Next Government Funding Fight Looms in December
President Biden signed the continuing resolution (CR) keeping the federal government open and funded through December 20.
The legislation keeps most agencies funded at current levels.
There was an additional $231 million in funding added for the U.S. Secret Service following the pair of assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump.
Money was also added to help the presidential transition process.
However, money for disaster relief and $12 billion to fix the health care shortfall at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was not included, despite some members pushing for those.
Congress did pass a $3 billion supplemental to help the VA avoid a delay in paying veterans’ benefits.
The CR made it through the House on a vote of 341-82, with 82 Republicans opposing the legislation, claiming it’s just another example of kicking the can down the road.
It passed the Senate on a vote of 78-18. Both chambers are now out of session until after the election, unless they are called back for disaster relief after Hurricane Helene.
December Fight
The CR sets up a funding fight ahead of the next expiration date in December, when the results of the presidential and congressional elections should be known.
The House has passed five of the 12 full-year appropriations bills, mostly along party lines. The Senate has passed zero.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) made it clear there will be no omnibus.
“So we’ve had no choice, but I want to assure everyone, and I’ve said this multiple times this week, we are not going to return to a Christmas omnibus spending tradition, and that’s significant,” said Speaker Johnson. “We worked very hard to break that tradition.”
Democrats said the CR was necessary to getting the full-year bills done.
“No matter who wins in November, we owe it to the next Congress and the next president to not saddle them with yesterday’s problems,” said House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). “We know where we must end up, and it is my hope that this bill will provide the bipartisan momentum needed to arrive there.”
The House passed the Defense, Homeland Security, Interior Environment, Military Construction Veterans Affairs, and State-Foreign Operations bills.
The outcome of the November elections will weigh heavily on Congress’ approach to the funding debate.
“That person, whether it’s Vice President Harris or former President Trump, will basically tell their side: ‘I want a deal,’ or ‘I want to handle it,’” House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) predicted, as reported by POLITICO.
