As Congress enters a critical period in the run-up to the November election, a long to-do list of important funding items is piling up while Congress is out of office.
Congressional leaders have been under pressure in recent weeks from all sides to return quickly to approve additional disaster relief in the wake of back-to-back hurricanes. There is no intention of pulling members away from campaign activities, but the storm will only add to the cramming agenda that awaits members when they return.
Here are some of the main items from the list so far.
disaster loan
The Small Business Administration's disaster loan program has run out of money following weeks of warnings from government officials.
Announcing the news on Tuesday, President Biden said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) vowed that the program's funding would be replenished after Congress returns from recess next month as planned.
“Speaker Johnson has promised that this and other disaster programs will be replenished once Congress reconvenes, so Americans should continue to apply for these loans. The SBA will continue to process applications. , we will disburse the loan as soon as Congress provides the necessary funding,'' Biden said at the time.
Johnson also said Congress is “following this situation closely” and looks forward to receiving “an accurate assessment of the dollar amounts actually needed” from the Biden administration regarding the funding needed.
But some Republican senators have asked for more information about the program's funding and expressed concerns about the agency's handling of the program.
The SBA announced this week that it first “raised the need for additional funding” with Congressional funding chiefs last year and has since made multiple requests. Officials say the agency's program will cost about $1.6 billion.
FEMA
Congressional leadership has also faced calls in recent weeks from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to return from recess early to pass additional funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster relief fund. .
Congress last month passed a temporary stopgap measure to prevent federal funding from expiring in October and prevent a government shutdown.
Negotiators said the agreement would allow FEMA to more quickly deploy fiscal year 2025 fund funds for disaster response during the approximately three-month moratorium, and that FEMA would be able to use approximately He said $20 billion could be withdrawn.
FEMA officials have said in recent weeks that they have enough money to respond to Hurricanes Milton and Helen during the brief legislative session, but much of that money has already disappeared. He also suggested this to reporters.
Republicans and Democrats have introduced legislation for additional disaster relief in the wake of Hurricanes Helen and Milton. $15 billion proposalIt was proposed by Representative Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and $20 billion proposed by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and others.
veterans issues
Congress passed an emergency spending bill providing billions of dollars in funding to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) before leaving last month, but officials say without Congressional action benefits payments to veterans will be delayed this month. It warned at the outset that there was a risk of suspension.
But the Veterans Administration has also warned that there may be a shortage in fiscal year 2025, and is asking Congress for about $12 billion in additional funding for health care.
The agency cites the PACT Act, a landmark law passed with bipartisan support in 2022, as a key factor in the financial crisis, calling for increases in enrollment, appointments, and application fees for VA health care. listed.
But lawmakers want more information about VA's budget management and how it led to the initial shortfall.
As senators consider legislation to address smaller, more pressing funding threats, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) notes the national debt is more than $35 trillion. While seeking amendments aimed at offsetting the bill's costs, it was unsuccessful.
At the time, he said the VA shortage was “foreseeable” after Congress expanded benefits years ago, but added: “I think that's a priority, and it is.” Ta. [the] It is America's responsibility to take care of our veterans, but we have to think about what we are doing. ”
overall funding
The latest stopgap passed by Congress will keep the government open until mid-December, but it's far from the time lawmakers finish their annual fundraising work.
The stopgap funding bill expires Dec. 20, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has vowed to break with precedent and move forward with a massive omnibus funding package before the holidays.
The upcoming presidential election could have a major impact on the dynamics of Congress.
Conservatives bullish about former President Donald Trump's chances of regaining the White House had asked Congress to push the next funding deadline to early 2025. Supporters of the strategy argue that while it would allow Trump to invest even more voice than government money, it would also reduce his chances of winning Congress. It will come up with another large omnibus funding package at the end of the year.
But many Republicans are pushing for Congress to complete funding efforts in December.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said last month that it would be a “mistake'' to pass interim measures beyond December. “Because no matter who wins the presidential election, we have to present policies to them, no matter who wins the presidential election.” With a blank slate. ”
“The burden should not be on them to deal with the issues in the fiscal year starting in October.”
