Congress Passes Another Short-Term Funding Bill

Facts

• The US Senate voted 77-13 on Thursday to approve the Extension of Continuing Appropriations and Other Matters Act to provide short-term funding for federal agencies to prevent a government shutdown.¹
• The bill provides federal funding for agriculture, rural development, the Food and Drug Administration, energy and water agencies, military construction, and veterans affairs, among other things, through March 8, with all other agencies funded through March 22.¹
• Earlier in the day, the House passed the bill by a margin of 320-99. A majority of two-thirds was required in each chamber for the legislation to reach Pres. Joe Biden's desk, due to the bill being considered 'under suspension of the rules.'²
• This bill is the fourth temporary spending legislation for fiscal year 2024. On Thursday, Biden called the extension 'good news for the American people' but said a 'long-term solution' was still required.³
• This follows a statement from a bipartisan group of congressional leaders Wednesday pledging to pass six appropriations bills by March 8 and another six by March 22.⁴
• They also agreed on a funding basis for the upcoming appropriations bills, including $886B for defense spending, $704B for nondefense purposes, and $69B for additional agreements.⁵

Sources: ¹Congress.Gov (a), ²Congress.Gov (b), ³Associated Press, ⁴United States Senate Committee on Appropriations and ⁵CRFB.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by POLITICO. There's optimism that the latest bipartisan stopgap extension will be the last. Half of the appropriation bills have been agreed upon, and members of Congress now have an additional two weeks to reach consensus over the remaining six. While there's still a way to go, there's a solid chance that all appropriation bills will be passed and the threat of a shutdown will be pushed far into the future.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by The Daily News. The continual cycle of looming shutdown threats before last-minute deals is an embarrassment. Republicans and Democrats continue to place uncertainty over the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of American workers, and such behavior is symbolic of why Washington's politicians are viewed with contempt by many. Congress must stop playing games with the lives of the American people.

Predictions