Lawmakers say they are moving closer to an agreement to keep the government running in nine days, but are still trying to iron out differences over disaster aid and possible additions to the bill.
There is some optimism at the Capitol that the bill could arrive as early as this weekend as the Dec. 20 shutdown deadline quickly approaches, but they are also tight-lipped on many details as spending negotiations gather pace.
Disaster relief has been one of the biggest obstacles as leaders are expected to roll billions of dollars earmarked for recovery efforts after Hurricanes Helene and Milton into the upcoming continuing resolution (CR).
“The cake is still being baked. “There are a lot of people trying to get into the kitchen and they’re not even in the mixing bowl yet,” said Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), chairman of the subcommittee that oversees annual Federal Emergency funding Management Agency (FEMA) said Tuesday when asked about discussions about disaster relief.
Amodei said he thinks “a lot of things” are coming together as the leadership tries to reach agreement on a stopgap solution, but he noted that “a disaster is among the more difficult ones.”
The Biden administration has requested about $115 billion in disaster relief funding after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
While there is broad bipartisan support for disaster relief, some Republicans have raised concerns about the size and scope of the White House request, particularly proposed funding in areas such as the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Whether the amount is larger or relatively smaller, we need to spend the money sooner rather than later or later rather than sooner,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, told The Hill on Tuesday. “We have to spend it because none of these people in Appalachia and Georgia had any money.”
However, he also expressed a desire for grants to cover the costs of the relief effort, saying: “Compensatory payments are possible.” But he added: “It’s not about whether they can be found, but about whether people follow the political have the will to carry it out.”
Kennedy’s sentiments reflect the mood on the other side of the Capitol, where conservative hardliners in the House have also pushed for offsets to cover any disaster relief provided under the current administration.
“The House should consider only what is absolutely necessary now to provide vital relief to hurricane victims and farmers, pay for it with offsets from wasteful spending elsewhere in government, and then wait for President Trump to take office “to better manage disaster relief,” the hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus said last week.
Other Republicans have also expressed interest in equalization payments but are not yet drawing red lines as officials have warned in recent weeks of dwindling funding.
“I’m in favor of paying as much as we can pay,” Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), another appropriator, told The Hill this week. “On the other hand, there are certain situations in which only, only the federal government can intervene and make a difference.”
“And we’ve always done infrastructure and things like that. So I think we have to do what we have to do,” he said. “But again, whatever we can pay will be great.”
Kennedy said negotiations over expected follow-on disaster relief aid were focused more on the $100 billion mark. “It’s a moving target. [Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)] is involved in negotiations. We will find out in the next few days.”
With little time left for legislation, senators have announced a few other last-minute moves that could also be part of the upcoming emergency solution.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) told The Hill this week that the goal is “some sort of extension” of the farm bill, but opened the door to “additional economic aid” without providing details .
Congressional Democrats say they have also fought to protect $20 billion in IRS funding as part of the talks and that other issues, such as dollars for the Social Security Administration, could emerge as areas of focus as discussions continue .
Senior negotiators from both sides say Congress is likely on track to create a stopgap measure by sometime in March, although there has been bipartisan opposition to the idea in recent months as many lawmakers have opposed funding work for to delay the 2025 fiscal year even longer.
“We could have met the December 20th deadline. But here we go,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, told The Hill this week. But she also expressed confidence that Congress will complete its work by March next year if it sticks to the target schedule.
“We can do it. We could have done it.”
