U.S. congressional leaders have brokered a deal on a set of appropriations bills, opening the door for a temporary spending measure to postpone funding deadlines well into March. This agreement arrived amid looming shutdown concerns, with only days to spare before the potential cessation of government operations.
The bipartisan accord was established on Wednesday. This last-minute consensus is intended to prevent a partial government shutdown. The proposition supports the idea of bifurcated deadlines, as recommended by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), but with slight extensions designed to afford lawmakers the necessary window to finalize the phrasing of legislation and conduct decisive votes.
“Congress must operate collaboratively across party lines to fund the government,” read a joint statement from congressional leaders. A short-term solution—informally dubbed a ‘continuing resolution’—has been proposed to provide the House and Senate Appropriations Committees with sufficient time to attend to various preparatory tasks such as drafting, adjusting report language, and finalizing technical details before introducing it for lawmakers’ consideration. This continuous resolution will maintain government funding through March 8 and 22, respectively, with plans for an expedited voting process in the House and Senate this week.
The provisions delineated within the agreement indicate that votes on the initial six appropriations bills are expected to transpire in one tranche by March 8. These bills encompass several sectors such as agriculture, military construction, veterans affairs, transportation, housing, urban development, energy, water, interior, environment, and commerce, justice, and science. The fate of another six contentious appropriations bills has been extended to March 22, pending further discussions on whether they will be processed collectively or taken up individually in subsequent votes.
House Republicans have historically been in favor of separate voting for each bill, advocating for a more transparent legislative process, which this elongated timeframe might facilitate at least in the House of Representatives. Leaders have, however, indicated willingness to consolidate these bills into a ‘minibus’ package if necessary, acknowledging the procedural intricacies the Senate faces.
This framework follows a pivotal meeting between Speaker Johnson, President Joe Biden, and other key congressional figures focusing on appropriations strategies in view of the pressing deadline. Johnson emerged optimistic, asserting a shared confidence that Congress will forgo any funding interruptions.
The details of the continuing resolution are still under wraps, yet it is anticipated to garner the requisite bipartisan support to advance it through an expedited procedure necessitating a two-thirds majority of the House.
Once the House acts, the Senate will be under pressure to expedite the resolution’s approval to preclude a partial government shutdown, set to commence at the stroke of midnight on Saturday.