Congress must work hard to prevent a government shutdown.
Congress Faces Deadline to Fund Federal Government
Congress is currently on its August recess, but there is unfinished business when it comes to funding the federal government. Lawmakers have about a month to tackle this major task when they return to Washington, D.C. in September.
Lawmakers must act on government funding before the start of the fiscal year on October 1. They have two options: reach an agreement and fund the government or pass a stopgap measure until a deal is struck. Regardless of the route they choose, it won’t be an easy task.
Senators Approve Government Funding Bills
Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee made significant progress by approving all 12 of their government funding bills. This is the first time in five years that this milestone has been achieved. The committee voted on bipartisan lines to send the last four spending bills to the Senate floor, which include funding for various departments such as Interior, Labor, Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security.
Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), the first two women to simultaneously lead their respective parties on the committee, acknowledged that there is still much work to be done. However, they expressed optimism in a joint statement, stating that the committee’s achievements demonstrate that Congress can work together to find common ground and produce bipartisan bills that can be signed into law.
Additional Emergency Spending and Controversial Amendments
The panel approved all 12 bills, aligning them with the spending caps negotiated by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). However, defense hawks have raised concerns about the inflation-adjusted cuts, advocating for increased spending to deter Chinese aggression. In response, Murray and Collins announced a bipartisan deal to add $13.7 billion in emergency spending, with $8 billion allocated for defense and $5.7 billion for nondefense.
Despite Democrats’ control in the Senate and on the panel, they included the Hyde amendment in the bill, which funds the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services. This amendment blocks the use of Medicaid or other federal health programs to pay for abortion services. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) emphasized the importance of bipartisan cooperation to avoid a government shutdown.
Clash with House Republicans
The House, led by Republicans, has taken a different approach to the spending process. Many hard-line conservatives in the House oppose the debt-ceiling deal and have significant influence over the spending bills. As a result, McCarthy and GOP leaders are preparing bills with less spending than previously agreed upon to secure the votes of these members.
House Republicans have also added controversial amendments that are broadly opposed by Democrats. These include proposals to limit access to abortion pills, ban funding for hormone therapy and surgeries for transgender veterans, and more. These policy add-ons have no chance of passing in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Deadline Approaching
When lawmakers return to Washington, D.C., they will have approximately three weeks to pass a federal budget before the September 30 deadline. Budget disagreements often lead to last-minute negotiations and marathon voting sessions. If an agreement cannot be reached by the deadline, lawmakers may resort to passing a continuing resolution to keep funding at current levels while they continue to negotiate.
However, some hard-line conservatives have already ruled out this option and are willing to enforce a government shutdown to push for the budget to be passed. The coming weeks will be crucial in determining the fate of government funding.
Source: The Washington Examiner
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