Congress pushed the funding debate to December. It has a lot of work to do before the end of the year
WASHINGTON — An agreement Wednesday to fund the government through December capped off the workweek for members of Congress, and most have returned to their home states for an extended election season recess.
But they leave behind a laundry list of formidable tasks for when they return in six weeks. How they get that work done will depend heavily on the outcome of the Nov. 5 election and how it affects the balance of power in Washington.
U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, one of the highest-ranking Democrats on the Appropriations Committee, is advocating for lawmakers to pass long-term spending legislation ahead of the new Dec. 20 shutdown deadline.
“We must pass a bipartisan, full-year funding bill so that our federal and local governments can provide uninterrupted services to our citizens as well as plan their budgets for the year ahead,” the Albany Democrat said in a statement Wednesday.
In a separate interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bishop acknowledged that if Republicans win the White House or take control of the Senate while retaining their slim majority in the House, they could be motivated to wait until after the January inauguration to give Donald Trump a bigger say in how federal dollars are spent.
Right now, Democrat Joe Biden occupies the White House, Republicans have a slim majority in the House and Democrats have a one-seat majority in the Senate.
“I’m in favor of getting it done — complete,” Bishop said.
The continuing resolution approved Wednesday includes extra money for the U.S. Secret Service to boost protection for candidates after two failed assassination attempts targeting Trump and new flexibility on how disaster aid funds are spent. But lawmakers will be asked for billions more before the December deadline to address ongoing recovery projects and the effects of new emergencies, including damages expected from Hurricane Helene.
“In December, we have to pass the appropriation bills, and we’re going to have to also refill some of these pots to deal with emergencies,” Florida Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, a Republican, told Politico. “I’m pretty confident that we’re OK between now and December, but if, for some reason, that were to change — like, if it’s a catastrophic event — there are ways to deal with that as well.”
There is likely also going to be pressure to increase foreign aid in places such as Ukraine, Israel and the Gaza Strip.
And it’s not just another government funding deadline that awaits Congress when lawmakers return the second week of November. The most crucial components of the federal farm bill need to be extended before Dec. 31.
Last year, Congress approved a one-year extension to the farm bill to buy more time to negotiate a new five-year agreement. Progress has been slow because Republicans and Democrats have vastly different visions on issues such as how to administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as food stamps, and how much to spend on the program.
There is also the nearly $1 trillion National Defense Authorization Act, a military and national defense policy package. It has been approved annually each year since its inception 64 years ago, making the bill one of the few pieces of legislation that is routinely able to break through Congress’ partisan divides.
For the streak to remain in place, Congress would need to sign off on a bill by New Year’s Eve. But it’s likely they will need to move earlier. The congressional calendar anticipates a holiday recess starting on Dec. 20, the same day as the new shutdown deadline.
