Congressional Leaders Agree on Short-Term Federal Funding, Averting Potential Shutdown

TL/DR –

Congressional leaders agreed on a short-term spending bill that will fund federal agencies for about three months, therefore avoiding a potential partial government shutdown when the new budget year begins on October 1. The temporary spending bill funds agencies at existing levels, but also includes an extra $231 million for the Secret Service following two assassination attempts on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and additional money to aid with the presidential transition. Bipartisan negotiations have agreed to extend the funding into mid-December, giving the current Congress the ability to plan a full-year spending bill after the November 5 election, instead of passing the responsibility to the next Congress and president.

Three-Month Spending Bill Agreement to Avert Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — A possible partial government shutdown is averted as Congressional leaders agreed on a short-term spending bill on Sunday. Scheduled to fund the federal agencies for three months, this decision conveniently dodges the new budget year beginning Oct. 1, deferring final decisions until post the November elections.

The temporary spending bill generally maintains agency funding at current levels, but it includes an additional $231 million to support the Secret Service in light of the two assassination attempts against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Extra provisions were also made for the presidential transition, among other matters.

Reaching this point has been a struggle for lawmakers as the current budget year draws to a close. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., initially attempted to tie temporary funding to a voting requirement mandate. However, he gave up this approach to reach an agreement, despite Trump’s insistence on the voting requirement for the stop-gap measure.

After dropping this approach, bipartisan negotiations started in earnest. Leadership agreed to extend funding to mid-December, allowing the current Congress to create a full-year spending bill after the Nov. 5 election.

Describing the budget measure as “very narrow, bare-bones” in a letter to his Republican colleagues, Johnson insisted it included only the necessary extensions. Overall, he considered it the most prudent path forward in the current circumstances.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries stated that Democrats would evaluate the bill entirely before this week’s vote. With the agreement in place, Congress aims to avoid a government shutdown that could negatively impact everyday Americans.

House Appropriations Committee chairman, Rep. Tom Cole, confirmed that negotiations went smoothly, emphasizing that avoiding a government shutdown was a priority for all, especially with the upcoming elections.

Johnson’s initial attempt, while having no chance in the Democratic-controlled Senate, allowed him to demonstrate his fight for their request to Trump and his conference’s conservatives. As predicted, government funding is now on autopilot, making a government shutdown unlikely with the election imminent.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer believed the same agreement could have been reached earlier. He blamed Speaker Johnson for following the MAGA way and wasting time.

A bipartisan majority is expected to approve the short-term measure this week. However, finalizing a spending bill in December won’t be easy, and the election results could influence the political calculations, possibly extending the fight into next year.

The increased Secret Service funding is contingent on the Department of Homeland Security providing specific information to a House task force and Senate committee investigating the Trump assassination attempts.

The Secret Service recently informed lawmakers that funding shortfall wasn’t the reason for the lapses in Trump’s security, including when a gunman climbed onto an unsecured roof and opened fire at a rally. However, acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. confirmed that the agency had immediate needs and was in talks with Congress.

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