WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is expected to quickly approve a temporary spending bill Wednesday that would keep federal agencies funded when the new fiscal year begins next Tuesday, avoiding a potential showdown just weeks before the Nov. 5 election.
The stopgap measure generally funds the agencies at current levels through Dec. 20, but an additional $231 million was included to bolster the Secret Service after the two assassination attempts against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Funds were also added to help with the presidential transition, among other things.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, called the measure “doing only what is absolutely necessary,” a statement aimed at members of his own conference concerned about spending levels.
For some Republicans, that solution remains off the table, forcing House Republican leaders to rely on Democratic votes to pass the bill through a process that requires support from at least two-thirds of voting members. Johnson said the only alternative to moving forward with the resolution at this point would be a government shutdown.
“It would be a political mistake to shut down the government,” Mr Johnson said. “I think everyone understands that.”
If the House passes the temporary funding measure as expected, it will go to the Senate for final approval. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday night that he had reached an agreement that ensures passage will happen quickly.
“This is the way it has to be done,” Schumer said. “No brinkmanship, no delay.”
Lawmakers in both chambers are eager to return to their states and districts to campaign, which will pave the way for passage of a temporary funding plan. But tougher budget negotiations await them later this year.
That’s because the bill essentially pushes back by three months the final decision on spending levels for the full year. previous agreement To avoid a federal default and allow the government to continue paying its bills, spending on defense and nondefense programs would increase by 1 percent next year.
The Senate has moved to exceed that threshold, while House Republicans have voted for deep cuts to many non-military programs and have attached policy mandates to spending bills that Democrats overwhelmingly oppose. This will make it difficult to reach a final agreement.
In the meantime, the temporary bill will mostly fund the government at current levels, with some exceptions, such as an injection of funds for the secret service.
The $231 million allocation to the Secret Service comes with strings attached. It is conditioned on the agency complying with congressional controls. The bill also allows the Secret Service to spend its allocations more quickly if necessary.
“Everybody understands that this is extremely important right now,” Johnson said of the Secret Service money.
In a recent letter, the Secret Service told lawmakers that a lack of funding was not the reason for the security lapses against Trump when a gunman climbed onto an unsecured roof On July 13, at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S. intelligence agents opened fire. But acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. also said the agency had “immediate needs” and was in talks with Congress.
The extension resolution is necessary because Congress is far from finishing its work on the dozen annual appropriations bills that fund much of the federal government. The House has passed five of the dozen bills, most along party lines. The Senate has passed none.
Johnson also warned that when the extension expires on December 20, he would not support a massive, catch-all bill to fund the government, known as an omnibus, so another stopgap measure might be needed that would give the new president and Congress the final say on spending levels for the 2025 fiscal year.
“I have no intention of returning to that terrible tradition,” Johnson said.
