Congressional leaders make a short-term deal to avoid a partial shutdown
Congressional leaders said Wednesday they had agreed to a new short-term relief bill to avert a partial government shutdown at the end of the week, paving the way for a temporary path out of an impasse that has cut federal funding has repeatedly threatened the past. six months.
The deal, initially proposed by Chairman Mike Johnson, would extend funding for some government agencies by one week, through March 8, and the rest by another two weeks, through March 22.
Leaders said they had reached agreement on six of 12 annual spending bills that would be “voted and passed before March 8.” They said the emergency measure was necessary to give the appropriators “sufficient time to implement this deal in principle,” and to give lawmakers the opportunity to revise its text.
“We agree that Congress must work together in a bipartisan manner to fund our government,” they said in a joint statement. The deal paved the way for a vote in the House of Representatives as soon as Thursday to keep the government open, with the Senate expected to follow suit before midnight on Friday.
But that would only prolong painful, months-long negotiations over federal spending that have gripped Congress for months as Republicans seeking sharp cuts and conservative policy mandates refused to accept a deal with Democrats.
Top lawmakers would still have to agree on the other six spending measures, then try to pass them individually over the next three weeks or face another possible shutdown. That would be a tall order for the House of Representatives, which has struggled to pass a spending bill despite Republican divisions.
The agreement came after a meeting at the White House on Tuesday in which President Biden and congressional leaders from both parties escalated pressure on Mr Johnson to accept a spending deal. Top Democrats and Republicans emerged saying they were optimistic about keeping the government funded.
The spending showdown that has brought the government to the brink of a partial shutdown this week is being fueled by Republicans in Congress who, after failing in their attempts to cut federal funding, have fought to to be linked to a number of right-wing policy dictates. .
Mr. Johnson told Republicans on a conference call this weekend not to expect many of their top policy priorities to be included, but that he expected to score some smaller victories.
Among the measures Republicans have sought are one that would restrict access to abortion drugs and another to prevent the Department of Veterans Affairs from flagging veterans deemed mentally incompetent in a federal background check required to obtain a to buy a weapon. They have also tried to block an effort by Democrats to increase funding for nutrition programs for low-income women and children.