Congress releases spending packages to last through Sept., avoid partial shutdown

Congress took a major step toward avoiding a government shutdown and funding federal agencies through September. Republicans and Democrats in both the House and Senate jointly released a $435 billion package that will fund specific government functions and programs including the departments of Justice, Commerce, and Housing and Urban Development, as well as House subcommittees on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and more.

Lawmakers are on track to approve the package before the Friday, March 8 deadline. A vote in the House is expected Wednesday, March 6, then it will be sent to the Senate.

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Both parties are putting their own spin on the package to frame it as a victory. 

“Democrats fought hard to protect investments that matter to working people everywhere and help keep our economy strong — rejecting devastating cuts to housing, nutrition assistance and more,” Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in a statement. “Importantly, we blocked countless extreme Republican policies — like efforts to restrict abortion rights — that would have set our country back decades.”

“The final Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills achieve what we set out to do: strategically increase defense spending and make targeted cuts to wasteful non-defense programs,” House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger, R-Texas., said.  

The bill has some items for both sides of the aisle to be happy about. 

For instance, Democrats are pleased with the bill’s allocation of $7 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which assists nearly 7 million individuals. It also provides $70 billion for rental assistance and efforts to reduce homelessness.

Republicans highlighted a 10% reduction in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, the package allocates $2 billion more than President Joe Biden’s request for improving barracks and other quality of life projects at military facilities.

There are also non-political victories. The bill provides $20 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration, which will be used to hire 1,800 new air traffic controllers and provide additional training. 

This compromise minibus bill is expected  to pass with a strong bipartisan vote. The House is taking it up under suspension of the rules, meaning it needs a two-thirds majority to be approved, not a simple majority which the chamber normally requires. 

This bill represents less than one-third of the government’s discretionary spending, which covers items for which funding levels can be changed each year. The bigger package, both in amount and importance, needs to be approved by March 22. That bill will fund the departments of Defense and Homeland Security, as well as environmental programs and other departments.