There’s roughly one month before appropriations for fiscal 2024 expire. But there are still dozens of policy disputes separating the parties that congressional leaders haven’t even begun to dig in on.
Appropriators expect Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to negotiate contested policy riders after appropriators work out programmatic funding levels in their bills.
The 12 appropriations subcommittees are negotiating those funding levels now but are not currently discussing policy riders, House Appropriations ranking member Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said Wednesday. And that’s a problem for wrapping up the bills, because House Republicans thus far have been insistent on pushing for conservative “wins” in the final legislation, especially after Johnson agreed to the higher topline spending levels Democrats sought.
