pentagon’s abortion policy. He emphasized ​that despite⁢ the political theatrics, there are ⁢bipartisan coalitions in both chambers capable of ‌tackling⁤ challenging issues.

“I’m just going to close‌ with​ this thought. We are ‍going ‌to scare the hell out of you. We’re ​really good at that,” Coons said. “On the debt ceiling, on default, we​ came right up to the end. We’re going to⁣ have a⁢ government shutdown because we’re going to fight between ‍the House and Senate about appropriations.”

Sen.⁣ Jim Risch (R-ID), ⁢the ⁤top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, responded with ⁤a quick “Maybe.” Coons, who also serves on the foreign relations committee, expressed⁢ his hope ⁣that a shutdown could be avoided but acknowledged the recurring close calls.⁣ He emphasized ⁣the importance of personal relationships in the Senate, which enable ​productive collaboration on critical initiatives.

Race Against Time to Prevent ‍Shutdown

The‌ House and Senate have ​been working on government funding bills with different⁢ spending ⁢levels for several months. With ⁤the federal government’s funding set to expire on Sept. 30,⁣ there are fewer than​ 30 in-session days remaining for the two chambers to ⁣reach a ⁣resolution and​ avert ⁣a⁢ shutdown.

On the Senate side,‌ Senate Appropriations ⁣Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray ⁣(D-WA) and⁢ ranking ‍member ‌Susan Collins (R-ME) have been advancing the 12 annual appropriations bills based on spending‍ levels agreed upon in May’s ‌debt default avoidance ⁤deal between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

However, ​Murray recently ⁣announced that⁢ the defense appropriations bill ⁣would ‍exceed the agreed-upon spending caps, marking a departure‍ from the previous agreement. This decision has raised concerns and further complicated the appropriations process.

The⁢ House Appropriations Committee, on the other hand, voted to adopt lower ‍discretionary spending levels for fiscal ‍2024, creating a​ discrepancy‍ of about $120 ​billion compared to the initial debt limit agreement.

House⁢ Speaker McCarthy faces ⁢challenges within his conference, ​as​ some​ members are demanding that the appropriations bills align with fiscal 2022 spending levels. With a narrow majority, McCarthy must ​navigate these⁣ tensions carefully to avoid defections.

The debt limit agreement has already caused‍ disruptions in ⁢House business, with hard-line conservatives insisting on deep spending‍ reductions.‍ This ​clash of priorities ​has put the House and Senate ‌at odds, further complicating⁢ the path to a⁢ resolution.

As the clock ticks, the pressure ​is on for Congress ⁢to‌ find a solution and prevent ⁣a government shutdown.

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