Congress is racing toward a Friday night shutdown deadline, with leaders assembling the final funding package for fiscal year 2024 amid uncertainty about the timeline for passing the legislation. Funding for the departments of Homeland Security, Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and State; the Internal Revenue Service; and general government and foreign operations could lapse Saturday morning, leaving lawmakers with little time to get the package to President Joe Biden’s desk. This morning, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said he hopes that legislative text for the six bills could be released Wednesday but he would not commit to waiving the 72-hour rule the House requires for the government funding package, but said discussions are underway over how to “expedite” the consideration process. As Republicans will have nowhere near enough votes to pass the package, Representative Pete Aguilar (D-California), the chairman of the Democratic Caucus, said Democrats are poised to line up in support of the “minibus” spending package, all but ensuring it will have the votes to pass when it hits the floor later in the week.
As both chambers await legislative text, first votes in the House are expected at 1:30 P.M. when the House will take up H.R. 1121 – Protecting American Energy Production Act and H.R. 6009 – Restoring American Energy Dominance Act.
The Senate is expected to continue working on judicial nominations including confirmation of Edward Sunyol Kiel to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey and Eumi K. Lee, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of California
