12/17/2024

Congress Nears Deal to Avert Government Shutdown

If a deal isn't struck, the government would shut down at 12:01 a.m. Dec. 21

Congressional leaders appeared to cinch a bipartisan deal Tuesday to stave off a fast-approaching government shutdown deadline, but House Republican infighting could still endanger any agreement and push federal agencies to the brink of shuttering this weekend.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) told reporters Tuesday that his office would unveil a stopgap funding bill, called a continuing resolution (CR) that extends federal funding until March 14. Without new legislation, government agencies will shut down at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

The legislation will include a year-long extension of the major agricultural policy and anti-poverty law known as the farm bill, plus an additional $10 billion in aid for farmers and ranchers and a host of smaller policy tweaks that made for tense negotiations over the past few days.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.