Congressional leaders have put forth a plan to prevent a partial government shutdown ahead of the Friday federal funding deadline. The proposal involves a 1,547-page text released by House Republicans for a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2024 government funding levels. This extension, known as a continuing resolution (CR), is the second one since FY 2024 ended on Sept. 30.
The bill aims to extend FY 2024 government funding levels until March 14 and includes over $100 billion for disaster relief following storms Helene and Milton in the U.S. Southeast. Additionally, there is $10 billion allocated for economic assistance to farmers. Health care provisions in the legislation target reducing the influence of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), while there are plans to revitalize Washington, DC’s RFK Stadium and its surrounding area.
Furthermore, the bill includes provisions for outbound investment legislation to curb the flow of U.S. dollars benefiting Chinese military and technology firms abroad. Recent concerns over drone activity on the Eastern Seaboard have led to the inclusion of a reauthorization and extension of the government's Unmanned Aircraft Systems program.
To offset some of the funding, the bill allows the Treasury to recover funds spent on rebuilding the Baltimore Key Bridge. The legislation must pass through the GOP-controlled House and Democrat-controlled Senate by Friday and reach President Biden's desk before midnight to avoid a partial government shutdown.
However, last-minute negotiations have caused a delay in the bill's release, which was initially expected on Sunday but was pushed to Tuesday evening. Some GOP hardliners have criticized Speaker Mike Johnson for including unrelated policy riders in what they expected to be a 'clean' CR.
While allies of President-elect Trump advocated for a short-term extension into the new year to grant his administration and a fully Republican Congress more control over government funding, other GOP lawmakers expressed concerns that revisiting past battles could hinder the forward-facing agenda they aim to implement in Trump's initial 100 days.
