Senate to begin election year collision with House over government spending

The Senate will begin debate next week on its spending proposals to fund the government for fiscal 2025, teeing up the appropriations process that will be a monthslong battle and is likely to include stopgap measures along the way to avoid shutdowns.

Political tensions over spending and hot-button policy issues will be intensified in an election year when the balance of power in Washington could dramatically shift and alter which party controls the nation’s purse strings.

On Thursday, the Appropriations Committee in the Democratic-led chamber will begin considering three funding bills, which cover spending for the legislative branch, military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, and the Food and Drug Administration.

The panel, led by Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) and ranking member Susan Collins (R-ME), passed all 12 last year in the summer for the first time in several years.

House Republicans are further along in the process this year, having passed four of the 12 bills with plans next week to pass a fifth and consider another six in committee. Leadership has high ambitions to pass all 12 by the August recess, when Congress embarks on its annual monthlong summer break.

Once both chambers pass their versions of the budget, lawmakers will need to reconcile their differences and hash out topline figures.

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Congress has until the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1 to approve government funding, otherwise a temporary spending bill must be passed to avoid a shutdown. With lawmakers having met that deadline only four times in the past 40 years and the November election fast approaching, a stopgap measure known as a continuing resolution will almost certainly be required until after the election.

Lawmakers did not approve the full fiscal 2024 spending until late March of this year, nearly six months into the budget year.