Congress faces crunch time on government funding

Congress faces an increasingly tight timetable to finalize a major government funding deal before Friday’s looming government shutdown deadline, with lawmakers already raising concerns that the process could drag into the weekend. Are concerned.

Lawmakers expect the text of the legislation to be released as early as Wednesday, but that could be delayed as staff work to finalize the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) annual funding bill. Some people warn.

Rep. Henry Cuellar (R-Texas), the top Democrat on the appropriations subcommittee that crafts the DHS funding bill, told The Hill on Wednesday afternoon, “We hope it will be late tonight, but early Thursday morning. It’s possible,” he said.

The bill is one of six included in a massive government funding package that lawmakers are expected to vote on in the coming days to avert a government shutdown.

The full-year funding package could see more than $1 trillion in spending in fiscal year 2024 and would also include funding for DHS. Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Education. financial services, overseas operations, general government, etc.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) on Wednesday debated whether Congress should waive a rule that allows lawmakers at least three days to consider some bills in the regular order before voting on them. Lawmakers said they were looking at ways to speed up deliberations as the two countries clashed. that.

But Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said early Wednesday that he did not think a stop-gap measure, also known as a continuing resolution (CR), was needed to prevent a funding shortfall.

The funding package has not yet been made public, but both sides have already begun claiming early wins in the spending battle. Republicans have touted funding cuts in areas such as overseas operations and diversity, while Democrats have touted investments in child care and domestic programs while dodging so-called “poison pill” riders backed by Republicans.

Members of both Houses are calling for a vote on Friday. But it remains unclear how quickly the Senate can pass the bill, especially since some conservatives have signaled they would delay passage in protest of the deal.

The appropriator, Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), said Wednesday that “we might be shut down for a couple of days,” but he also downplayed the impact that would have on government operations. Some doubt that even a small disaster would cause a shutdown in the first place. lack of funds.

Congress passed the first six annual funding bills as part of the package earlier this month, providing funding to the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Commerce and Energy.

At the time, lawmakers were focused on a Friday deadline for passing the bill. But last-minute drama meant the Senate didn’t approve the bill until hours before the deadline, and the president finally signed it on Saturday.

However, after the Senate passed the bill, the Office of Management and Budget announced that preparations for the shutdown would be halted and government agencies would continue operating as usual.