Washington — Congressional leaders on Tuesday announced a lengthy temporary measure to keep the government funded until spring, just days away from preventing a government shutdown.
Congress has until Friday night to close the funding gap. Approved the continuing resolution. The new temporary measure, approved by the House, Senate and President Biden, will keep the government funded until March 14, giving lawmakers more time to agree on a new spending bill. Republicans control both the House and the Senate.
The 1,500-page temporary measure also includes a one-year extension of the farm bill, about $100 billion in disaster assistance and $10 billion in economic support for farmers.
The continued release of the resolution puts pressure on House leaders to adhere to rules requiring lawmakers to review bills within 72 hours before they are brought to the floor. Johnson said Tuesday morning that he believes the rules should be followed, but with the weekend deadline fast approaching, he may have no choice.
The speaker also said House Republican leaders are committed to passing ongoing resolutions through the regular process, including through the House Rules Committee. The House Rules Committee will almost certainly face opposition from hardliners in the Republican Party, which could further slow down the path to passage.
“I am pleased that these negotiations have resulted in a bipartisan government funding agreement without cuts or toxicity, while also securing Democratic priorities such as millions of dollars for child care, workforce training, and job placement,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement Thursday night. “he said. , support for rebuilding the Key Bridge, funding for additional disaster relief, and more.”
Even before the bill was announced, right-wing members of the party began expressing opposition to the stopgap measure. “This is not the process we signed up for,” Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican who sits on the Rules Committee, told reporters after the House Republican meeting Tuesday morning and said lawmakers should be able to modify and debate it. Major legislation in the House of Representatives.
“We got the negotiated crap and we had to eat this crap sandwich,” Roy said. “Why? Because that terrible Christmas is just around the corner. It’s the same thing every year. You legislate according to the crisis, you legislate according to the calendar, but you don’t legislate because it’s the right thing to do.”
Leaders could instead choose to bring the bill to the floor under a process known as a suspension of the rules, which would allow Democrats to reach the two-thirds majority needed for passage to more quickly get the bill to the Senate before it runs out. This is to be expected. – Week deadline.
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar acknowledged Tuesday morning that Republicans need Democrats to approve government funding, saying, “It’s been that way in this Congress, and it’s going to continue to be that way in the next Congress.”
“This is a lesson for Chairman Johnson,” Aguilar said. “Let’s find a solution, block the most extreme voices in the room, and find the consensus we need to fund our government.”
Mr Johnson has previously expressed frustration with the massive year-end funding measures known as omnibuses and has pledged to avoid the practice of pushing spending ahead of the holiday recess. He defended the continuing resolution Tuesday, saying “it’s not an omnibus” and arguing it would put the party in a position in the new year to “put our fingerprints on what the final spending bill is.” And he noted that House Republicans are aiming to resolve government funding issues early this year before the March 14 deadline.
Despite this week’s tight schedule, lawmakers are expected to thwart threats of a shutdown with little recourse from Washington to address the funding gap.
Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democratic supporter in the Senate, said negotiators should have already completed their work before the bill was released Tuesday afternoon, but was delayed by “the speaker’s 11th-hour demands.”
“The holidays are approaching and we really need a bipartisan package to prevent unnecessary lockdowns, keep the government open and get disaster recovery areas across the country the support they need,” Prime Minister Murray said.
The speaker said lawmakers were working around the clock to complete the CR, noting that it was intended to be a “very simple and clean” temporary funding measure to get the party through the new year. But the Louisiana Republican said there have been “several intervening events,” citing damage from Hurricanes Helen and Milton earlier this year. Johnson said the temporary measures included “very important” disaster relief and provided support to farmers.
“These different pieces have been added to the CR, which is very thin and very simple and clean,” Johnson said.
