As the calendar turns to a presidential election year with control of both chambers in play, Congress and the White House are facing a full slate of leftovers from 2023, headlined by a stalled emergency supplemental spending request and looming deadlines to keep the government open.
Sunday’s announcement of a topline agreement between House Republicans and Senate Democrats means that appropriators know the maximum amount they can spend to fund the government for the rest of this fiscal year. But they are still haggling on how to apportion that among 12 bills covering various departments and agencies, let alone navigate a thicket of contentious partisan policy riders.
“The bipartisan funding framework congressional leaders have reached moves us one step closer to preventing a needless government shutdown and protecting important national priorities,” President Joe Biden said in a statement supporting the deal, which would allow $886.3 billion for defense and $772.7 billion for nondefense programs.
