12/14/2024

Congress Likely to Pass Short-term Government Funding Bill

The bill must be passed before Dec. 20

Congress needs to pass a short-term government funding bill before Dec. 20 to avoid a partial government shutdown, but Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will likely need help from House Democrats to get the bill over the finish line.

Johnson, who has a conservative faction of his caucus that will not vote for stopgap funding bills, has little choice but to work with House Democrats this go-around. While negotiations are ongoing, Democrats’ main demand is a robust supplemental aid package to address recent disasters across the country, including hurricanes Helene and Milton, Maui wildfires and tornadoes in the Midwest.

The White House requested nearly $100 billion in disaster aid, and the delay so far in putting a bill on the floor has been what topline number Republican appropriators will accept for disaster relief.

What they’re saying: “There’s not been any real hard-and-fast debates about what’s there, because the issue is, we got to get to a topline, and then we can start to go forward,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) said Congress could address the disaster relief funding as a stand-alone bill, but acknowledged that leadership thinks "it would help putting on the CR."

This article was provided to OSAP by ASAE's Power of Associations and Inroads.