Congress Acts Quickly to Fund Government and Prevent Shutdown Before Campaigning

In a crucial move, Congress is on track to approve a temporary spending bill that will maintain funding for federal agencies as the new fiscal year opens next Tuesday. This initiative is aimed at averting a government shutdown, especially significant as the Nov. 5 election approaches.

The stopgap funding measure will generally enable agencies to operate at their current funding levels until December 20. Additionally, it includes an emergency allocation of $231 million to enhance the Secret Service’s resources following two assassination attempts aimed at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. This bill also allocates funds to facilitate the upcoming presidential transition and addresses various other needs.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, representing Louisiana, described the legislation as addressing only the “absolute necessities,” reflecting concerns regarding spending levels among members of his own party.

However, the bill has faced opposition from some Republicans, forcing House leadership to seek support from Democratic representatives to ensure its passage. The process requires a two-thirds majority from voting members, highlighting the challenges in securing adequate bipartisan cooperation. Johnson emphasized that the only alternative would lead to a government shutdown.

“It would be political malpractice to shut the government down,” he explained, noting the broad understanding among lawmakers of the situation’s implications.

Once the House is expected to pass the temporary funding measure, it will move to the Senate for consideration. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer from New York confirmed that arrangements were in place for quick passage.

“This is how things should be done,” Schumer remarked. “Without brinkmanship, without delay.”

Both chambers of Congress are eager to return to their home states and districts for campaign efforts, which adds momentum for the swift passage of this temporary funding solution. However, more complex fiscal negotiations will follow later in the year.

This temporary funding measure effectively delays a final decision on the full-year spending levels for three months. According to a previous agreement aimed at avoiding a federal default, spending on defense and nondefense programs is set to rise by 1% next year.

The Senate plans to exceed this proposed increase, while House Republicans are advocating for significant cuts to many nondefense programs. Additionally, House proposals are often accompanied by policy mandates that are largely opposed by Democrats, complicating the path to a final agreement.

For now, the temporary bill will primarily sustain current government funding levels, aside from notable exceptions such as the Secret Service funding increase.

The funding designated for the Secret Service is tied to compliance with congressional oversight. Furthermore, the bill enables the agency to expedite its spending when necessary.

“Everybody understands that’s critically important right now,” Johnson remarked regarding the funding for the Secret Service.

A recent letter from the Secret Service to lawmakers clarified that a funding shortfall did not contribute to security lapses during an incident on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman fired shots from an unsecured rooftop during a rally for Trump. Acting Director Ronald Rowe Jr. conveyed that the agency has urgent needs and is actively communicating with Congress to address these issues.

Congress finds itself needing this continuing resolution as it has not finalized the twelve annual appropriations bills that fund much of the federal government. So far, the House has only advanced five of these bills, mostly along party lines, while the Senate has yet to pass any.

Johnson cautioned that once the December 20 funding extension concludes, he would oppose a large catchall appropriations bill, often referred to as an omnibus, indicating that another stopgap measure might be necessary. This would allow the incoming president and Congress to dictate fiscal year 2025 spending priorities.

“I have no intention of going back to that terrible tradition,” Johnson stated firmly.