Congressional leaders announced Sunday that they had agreed to a funding deal that would prevent a partial government shutdown that threatened on October 1. Additional funds were allocated to the budget of the Secret Service, which had asked for more funding after two assassination attempts on Donald Trump. However, the agreement is only for the next three months, and further negotiations will be needed in the future – after the presidential election.
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill as early as Wednesday.
There was a lot of back and forth as the Republicans with some internal struggles over their priorities.
Temporary budget bills typically keep agencies funded at current levels, but an additional $231 million was allocated to strengthen the Secret Service. Additional funding was also provided to replenish a disaster relief fund and support the presidential transition, among other things.
The legislator has fought to get to this point, as the current fiscal year ends at the end of the month. At the urging of the most conservative members of his party, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) had tied the short-lived funding to a provision that would have required states to require proof of citizenship when registering voters.
Related: Speaker Johnson’s 6-month CR bill was just rejected by a divided House of Representatives
Speaker Johnson announces interim proposal that will include voting rules for proof of citizenship in the SAVE Act
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced the deal in a press release:
“Over the past four days, bipartisan, bicameral negotiations have taken place to reach an agreement that maintains current funding through December 20 and avoids a government shutdown a month before the election,” Schumer’s statement said.
“While I am pleased that cross-party negotiations have quickly led to an agreement on government funding that is free of cuts and poison pills, this agreement could have been reached two weeks ago.”
There are certainly many Republicans who are unhappy with the bill, especially since it allegedly does not essential voting requirement:
The three-month period is shorter than Johnson’s first offer of a six-month interim solution. In addition, the bill notably excludes a measure supported by Trump that would require proof of citizenship to vote.
Republican politicians want to introduce the bill as part of a regular legislative process. A vote on it is expected by Wednesday, say Republican staff. The bill will then go to the Senate before the shutdown deadline on September 30.
At the time of writing, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), harsh criticism from livid conservatives on social media. He said he understood their frustration, but a devastating shutdown must be avoided.
Johnson warned Republicans about a shutdown in a “Dear Colleague” letter on Sunday.
“While this is not the solution any of us would prefer, it is the most sensible course of action in the current circumstances. As history has taught and recent polls confirm, it would be an act of political misconduct to shut down the government less than 40 days before a fateful election,” Johnson said, referring to a Survey by McLaughlin & Associates According to the report, two-thirds of likely voters are against a government shutdown.
It looks like a shutdown has been averted for now, but in a few months they’ll be back at the negotiating table. The lineup could look very different, though, with another president guaranteed either way and the fate of the House and Senate currently in the hands of voters. If Republicans can prevail, hopefully they can fight for – and get – what they want in these budgets in the future.
