Staff Reports
With the clock ticking and a government shutdown looming, Congress is scrambling to avoid a funding crisis. The current stopgap measure is set to expire later this week, leaving lawmakers with little time to come up with a solution. President Joe Biden managed to sign a continuing resolution just in the nick of time on October 1st, but that funding is only temporary and will expire on November 17th. So what needs to be done to prevent a shutdown?
The clock is ticking as the House of Representatives and Senate look to avoid a government shutdown as the stopgap's extension on funding is set to expire later this week.
With less than an hour tospare, President Joe Biden signed the continuinghttps://t.co/wyrZx1KO74
— Conservative News Daily (@ConservNewsDly) November 13, 2023
House Speaker Mike Johnson has proposed a clean continuing resolution that would fund the government through January 15th, 2024. This “laddered” approach would provide different amounts of funding to different agencies. However, Democrats are pushing for a bill that would fund the entire government for a longer period. Johnson’s proposal, unveiled to House Republicans, would extend funding for certain appropriations bills until January 19th and the remaining bills until February 2nd.
In addition to passing a continuing resolution, Congress must also finish passing the remaining appropriations bills. So far, the House has passed seven out of the necessary twelve bills, while the Senate has only passed three. This week, the House plans to consider three more appropriations bills, including funding for transportation, housing, urban development, commerce, justice, science, and education.
Passing all twelve appropriations bills can be a lengthy process, often resulting in the need for omnibus bills that combine multiple appropriations. If Congress fails to pass funding in time, a government shutdown will occur. This means that nonessential aspects of the federal government will close, while essential workers will continue their jobs without pay. The last shutdown, from December 2018 to January 2019, was the longest in history.
As Congress races against the clock, it is crucial for lawmakers to set aside partisan differences and prioritize the needs of the American people. A shutdown would have serious consequences for federal employees and the functioning of the government. Let’s hope that Congress can come together and find a solution that keeps the government funded and running smoothly.
