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House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks with Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Majority Leader Tom Emmer during a press conference after a closed Republican meeting at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C., on March 20. I had a meeting with
The House is scheduled to vote Friday on whether to pass a major government spending bill ahead of a year-end shutdown deadline that is the culmination of months of funding battles on Capitol Hill.
Friday's tight schedule has raised concerns about the possibility of a partial shutdown late at night, but leading lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say they are working to prevent that.
The bill addresses a range of important government functions, including the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, Department of State, and the Legislature.
If the House passes the bill as expected, it will then go to the Senate, where lawmakers will need to reach an agreement to quickly approve it. If both chambers of Congress fail to pass the bill by the deadline, funding would be temporarily lost and a partial shutdown would be triggered. If funding is approved the weekend before the business week begins, the impact of the partial closure will be limited.
As of Thursday night, top House Republicans had predicted they would have the votes to pass the spending bill, but it could be close. Republican leaders say Democrats will need to work together to pass the bill, which requires a two-thirds majority to pass, amid a revolt in some parts of the House Republican conference.
It remains unclear whether Republicans will be able to win a majority in the conference, a key criterion that every vote seeks to achieve.
Lawmakers unveiled the $1.2 trillion government funding package just before 3 a.m. ET on Thursday, and it spans more than 1,000 pages.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday that the bill's text was introduced “at the last minute,” with less than 48 hours left before the deadline for a partial government shutdown. The Democratic leader added: “Congress must hurry to pass this policy before government funding runs out this Friday.” “If the House takes action, the Senate will need bipartisan cooperation to pass the bill by Friday's deadline and avoid a shutdown.” He mentioned the possibility of a partial closure.
After months of trying to avoid an eleventh-hour shutdown with stopgap legislation, Congress finally passed a package of six bills in early March to fund the agency for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Lawmakers will now have to finalize the annual federal funding process to fund the rest of the government, but the policy is divided between partisans after conservatives ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in an unprecedented situation. The debate has dragged on far longer than in previous years amid disagreements above and a historic change in House leadership. Last year's vote.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who won the gavel after Mr. McCarthy's ouster, has a razor-thin majority and faces backlash from the right over his handling of the fight over government funding.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised the bill early Thursday, outlining a victory for conservatives in the package.
“This FY24 spending bill strengthens our national defense by focusing the Department of Defense on its core mission while expanding support for the brave men and women who serve in uniform,” Prime Minister Johnson said in a statement. This is a serious effort.”
Louisiana Republicans will need to rely on both Democratic and Republican votes to get the remaining government funding bill across the finish line, a point of tension within the House Republican conference.
On Thursday, House members on both sides of the aisle slammed the deal, with progressives and far-right lawmakers criticizing the bill for a variety of reasons.
Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas told CNN he would not support any Republican lawmaker who votes for the bill, saying leadership “owns the bill” and calling the bill a “failure.” Stated.
“It would be very difficult to do something like that,” he told CNN's Manu Raju. “If this bill passes, the Republican conference will fail.”
House progressives were also critical, with some indicating they would vote against a provision that would block funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees for one year amid allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the October 7 attack on Israel. There are some too.
Mr. McCarthy's fate raises questions about whether Mr. Johnson could face a similar threat to his own speakership, but many Republicans have expressed concern about the vitriol caused by Mr. McCarthy's removal from office. The party has made it clear that it does not want another presidential election due to the internal conflict and confusion.
Another six-bill funding package signed by President Joe Biden earlier this month includes funding for the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Veterans Affairs, Energy, Interior, Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development. was. Food and Drug Administration, military construction, and other federal programs.
CNN's Manu Raju contributed to this report.
