Both the House and Senate spent Thursday working on a path forward on their respective continuing resolutions with a shutdown now looking inevitable. The House did mange to pass three of four appropriations bills late Thursday, although that does nothing to keep the government open in the short term. The House passed: State Department and Foreign Operations: 216-212, Defense: 218-210, and Homeland Security: 220-208. The House also voted 311-117 to pass a standalone, $300 million supplemental aid package to Ukraine, which also establishes a special inspector general to oversee Ukraine assistance funding. However, Agriculture and FDA: Failed 191-237, with 27 Republicans voting against it – mostly moderates who oppose language restricting abortion pill access and rural members opposed to spending cuts.
The House is expected to vote today on H.R. 5525 – Spending Reduction and Border Security Act, which would: fund the government through the end of October with across the board cuts of about 30 percent – with exemptions for national defense, the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security, and for funding designated disaster relief. It also contains a chunk of the party’s signature border bill, known as H.R. 2, which would boost wall construction, hiring of border agents and restrict access to asylum, among other measures. Finally, it establishes a fiscal commission that would identify solutions to achieve what it called a “sustainable debt-to-GDP ratio” and to balance the federal budget.
“We got all the votes we need to bring the CR down,” Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) said this morning. At least eight House Republicans are against or are leaning against the short-term funding stopgap. With Democrats expected to universally oppose it, Republicans can afford to lose only four votes, assuming full attendance. Representatives Tim Burchett (R-Tennessee), Eli Crane (R-Arizona), Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), Cory Mills (R-Florida), Andy Ogles (R-Tennessee) and Matt Rosendale (R-Montana) have said they are against any kind of short-term stopgap bill, insisting that Congress focus instead on passing regular appropriations bills. Representative Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) also said he plans to vote against the legislation, and Representative Troy Nehls (R-Texas) as of Thursday was undecided but leaning no. The House is currently voting on the Rule with a vote on final passage expected around 1:30 P.M.
The Senate is working toward passage of a bipartisan continuing resolution (Section by Section) that would fund the government until November 17th as longer-term negotiations continue, while also providing $6 billion for Ukraine and $6 billion for disaster relief. The Senate yesterday voted 76-22 to open debate on the stopgap bill but Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) dug in Friday morning vowing he will not take up Senate legislation designed to keep the federal government fully running despite House Republicans’ struggle to unite around an alternative.
The Senate is also expected to consider the nomination of Todd Gee to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi for the term of four years and the nomination of Tara K. McGrath to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of California for the term of four years.
Adam S. Olsen, Washington, D.C.
