Congressional Leaders To Vote on Stop-gap Spending Bill To Extend Government Funding

The top congressional leaders are set to vote on a stop-gap spending bill to extend the government funding to March and avoid a partial shutdown next week.

Several agencies and government functions will run out of funding on Friday at the end of the day.

According to NPR, the stop-gap bill was expected to be released on Sunday. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has been under pressure to scrap a bipartisan spending deal with Senate Democrats as the bill would need Democratic support to pass the narrowly divided House.

Johnson reiterated on Friday that he was adhering to the agreement he struck with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y, despite pressure from some Conservatives to renegotiate. Moderates in the party had pushed him to continue the course.

The extension will adhere to the two-tier funding deadline structure that leaders agreed to last year, with new deadlines set on March 1 and 8. According to Schumer, the Senate will vote on the first procedural steps to pass the bill on Tuesday.

"To avoid a shutdown, it will take bipartisan cooperation in the Senate and the House to quickly pass the CR and send it to the President's desk before Friday's funding deadline," Schumer said.

He also thanked the leaders in the Senate and the House, particularly the members of the appropriations committee, for their commitment to keeping the government open and working for the American people.

Schumer added that the legislation results from bipartisan negotiations with all four top Congressional leaders.

Johnson praised Democrats' compromises, including their plans to rescind some unspent COVID relief funds and speed up already planned cuts to the IRS. He claimed that the end goal is to avoid wholesale extensions of current funding.

"Because the completion deadlines are upon us, a short continuing resolution is required to complete what House Republicans are working hard to achieve: an end to governance by omnibus, meaningful policy wins, and better stewardship of American tax dollars," he said.

Furthermore, the goal is to allow appropriations committee members to work out the details of spending bills that adhere to the $1.6 trillion spending cap deal leaders reached last week. The maximum amount that Congress can spend on defense and non-defense programs for fiscal year 2024, which ends in September, was established by that agreement.

Stop-gap Bill Requires Support from Democrats

Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., intend to move swiftly to approve a spending bill to avoid the possibility of a government shutdown. Some senators may decide to slow the process, but the stop-gap will likely pass the Senate with significant bipartisan support.

Far-right lawmakers were putting up a strong fight against Johnson as they opposed both the prospect of a short-term stop-gap and the broader top-line spending deal.

Johnson will have to pass any stop-gap bill with significant support from Democrats, which may challenge his speakership from far-right Conservatives.