Leaders strike tentative deal to prevent federal shutdown
WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders announced Wednesday that they have reached a tentative agreement to prevent a government shutdown for now, days before an end-of-the-week deadline that risked shuttering some federal operations.
Under the new plan, Congress would temporarily fund one set of federal agencies through March 8 and another set through March 22. In the meantime, Congress would intend to pass packages of legislation to fund the government for the remainder of the budget year.
But there was no immediate plan to approve the $95 billion emergency national security funds for Ukraine, Israel and other allies.
The House and Senate will now need to vote and approve the deal with its temporary funds ahead of Friday’s deadline, when some federal monies run out.
“We are in agreement that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to fund our government,” said the joint statement from Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch Mcconnell and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, along with the Appropriation Committee leaders.
The deal comes together as negotiators in Congress have been working furiously to finish up a federal spending plan and Washington joined Ukraine and other allies around the world in watching and waiting for Johnson’s next move.
The new Republican leader is facing the test of his career trying to keep the federal government open by Friday’s midnight deadline for several federal departments.
At the same time, emergency funding for Ukraine, Israel and Indo-pacific allies remains stalled.
President Joe Biden convened leaders Tuesday in hopes of pushing them toward a deal.
“We are very close to getting it done,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday as he opened his side of the Capitol.
Congress is in what has become a familiar cycle of threatened shutdowns and disruptions as hard-right Republicans in Johnson’s GOP majority strive for steeper spending reductions than Democrats and even some other Republicans are willing to accept.
This would be the fourth short-term funding extension in about a five-month span.
While Johnson, R-LA., inherited a difficult dynamic, it will only be compounded when his majority shrinks further when Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., is sworn in after the special election to replace ousted GOP Rep. George Santos. The House is split 213-219, leaving Johnson no room for dissent.
Congressional leaders said they reached an agreement on six bills that will adhere to spending levels previously agreed to last year.
Those bills involve Veterans Affairs and departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Interior and others and will be voted on and enacted before March 8.
The remaining six bills for the Pentagon, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services and the State Department still need to be finalized, voted on and enacted before March 22. Leaders also said that a short-term extension would be voted on this week.