With just 10 days left before the federal government faces a potential shutdown, lawmakers are scrambling to finalize a funding deal amid debates over disaster aid, agency budgets, and looming fiscal deadlines, The Hill reported.
The clock is ticking for Congress as the Dec. 20 deadline to avert a government shutdown approaches. Lawmakers are working to pass a stopgap funding bill, commonly known as a continuing resolution (CR), to keep the government running through the holidays and into the new year.
Only four times has Congress successfully passed all required appropriations measures on time: fiscal years 1977, 1989, 1995, and 1997. In three instances, Congress failed to pass the budget blueprint on time, a step intended to precede the spending bills.
Since fiscal year 1997, Congress has relied on at least one continuing resolution (CR) each year to maintain government operations. This trend has continued for 27 consecutive years, from fiscal year 1998 through fiscal year 2024.
While both parties anticipate avoiding a shutdown, the path to a funding agreement remains unclear. $100 billion in disaster relief funding is emerging as a central sticking point that addresses the fallout from Hurricanes Milton and Helene.
House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole, R-Okla., acknowledged the magnitude of the disaster relief needs, stating, "They're very robust. I think they should be. I think we have a real disaster." However, Cole also expressed concerns about non-disaster-related items included in the Biden administration's proposal, including funding for the State and Education departments and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Top House Democrat Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., emphasized the need for a top-line agreement on disaster aid to expedite negotiations. "There's not been any real hard-and-fast debates about what's there because the issue is, we got to get to a top line, and then we can start to go forward," she said.
Bipartisan support for disaster relief has grown, but some Republicans prefer addressing disaster aid as a stand-alone bill; others argue that including it in a CR could streamline the legislative process. Cole acknowledged this strategy, stating, "It would help putting [disaster aid] on the CR."
The House Freedom Caucus, a group of hard line conservative Republicans, opposes any "unpaid" disaster aid, adding pressure on GOP leadership to secure Democratic votes to advance a stopgap bill.
In addition to disaster relief, other contentious issues, such as funding for the IRS and Social Security Administration, are expected to surface as lawmakers race to finalize a deal.
The proposed CR is anticipated to extend through March 2025, though some Republicans advocate for a shorter timeline to push Congress toward a faster resolution of next year's fiscal agenda.
House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, urged lawmakers to resolve fiscal 2025 funding to avoid burdening the incoming Congress and administration.
"There's no reason to saddle President Trump with last year's budget problems," Arrington said, adding, "The sooner we can get a deal done, the better off we'll be."