by Kristina Karisch | The Hill
Congress is once again in a seemingly endless shutdown threat loop.
With the current stopgap spending bill that’s keeping the lights on due to run out on Friday, disputes are threatening to force a shutdown of vast parts of the federal government. Congress and the White House struggled over the weekend to reach a deal on long-term funding legislation, which covers roughly 70 percent of federal agencies — including the departments of Defense, State and Homeland Security as well as the Transportation Security Administration and IRS.
As recently as Friday, negotiators were nearing an agreement to complete a spending bill with the goal of voting on it this week. But disagreements over immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border threatened the talks, The Washington Post reports. Negotiators for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) over the weekend appealed to the White House — rather than congressional Democrats — to engage in spending talks. Congressional leaders had also planned for a stopgap measure for the Department of Homeland Security, seen as the toughest funding bill in the bunch, as deep partisan divisions remain in Washington on the border and immigration.
A source familiar with the matter told The Hill part of the dispute is that Democrats are pressing for more funding for pay equity for the TSA, while Republicans want more dollars for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention and enforcement efforts.
JOHNSON’S PLAN B for Ukraine aid has raised as many questions as it’s answered. Johnson told Republican senators last week that he plans to send them legislation providing new military funding for Kyiv, separate of the House’s government funding package. In a subsequent interview with Politico, Johnson indicated that he plans to move that proposal with a procedural tool that will require support from a substantial number of Democrats and floated the idea of splitting Ukraine aid from more military help for Israel.
The vague strategy has left several questions unanswered, write The Hill’s Mike Lillis and Mychael Schnell. On Friday, Johnson suggested a number of details remain up in the air. But pressed on the prospect of moving assistance for Kyiv without border policy provisions, Johnson reiterated his long-held talking point that border security must be the top priority.
I believe, and the American people believe, we have to secure our own border as the top priority, and I think that is a sentiment that the vast majority of the people in the country expect and deserve and we’re gonna continue to press for that,” he told reporters.
The Hill’s Aris Folley breaks down five sticking points in the fight to avert a shutdown.