by Alexis Simendinger & Kristina Karisch | Hill
Congress has one day left to avert a government shutdown, and this morning’s expected vote in the House is set to kick off the whirlwind process to make sure the lights stay on in Washington.
Congressional leaders rolled out a sprawling $1.2 trillion legislative package to fund swaths of the government in the wee hours of Thursday morning. The Hill’s Aris Folley breaks down the highlights of what is in the 1,012-page, six-bill funding package.
The Hill: Major health bills fail to make the cut in Congress amid competing priorities.
NOW, LAWMAKERS ARE RACING to pass the legislation before a Friday midnight deadline to prevent a lapse in funds for more than half the government, including the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security. The bills, which cover fiscal 2024, are already six months behind schedule because of recurring funding and policy disputes. And lawmakers have further incentive to avoid weekend work: their planned two-week recess, which kicks off this weekend.
Because of a set of arcane procedural rules, work on passing the legislation could slip into the weekend. But House Republican leaders scheduled a vote on the package for this morning, bypassing a self-imposed chamber rule that would have required them to give members at least 72 hours to review the text before calling for a vote (The New York Times).
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said he was confident the legislation would pass Friday and downplayed the significance of any conservative backlash.
I mean, on any bipartisan agreement, you have some Democrats and some Republicans that drop off,” Scalise said about the criticism from the right flank of his party.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Thursday he expects most Democrats to support the funding package and noted the draft did not include most GOP policy riders. Asked at a press conference how many Democrats he expected to vote for the bill — and whether it could be more than 200 — Jeffries replied, “A substantial majority.”
Amid the efforts to get government funding over the finish line, Democrats are accusing Republicans of politicizing the effort to provide aid to Israel in its war against Hamas. Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have in recent days and weeks levied criticism at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his handling of the war and the ensuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In response, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced Thursday he was inviting Netanyahu to speak to a joint session of Congress — which would require a signoff from Schumer (Politico).
- The Wall Street Journal: Schumer said he criticized Netanyahu to save Israel.
- NBC News: While Netanyahu spoke to congressional Republicans on Wednesday, Schumer declined his request to address Senate Democrats.
A sticking point for progressives in the sprawling deal is restrictions on funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the main agency that provides shelter, food and water in Gaza. Israel has accused several UNRWA members of colluding with Hamas, prompting a withdrawal of funding for the agency from various countries (The Hill).
IN THE UPPER CHAMBER, senators are hopeful they can pass the funding legislation tonight, looking to avoid weekend work to get the so-called minibus across the finish line. Even if a temporary lapse in federal funding were to occur, it would likely have only a limited impact on government operations if funding were to be restored before the end of the weekend (CNN).
Senators have several amendments to consider as they tackle their end of the spending package — including those proposed by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and a couple others related to the border. And while some Senate conservatives are angry about deal, they’re stopping short of any threats to slow its eventual passage in their chamber (Politico and The Washington Post).
“This funding agreement between the White House and congressional leaders is good news that comes in the nick of time: When passed, it will extinguish any more shutdown threats for the rest of the fiscal year, it will avoid the scythe of budget sequestration, and it will keep the government open without cuts or poison pill riders,” Schumer said Thursday on the Senate floor. “It is now the job of the House Republican leadership to move this package ASAP.”
3 THINGS TO KNOW TODAY
- ⚖️ The Justice Department and 16 state and district attorneys general on Thursday sued Apple Inc. for alleged iPhone antitrust violations, which the company denies. Here’s how prosecutors say the company created a smartphone monopoly. In addition, Apple and Google will face European Union investigations under a new law reining in the power of Big Tech.
- 💡 Medicare says it will cover obesity drugs, but not for weight loss treatment.
- 📿 In a first for medicine, a genetically engineered pig kidney that was transplanted into a 62-year-old Black man produced urine immediately last weekend. If the procedure ultimately is a success, a breakthrough could make dialysis “obsolete” and help minority patients who have kidney disease and kidney failure access life-saving transplants.
