Congressional leaders have unveiled a plan to prevent a partial government shutdown by the Friday federal funding deadline. The plan involves a short-term extension of fiscal year 2024 government funding levels to give lawmakers more time to agree on funding for the rest of fiscal year 2025. This is the second such extension, known as a continuing resolution, since fiscal year 2024 ended on September 30. The bill extends fiscal year 2024 government funding levels through March 14 and includes over $100 billion in funding for disaster relief after storms Helene and Milton hit the U.S. Southeast. Additionally, $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers is included in the bill.
House Republicans have released a 1,547-page text of the short-term extension, which also includes provisions aimed at lessening the influence of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) in the healthcare industry. It also includes legislation meant to revitalize Washington, DC’s RFK Stadium and the surrounding area. The bill will facilitate outbound investment legislation to crack down on the flow of U.S. dollars benefiting Chinese military and technology firms overseas. Recent drone activity on the Eastern Seaboard has led negotiators to include a reauthorization and extension of the government’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems program. The bill also allows the Treasury to recoup funds spent reconstructing the Baltimore Key Bridge.
The bill must pass through the GOP-controlled House and the Democrat-controlled Senate by Friday and reach President Biden’s desk by midnight to prevent a partial government shutdown. Last-minute negotiations delayed the bill’s expected Sunday release to Tuesday evening. Some GOP hardliners have expressed frustration with Speaker Mike Johnson for including unrelated policy riders in what was expected to be a “clean” CR. Lawmakers, like Rep. Eric Burlison, have criticized the introduction of a several-thousand-page bill that nobody has had the chance to read or debate before voting on it.
Allies of President-elect Trump had pushed for a short-term extension into the new year to give his administration and a fully Republican Congress more control over government funding. However, some GOP lawmakers are concerned that fighting previous year’s battles will hinder the forward-facing agenda Republicans hope to enact in Trump’s first 100 days. With a slim majority in the House, Republicans are eager to move forward with their plans and not risk derailing their agenda by focusing on past issues. Ultimately, the bill aims to provide enough funding to prevent a government shutdown while addressing various issues and concerns raised by lawmakers.
