Spending deal averts a possible federal shutdown and funds the government into December
Last edited Sun Sep 22, 2024, 05:50 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: AP
Updated 6:23 PM EDT, September 22, 2024
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders announced an agreement Sunday on a short-term spending bill that will fund federal agencies for about three months, averting a possible partial government shutdown when the new budget year begins Oct. 1 and pushing final decisions until after the November election.
Temporary spending bills generally fund agencies at current levels, but an additional $231 million was included to bolster the Secret Service, and additional money was added to replenish a disaster relief fund and aid with the presidential transition, among other things.
Lawmakers have struggled to get to this point as the current budget year winds to a close at month’s end. At the urging of the most conservative members of his conference, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had linked temporary funding with a mandate that would have compelled states to require proof of citizenship when people register to vote.
But Johnson could not get all Republicans on board even as the party’s presidential nominee, Donald Trump, insisted on that package. Trump said Republican lawmakers should not support a stop-gap measure without the voting requirement, but the bill went down to defeat anyway, with 14 Republicans opposing it.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/congress-government-shutdown-trump-johnson-budget-deal-d51de0cd895db687a6f5b35fc0dab13e
Article updated.
Original article -
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders announced an agreement Sunday on a short-term spending bill that will fund federal agencies for about three months, averting a possible partial government shutdown when the new budget year begins Oct. 1 and pushing final decisions until after the November election.
Lawmakers have struggled to get to this point as the current budget year winds to a close at month’s end. At the urging of the most conservative members of his conference, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had linked temporary funding with a mandate that would have compelled states to require proof of citizenship when people register to vote.
But Johnson could not get all Republicans on board even as the party’s presidential nominee, Donald Trump, insisted on that package. Trump said Republican lawmakers should not support a stop-gap measure without the voting requirement, but the bill went down to defeat anyway, with 14 Republicans opposing it.
Bipartisan negotiations began in earnest shortly after that, with leadership agreeing to extend funding into mid-December. That gives the current Congress the ability to fashion a full-year spending bill after the Nov. 5 election, rather than push that responsibility to the next Congress and president.
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It's a time-honored tradition because it forces them to "do something" right before the holidays (and the end of that sitting Congress).
(P.S. - During Presidential election years, they often do a 2nd one that goes until maybe March if they still don't have all their Minibuses and/or Omnibuses in order and they will sometimes even agree to a 1-year "freeze", keeping the new funding at the same levels as the previous FY's funding levels, which would be in effect until the following September 30).
So there’s that.
Ask anyone who currently works for or used to work for the federal government (me in the latter category).
(they will either do some kind of Omnibus or will do another C.R. until some time in the spring perhaps).
