1 month ago
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Lawmakers in Washington are racing to prevent a partial government shutdown before the holiday break."We've been working around the clock to get the CR done," House Speaker Mike Johnson said.Congressional leaders are struggling to pass a bipartisan spending agreement for federal agencies."Time is of the essence to pass this bill before the December 20th deadline," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.Some lawmakers are critical of new additions to the continuing resolution, including a $100 billion disaster relief package to help communities recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and another $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers."This is not an omnibus. This is a small CR that we've had to add things to that were out of our control. These are not manmade disasters," Johnson said.Political analysts say Johnson could face challenges in getting full support from his own party."A lot of those hard-core Republicans who actually ousted former Speaker McCarthy really want to get in and make some cuts to the budget. They won't get a chance to do this, so trying to hold on to their votes is going to be crucial," political analyst Todd Belt said.To get funding passed, House Republicans will likely need help from Democrats due to their small majority."This is a lesson for Speaker Johnson. I mean, you know, work with us. Let's find solutions. Let's tune out the most extreme voices in conference, and let's find consensus that will be necessary to fund government. That's the only way that this can move forward," House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said.Speaker Johnson could give lawmakers 72 hours to review the text of the legislation, which could push a House vote to Friday.Congressional leaders say the continuing resolution would keep the government funded through March 14, 2025.
Lawmakers in Washington are racing to prevent a partial government shutdown before the holiday break.
"We've been working around the clock to get the CR done," House Speaker Mike Johnson said.
Congressional leaders are struggling to pass a bipartisan spending agreement for federal agencies.
"Time is of the essence to pass this bill before the December 20th deadline," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.
Some lawmakers are critical of new additions to the continuing resolution, including a $100 billion disaster relief package to help communities recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and another $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers.
"This is not an omnibus. This is a small CR that we've had to add things to that were out of our control. These are not manmade disasters," Johnson said.
Political analysts say Johnson could face challenges in getting full support from his own party.
"A lot of those hard-core Republicans who actually ousted former Speaker McCarthy really want to get in and make some cuts to the budget. They won't get a chance to do this, so trying to hold on to their votes is going to be crucial," political analyst Todd Belt said.
To get funding passed, House Republicans will likely need help from Democrats due to their small majority.
"This is a lesson for Speaker Johnson. I mean, you know, work with us. Let's find solutions. Let's tune out the most extreme voices in conference, and let's find consensus that will be necessary to fund government. That's the only way that this can move forward," House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said.
Speaker Johnson could give lawmakers 72 hours to review the text of the legislation, which could push a House vote to Friday.
Congressional leaders say the continuing resolution would keep the government funded through March 14, 2025.
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