Shutdown averted, lawmakers fret about next looming deadline

The latest shutdown threat may have been averted, but some lawmakers are already concerned about the next federal funding deadline.

Leaders on both sides of the aisle were able to reach agreement earlier this month on the top lines of 12 annual government funding bills for fiscal year 2024, but spending cardinals are still uncertain how the budget will be allocated to each measure. It is said that it is not yet known whether the Spending negotiations continue.

Without those appropriations, lawmakers say they can't begin writing individual bills.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in comments to reporters this week that she was “concerned about the lack of resolution” on appropriation issues for individual bills. .

“This situation has been going on for a long time and we really don't know why it's happening,” Collins said.

Some senior appropriators said they expected to receive their assignments last week, while others received them the week before that.

But as negotiations continue, so-called spending cardinals have pointed to areas such as funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other non-defense programs as potential deadlock points for top negotiators. There is.

Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), chairman of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, expressed confidence earlier this week that top appropriators from both chambers could reach an agreement.

But he said he thinks “they're in an uphill battle,” referring to the DHS and Labor, Health, and Human Services (HHS) annual funding bills and a potential conflict “over Labor versus Homeland.” added.

“Of course, none of us knows whether the supplement will pass or not, but it brings money to Homeland and that impacts Homeland,” Cole said.

Senators have been negotiating key border and foreign policy issues for weeks. The plan is expected to include tighter restrictions on asylum, increased border security measures such as building a wall, and aid to Ukraine and Israel.

“If the additional bill passes, it could put a lot of money into it and impact what we normally do for Homeland,” Cole said. “So I think they're all being cautious and trying to help.”

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who heads the subcommittee on DOL and HHS funding, said Thursday that top negotiators appear “close” to an agreement, but DHS funding Tension added that the offer “looks like the real thing.” ”

Murray also said earlier this week that he had heard that Democrats were fighting for numbers “as close as possible” to the bipartisan funding bill levels marked in the Senate, adding, “There is no resistance in the House to this.” There is,” he pointed out.

But he said there is “no time to wait” for Congress to work on additional legislation, especially in terms of finalizing subcommittee allocations, especially if lawmakers want to avoid passing another stopgap in the coming weeks. '', he added.

“Once you get it, [allocations] “It takes time to write a bill, and it's not an easy process,” Baldwin said Wednesday, citing wide gaps in the content of the funding bills in both chambers and the difficulty of considering a bill that can pass a divided Congress. He acknowledged that there are difficulties ahead.

Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who is leading negotiations with House Appropriations Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-Texas), also said Wednesday in brief comments to The Hill that Democrats “We are waiting for the House to make some decision,” he said. “It's an important move,” he said when asked for an update on the negotiations over the quota.

Thanks to a stopgap measure passed Thursday, Congress was able to meet another shutdown deadline, pushing back the next target deadline to March to buy time for broader spending talks.

Under the bill, Congress agreed to extend temporary level funding for government agencies in four of the 12 annual spending bills until March 1. This includes funding for agriculture, transportation, housing and urban development, and energy sectors. Food and Drug Administration and other agencies.

The bill would extend deadlines for eight remaining bills until March 8, when agencies such as the Department of Defense (DOD), DOL, Education, State, and Homeland Security face funding shortfalls.

Appropriators on both sides of the aisle believe the additional time will be enough to complete the drafting of 12 annual funding bills, but it will take time to ramp up discussions on their own bills. I admit that it will take some time. .

“We don't have a lot of time,” Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), who chairs the subcommittee that oversees funding for the State Department and other agencies, said this week. pointed out. Even after negotiations are finalized, passing a funding bill can take a significant amount of time.

“On the technical side, [the Congressional Budget Office] “These bills normally take about five days to be reviewed, but then they take 72 hours here in the House,” he said. “And then we have read-alouds, for example, so the staff gets together and literally… they have to read every comma, every sentence of the invoice and the report.”

“We have plenty of time today,” he said Wednesday, but added that the cardinals must quickly receive subcommittee assignments to complete their work.

The House of Representatives has drafted a spending bill that is significantly lower than the budget cap agreement reached last year between President Biden and then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and the top appropriations members of both chambers are also significantly different. The funding bill will be negotiated.

The House bill also includes a list of special provisions in areas such as abortion and diversity that Democrats have denounced as a “poison pill,” but House conservatives have strongly opposed the Senate-authored bill as too expensive. are doing.

Also on the minds of lawmakers is a looming April deadline for automatic cuts to defense and non-defense programs if Congress does not complete funding work by the deadline. It's a penalty that Republicans and Democrats alike want to avoid.

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who is the cardinal in the Senate for defense funding, spoke about the issue Thursday. “So the truth is, there needs to be some urgency.”

Contributed by Rafael Bernal.