US Senate Looks to Avert Government Shutdown

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Facts

  • The US Senate is hoping to pass a bill, known as a continuing resolution, to allow the federal government to continue operating for one week past a Friday deadline and provide the additional time needed for Congress to pass an "omnibus" bill to fund the government through Sept. 2023.
  • Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, "Over the weekend, appropriators held positive and productive conversations — enough that both sides are moving forward in good faith to reach a deal..." He added that the Senate should prepare a full funding bill before the holidays.
  • The National Defense Authorization Act, an annual bill that determines defense spending, is targeted to be passed by year's end. The bill is expected to see a vote this week in the Senate and is expected to pass with bipartisan support.
  • The deadlock on the federal government's budget has become an annual fight, with the budget supposed to be enacted on Oct. 1 when the government's new fiscal year begins. As of last week, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) told reporters that the gap between both parties totaled $25B — only 1.7% of last year's spending.
  • Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that if Democrats can accept less nondefense spending money there is a chance that a deal can be reached. However, if the Democrats are unwilling to accept there will likely be a short-funding bill that will carry into early next year.
  • If an omnibus bill isn't passed this year, the next opportunity will come in January when Republicans are set to regain control of the House — giving the GOP more leverage when negotiating defense vs. nondefense spending.

Sources: Reuters, NBC, CNN, and Wall Street Journal.

Narratives

  • Republican narrative, as provided by The Federalist. Over the past two years, Democrats have had plenty of time to push through trillions of dollars in wasteful spending to satisfy their donors, so there's no reason for the GOP to partner with its liberal colleagues except to pass a stop-gap bill. When Republicans take control of the House next month they'll be able to allocate the funds appropriately for both defense and prudent social programs.
  • Democratic narrative, as provided by Government Executive. The Democrats are trying hard to reach their colleagues across the aisle to resolve this challenge in the best interest of the country, so if no agreement is reached it will be a tragedy with the GOP to blame. A shutdown would lead to many agencies suffering, including the Veteran's Affairs Department, Federal Aviation Administration, Customs and Border Protection, and the Defense Department, all of which are crucial to Americans.