4 ways the government funding fight could play out in January

Congress faces an avalanche of government funding tasks when it returns from recess this month, with little time to complete them before the looming shutdown deadline.

Under a stopgap bill passed in November, Congress is looking at two deadlines in January and February to keep the government funded.

But with less than a month left before the original Jan. 19 deadline for funding for government departments to expire, lawmakers are clashing over what to do next as rifts over spending deepen. are doing.

Here are some ways a fight could break out in January.

Congress passes annual funding bill

Some conservatives are hopeful of passing a separate government funding bill in fiscal 2024, but many are open to passing minibuses as work on the 12 annual funding bills is delayed.

“Without a budget, it's going to be very difficult to pass all the spending bills that need to be completed on time.” [top-line] Congressman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) chairs the House subcommittee that prepares annual budget proposals for the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “Therefore, some difficult decisions will need to be made in early January.”

The House passed seven Republican-authored spending bills, and the Senate passed the so-called maximum bill, which consists of three bills. However, the bills passed in both chambers differ widely. That means work is lacking in both chambers as leaders work to reach agreement at the top-line level and craft bipartisan legislation that can ultimately pass the Republican-led House and Democrats. It turns out. -Leading Senate.

Some spending cardinals say they have started discussions with their counterparts in other chambers about what the bill would look like, but they face challenges in considering the bill without knowing each subcommittee's assignments. He also acknowledges his limitations.

There are also concerns about the status of the handshake agreement between the White House and House Republican leadership, especially as hard-line conservatives have called on the president to leave the party. could mean additional funding for non-defense programs under the U.S. agreement between the parties.

Congress passes another stopgap measure

The longer lawmakers delay spending, the more likely Congress will have to pass another stopgap funding bill to prevent a government shutdown.

Even before the appropriators left town for the holidays, they were concerned about the lack of a final agreement between the leaders of both parties.

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), chairman of the Senate subcommittee that crafts the annual funding bill for HUD and DOT, said last month that Congress would not reach the cap until near the “end of the calendar year.” He said he thought it was necessary to do so. A line funding agreement must be reached in time to meet and pass a funding bill to meet the January deadline.

If Congress resorts to another stopgap, also known as a continuing resolution (CR), it would be the third CR lawmakers have had to pass since September to avoid a shutdown and buy time for spending talks. .

But there is some uncertainty as to what stopgap legislation could garner the bipartisan support needed to pass.

Leadership is already struggling to cobble together a bipartisan top-line agreement in the wake of the legislative deal Congress passed in the spring. The agreement suspends the debt ceiling and sets a cap on the amount that can be allocated when crafting the fiscal year 2024 funding bill.

But experts warn that Congress could face even more headaches if it tries to pass a stopgap measure in the new year under the debt ceiling law's restrictions.

This could include deeper cuts than lawmakers have previously negotiated for a full-year stopgap plan, and if Congress needs more time to complete its spending work in January. Some House Republicans are pushing for the idea.

But the idea faces staunch opposition not only from Democrats but also from Senate Republican leaders.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he had no intention of forcing another short-term stopgap.

“A one-year CR is completely unacceptable,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said before the Senate went into year-end recess. “This is particularly devastating for defence, and we keep fighting all these wars. So we need to reach an agreement on the top line and get a result as soon as possible.”

Some government agencies have been shut down

Lawmakers risk a partial government shutdown on Jan. 20 if they fail to pass legislation in time to extend funding.

As part of the two-phase stopgap bill Congress passed in the fall, lawmakers agreed to extend funding for four of the 12 annual spending bills until mid-January. This includes funding for offices such as HUD, DOT, and the Department of Agriculture.

That leaves Congress with an even larger bill at a time when a Feb. 2 deadline for other bills approaches, and funding for government agencies including the Department of Defense, Department of Labor, and Department of Health and Human Services is at stake. You will be faced with a lot of work. Blunder.

Asked before the holidays whether Congress would meet the January deadline, Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), another appropriation advocate, said: It will be hard to do that once things are over. ”

Parliament passes omnibus

Republicans have long railed against the policy, even though omnibus spending has become the norm.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) promised conservatives during the fight for the gavel in January that he would not rely on a single large fiscal stimulus, and House Speaker Johnson also promised He stood by the pledge and told reporters in November, “They broke policy.” Omni Fever — We call it “Omni Fever.” ”

But it's an option that some Republicans say they're still concerned about, after a lack of clear funding direction and a lukewarm reception for a year of stopgap and time-lapse.

“It's going to end up being one of two things: It's going to be either an omnibus or a one-year CR,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), the appropriator. “And, I, [Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)] And his team will receive 10 Republican votes. ”

“If I were to bet between Omnibus and CR, I would bet on CR right now,” he said. “That doesn't mean I like it, but if you asked me the odds, I'd say omnibus.” [or] CR, CR wins. ”

Mike Lillis contributed.