Appropriations Will Shape Everything Moving Through Congress

With only 10 legislative days left to keep the government open, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the appropriations debate will shape the trajectory of every other piece of legislation in front of Congress. While Congress is moving forward with hearings, nominations, and big bills such as the NDAA, all could be thrown into turmoil depending on how both parties decide to approach a government shutdown.

Appropriators are looking to reach an agreement on what could pass both chambers and both parties, which is a moving target. Once they reach an agreement, leadership in both the House and Senate will need to determine where their caucuses stand. With little incentive on both sides of the aisle to negotiate, it’s unclear how Congress will come to a consensus in a short amount of time.

This uncertainty puts other bills with a September 30 deadline in jeopardy. The NDAA and appropriations will take up a significant amount of floor time, and committees are concerned about pushing forward legislation if the government is going to shut down.

For those in the advocacy business, this means strategy must be nimble to adapt to any situation. Teeing up bills outside of the appropriations process to move is key, while also having a backup plan should the government shut down.