Lawmakers grapple with tight deadlines, fractured party demands, and potential shutdown consequences
With the clock ticking, Congress is facing a pressing challenge to pass 12 spending bills and avoid a full-scale government shutdown, which would result in the halting of non-essential federal services.
The prospects of lawmakers meeting their deadline to pass all 12 spending bills appear grim. The House of Representatives managed to pass only one such bill before their August recess. With less than 10 working days remaining before the September 30 deadline, when funding expires, the pressure is on for lawmakers in both chambers.
Complicating matters for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is the discord within the Republican caucus, particularly from ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus members who are pushing for uncompromising demands during spending negotiations.
Options on the Table:
Speaker McCarthy’s options are limited, mainly revolving around the passage of a stopgap measure known as a “continuing resolution.” Such a resolution would serve to postpone critical decisions and provide lawmakers with more time before non-essential functions of federal agencies dependent on annual appropriations come to a standstill.
The Road to a Government Shutdown:
Currently, the House has passed one spending bill, while the Senate is preparing to vote on a package of three bills. However, significant disagreements remain between the two chambers on various measures that are essential for the government to remain fully operational.
Sarah Binder, a political science professor at George Washington University, expressed skepticism about Congress passing the remaining spending bills before the impending shutdown date. She stated, “There’s no way for them to complete and have signed into law the 12 spending bills that would keep the entire government open absent any other action.”
Notably, the last time both the House and Senate successfully passed all 12 spending bills signed into law by the President before funding expiration was in 1997, almost three decades ago.
While there is a possibility that Congress could pass an individual spending bill within the next 10 days to avert a total shutdown for specific federal agencies, Binder is doubtful that there is sufficient time in the legislative calendar for such a feat.
The Continuing Resolution:
Binder highlighted that the most realistic scenario involves Congress passing a continuing resolution, also known as a stopgap measure, which would extend the previous year’s spending levels for a designated period. “That’s really where most of the attention is focused now,” she said.
However, questions persist regarding the specifics of the stopgap measure, whether McCarthy will bring it to the floor for a vote, and whether there will be enough votes in the House to pass it. Some House Freedom Caucus members have threatened to use a shutdown as leverage unless the continuing resolution includes more spending cuts or provisions related to border security.
Previous stopgap measures have typically extended funding until around December, but McCarthy has suggested the possibility of a shorter, one-month extension.
Government Shutdown Implications:
If Congress fails to pass a continuing resolution or any individual spending bill, it would result in a complete government shutdown. “Absent any last-minute action, this will be a total government shutdown because they haven’t been able to pass any of the spending bills yet into law,” warned Binder.
In the event of a government shutdown, several consequences could affect Americans, including:
- Federal employees facing furloughs
- Potential delays in government food assistance benefits
- National parks having to turn away visitors
- Possible delays in food safety inspections
- Potential disruptions in air travel
As the deadline looms, Congress is grappling with a challenging race against time to navigate through political divides and funding disputes, with the specter of a government shutdown casting a shadow over essential federal services.