Lawmakers said they are inching closer to a deal to keep the government's lights on for nine days but are still trying to reconcile differences over disaster relief and possible additions to the bill.
There is optimism on Capitol Hill that the bill text could arrive as early as this weekend as the Dec. 20 closure deadline approaches, but spending negotiations are in full swing. However, he has remained silent on many of the details.
Disaster relief has become one of the key challenges, as leaders are expected to include billions of dollars for recovery efforts from Hurricanes Helen and Milton in their upcoming Continuing Resolution (CR).
“The cake is still baking. There's a lot of people trying to get into the kitchen and they're not even in the mixing bowl yet,” said the chairman of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's annual funding subcommittee. said Congressman Mark Amodei (R-Nevada). (FEMA) said Tuesday in response to questions about disaster relief talks.
Amodei said he thought “a lot of things are coming together” as the leadership was trying to reach an agreement on an ad hoc basis, but noted that “disasters are one of the most difficult things.”
The Biden administration has requested approximately $115 billion in disaster relief funds in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helen and Milton.
While there is broad bipartisan support for disaster relief, some Republicans have expressed concerns about the size and scope of the White House's request, particularly the proposed funding for areas such as the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency. I am doing it.
“Regardless of whether the amount is large or relatively small, sooner or later you're going to have to spend that money,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Ta. he told The Hill on Tuesday. “None of the people in Appalachia and Georgia had the money, so we have to spend it.”
But he also said there were “offsets to be made” and said he would seek paid time to help cover relief costs. But, he added, it's “not a question of whether we can find it, but whether people have the political will to do it.”
President Kennedy's sentiments are echoed by those on the other side of the Capitol, with hardline conservatives in the House of Representatives also calling for offsets to pay for disaster aid passed under the current administration.
“The House of Representatives will consider only what is absolutely necessary now to provide emergency relief to hurricane victims and farmers, pay for that cost by offsetting other wasteful spending in government, and then provide disaster relief relief. We should wait for President Trump to take office to better manage the United States,” the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus said last week.
Other Republicans have also expressed interest in offsetting, but have not yet drawn the line as officials have warned that funding has dwindled in recent weeks.
Fellow appropriator Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) told The Hill this week, “I'm all for paying what we can afford.” “On the other hand, there are certain situations where only the federal government can step in and make a change.”
“We've always done that, like infrastructure, so I think we should do what we have to do.” “But again, the amount we can pay is going to be great.”
President Kennedy said negotiations over an expected disaster aid pool are nearing the $100 billion mark. “It’s a moving target. [Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)] involved in negotiations. We'll find out in the next few days. ”
With only a few days left in the legislative session, senators are hinting at other last-minute pushes as part of future stopgap measures.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) told The Hill this week that the goal is “some kind of extension” of the farm bill, but without providing specifics, “additional economic opened the door to support.
Congressional Democrats have said they have also fought to protect $20 billion in Internal Revenue Service funding as part of the talks, and other items such as funding for the Social Security Administration could become a focus as talks progress.
Negotiators on both sides say Congress is likely on a stopgap track until sometime in March, but many lawmakers oppose further delaying the fiscal year 2025 funding effort. The idea has been met with bipartisan resistance in recent months.
“We might be able to meet the Dec. 20 deadline, but that’s it,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, told The Hill this week. But she also expressed confidence that the work would be completed by next March, once Congress finalizes the target schedule.
“We can get it done. We could get it done.”
