Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), left, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) participate in a menorah lighting ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Dec. 12, to celebrate eight days of Hanukkah. 2023.
Tom Williams | Cq-roll Call Inc | Getty Images
The top Republican and Democratic leaders in the U.S. Congress said on Tuesday they had reached a deal to continue funding the government for the remainder of the fiscal year that begins in October, setting off a race to pass the deal before a weekend government shutdown deadline.
The final sticking point is funding for the Department of Homeland Security, as a surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border has become a major issue in the election rematch between Democratic President Joe Biden and his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer revealed the agreement in two statements Tuesday morning.
The actual legislative text of the deal is still being finalized and must be finalized before lawmakers can vote on it. Current rules in the House require lawmakers to have three days to consider legislation before bringing it to a vote.
The plan is expected to cover about three-quarters of the government’s discretionary spending, which amounted to about $1.66 trillion in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. These include funding for U.S. military, transportation, housing and food security functions, among other functions.
But as America’s $34.5 trillion national debt continues to grow, more battles lie ahead. Biden and House Republicans earlier this month proposed budgets for the next fiscal year, which begins in October, with contrasting priorities.
Johnson has so far refused to vote on a $95 billion foreign security aid package that would include money that supporters say Ukraine desperately needs in its war against Russia.
The Senate approved the measure with bipartisan support and is believed to have strong support in the House of Representatives if lawmakers get a chance to vote.
Democrats and Republicans in Congress have been at loggerheads over funding levels since early last year, as hardline House Republicans pushed for more spending cuts than agreed to in a bipartisan deal enacted last June.
About The Author
