Hard-line conservative House members who were furious about a top-line spending deal struck by congressional leaders left a meeting with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) on Thursday saying they are working on an alternative plan even though Johnson has not committed to pursuing any new spending levels. Backing out of the deal, if the Speaker goes that way, would throw massive uncertainty into how Congress will avoid a government shutdown ahead of looming January 19th and February 2nd funding deadlines. Members of the House Freedom Caucus huddled in Johnson’s office a day after a group of conservatives tanked a procedural vote in a revolt against the spending deal that Johnson and Democratic leaders announced Sunday — preventing the chamber from moving forward on three unrelated measures. The agreement announced over the weekend, which is largely in line with the caps set in the debt limit deal by then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) struck with President Biden last year includes a $1.59 trillion top line, plus roughly $69 billion in budget tweaks to increase nondefense dollars for most of fiscal 2024. It also includes an additional $10 billion in cuts to IRS mandatory funding and a $6.1 billion clawback of unspent COVID-19 funds. Johnson has said this week the deal is the best the conservatives could get under the circumstances of a two seat House majority, a Democratic Senate, and a Democratic White House. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York), who is setting up a short-term stopgap to avert a partial government shutdown in just more than a week, is pressing forward on the current agreement. Schumer said senators will vote after Martin Luther King Jr. Day on a shell bill to keep the government open past the end of next week. Funding for military construction and the departments of Veterans Affairs; Agriculture; Energy; Transportation; and Housing and Urban Development will expire January 19th. Funding for other departments and agencies will expire February 2nd, triggering a full government shutdown.
For today, the Senate is considering confirmation of the nomination of Erika L. McEntarfer to be Commissioner of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor, for a term of four years.
The House is considering H.R. 4768 – No Russian Agriculture Act and H.R. 788 – Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2023. The Senate is also expected to take up S.J. Res. 38 – A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal Highway Administration relating to “Waiver of Buy America Requirements for Electric Vehicle Chargers.”
