Congress Passes Stopgap Bill, Avoids Government Shutdown

25 Sep at 7:44 pm

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Congress Passes Stopgap Bill, Avoids Government Shutdown \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Congress passed a temporary funding measure that will keep government agencies funded until December 20, avoiding a government shutdown. The bill includes additional funding for the Secret Service in response to recent threats against Donald Trump. Lawmakers face challenging fiscal negotiations ahead, as key appropriations bills remain unresolved.

Congress Approves Temporary Funding Bill to Prevent Shutdown Quick Looks:

Congress passed a temporary measure that funds government agencies until December 20, preventing an immediate shutdown.
The bill was passed with strong bipartisan support, clearing the Senate 78-18 after the House passed it 341-82.
The stopgap measure includes $231 million to boost the Secret Service following recent assassination attempts against Donald Trump.
The bill also provides funding for the presidential transition and other urgent needs.
Lawmakers will now focus on broader, difficult fiscal negotiations that must be resolved by the end of the year.
Some Republicans opposed the bill, but leadership relied on Democratic votes to push it through.
House Speaker Mike Johnson emphasized that the temporary funding was a necessary compromise to avoid a shutdown.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the bipartisan effort and expressed hope for continued cooperation after the election.
Lawmakers are preparing for tough year-end negotiations on defense and non-defense spending, with disagreements on spending cuts and policy mandates.
The White House called on Congress to pass the stopgap bill, though it cautioned that critical areas, like natural disaster recovery and veterans’ health care, still need additional funding.

Deep Look:

Congress passed a crucial temporary funding measure on Wednesday, avoiding an imminent government shutdown by keeping federal agencies funded through December 20. The measure, approved with strong bipartisan support, temporarily postpones contentious budget negotiations until after the November 5 elections. However, the need for more comprehensive fiscal resolutions looms large in the coming months.

The Senate swiftly approved the bill with a 78-18 vote, shortly after it passed through the House with a vote of 341-82. The legislation generally maintains current funding levels but includes an additional $231 million for the Secret Service in response to two recent assassination attempts against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. It also provides funding for the presidential transition and other critical needs.

The measure now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk, where he is expected to sign it into law, averting a shutdown that would have otherwise taken place. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the passage, calling it a bipartisan success and noting that it sets the stage for further cooperation. “This bipartisanship is a good outcome for America,” Schumer said, expressing optimism for constructive negotiations when lawmakers return to address long-term spending issues in the fall.

The passage of the stopgap measure was not without challenges. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., positioned the bill as doing “only what’s absolutely necessary” to avoid a government shutdown, appealing to more conservative members of his party who were concerned about spending levels. However, not all Republicans were on board. A significant number of GOP lawmakers opposed the measure, forcing Johnson to rely on Democratic votes to secure its passage. Johnson emphasized that the only alternative would have been a government shutdown, which he called “political malpractice.”

Despite Johnson’s assurances, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, voiced strong opposition during the brief House debate, criticizing the recurring cycle of last-minute funding measures. “We end up in a vicious circle every year,” Roy said, referring to the recurring use of continuing resolutions to avoid shutdowns while delaying tough budget decisions.

The urgency of the temporary measure was amplified by lawmakers’ desire to return to their home states and districts to campaign for the upcoming elections. The temporary fix allows Congress to avoid immediate disruption, but it sets the stage for more difficult negotiations in December when lawmakers must address the 2024 fiscal year’s appropriations in full.

Under a previous agreement, reached earlier this year to avoid a federal default, spending on defense and non-defense programs is expected to rise by 1% next year. However, the Senate has been pushing to exceed that level, while House Republicans have sought significant cuts to many non-defense programs. House GOP members have also attached policy mandates to spending bills, which have faced strong opposition from Democrats, further complicating the path to a final agreement.

For now, the continuing resolution ensures that government operations remain funded at current levels, with a few notable exceptions. The $231 million allocated for the Secret Service comes with specific conditions, including compliance with congressional oversight. The funding boost allows the Secret Service to meet its “immediate needs,” as stated by acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr., who has been in communication with Congress regarding increased security threats.

The recent security concerns were highlighted after an incident at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman climbed onto an unsecured roof and opened fire. While no one was injured, the episode underscored the need for heightened protection. The Secret Service had previously clarified that a funding shortfall was not the cause of the security breach, but the agency’s immediate needs have since increased.

At a campaign event on Wednesday, Trump expressed his gratitude for the additional funding, while also calling on Republicans to include voter ID requirements in future spending bills. His push for requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote had failed to pass the House the previous week.

The passage of the stopgap measure is critical because Congress remains far from completing the necessary appropriations work for the 2024 fiscal year. So far, the House has passed five of the twelve annual appropriations bills required to fully fund the government, with most votes falling along party lines. The Senate, however, has yet to pass any of the bills, leading to a standoff between the chambers.

Republicans blame Senate Democrats for stalling the process by not bringing the appropriations bills to the Senate floor for a vote. They argue that passing the bills in the Senate would allow for negotiations to reconcile the House and Senate versions. However, Democrats counter that House Republicans are acting in bad faith, as their spending bills undercut the agreement that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy negotiated with the White House earlier this year. The agreement was designed to set spending caps for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years, but GOP bills have sought deeper cuts.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, reiterated her party’s stance, insisting that Democrats will accept nothing less than the 1% increase agreed upon in earlier negotiations. She also warned that if Republicans push for additional defense spending, there must be “dollar-for-dollar parity for non-defense” programs.

The White House supported the stopgap measure but warned that it still falls short of addressing several key funding priorities. Specifically, the administration noted the bill’s failure to provide adequate funding for disaster relief and for health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Looking ahead to December, Johnson made it clear that he will not support an omnibus spending bill—a large, catch-all measure that combines multiple appropriations into a single vote. He suggested that another short-term stopgap measure may be needed to give the next Congress and president control over the 2025 fiscal year’s budget. “I have no intention of going back to that terrible tradition,” Johnson said, signaling his commitment to avoid large, bundled spending packages.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, also urged caution, particularly toward the influence of more extreme voices within the GOP. “You cannot strike a deal to govern with people who do not really want to govern,” Murray said, appealing for a more cooperative approach in future negotiations.

As the temporary extension buys Congress time, the real challenge awaits in December, when lawmakers must reconcile their fiscal differences or risk another funding crisis.