Government Shutdown: Congressional Lawmakers Unveil Details of Bills To Avert National Disaster

Congressional lawmakers unveiled the details of the first six spending bills that would fund the government to avert a potential shutdown.

On Sunday, officials announced a package of the half a dozen annual appropriation bills that are set to be voted on next week. The situation is crucial as it sets the stage for Congress to avoid a partial government shutdown that could come on Mar. 8 if officials do nothing.

Averting a Government Shutdown

Top Democratic and Republican lawmakers from both chambers announced agreements on bills that would fund a raft of less controversial government agency budgets until Sept. 30. The agencies that would be funded by the bills include the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Housing, and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs.

The newly unveiled bills feature slight funding increases or reductions but overall avoid the drastic cuts that House Republican hardliners have been demanding. Despite the efforts, lawmakers have not announced agreement on the remaining six appropriation bills, as per Axios.

These would include the massive and controversial budgets of the Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services. The money that would go to fund those agencies is set to run out on Mar. 22, which gives Congress only a few weeks to work out the remaining disagreements and pass the bills.

Democratic lawmakers celebrated the lack of significant cuts or right-wing policy riders. On the other hand, Republican officials touted the cuts to the EPA, FBI, and ATF, as well as certain environmental and law enforcement policy victories.

In a statement, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said that even with a divided government and a historically small House majority, the GOP worked hard to successfully move the policy and spending priorities of the federal government away from the previous Pelosi-Schumer FY23 appropriations.

Voting on the Appropriations Bills

The partial budget deal is seen as a step forward in the efforts to secure a permanent budget plan for the rest of the fiscal year, which started on Oct. 1. Despite not having agreed on the second half of the bills, lawmakers touted the success of the first round of discussions for the appropriation bills, according to CNBC.

Democratic lawmakers see the development as a victory for its continued full funding of a special food assistance program for women, infants, and children. They were also able to secure wins on rent assistance and pay for infrastructure employees such as air traffic controllers and railway inspectors.

In a statement released on Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that throughout the negotiations, Democrats fought hard to protect against cuts to housing and nutrition programs and keep harmful provisions out of the way.

The new package totals more than $459 billion and includes side adjustments such as emergency money. However, the second half of the appropriations bills contain roughly 70% of the overall funding and the most controversial policy decisions.

Johnson, in touting the funding package, pointed to language that would block the Department of Justice (DOJ) from targeting parents who speak before school boards. The speaker also noted policy that would preserve gun rights for military veterans who need fiduciary help with their VA benefits, said Politico.