House Republicans unveiled their version of a “clean” continuing resolution over the weekend after a failed vote on Speaker Johnson’s 6-month stopgap with SAVE Act provisions attached. The newly introduced CR sheds the SAVE Act provisions and reduces the funding period from late-March to December 20th to align with what Senate Democrats proposed (and the White House backed).
But aside from continuing FY24 funding levels for the next 3 months, there are a handful of funding increases included in the bill. Perhaps most notably, in response to multiple assassination attempts against former President Trump, the legislation would provide $231 million to the Secret Service to carry out protective operations, including those related to the 2024 presidential campaign.
Multiple programs are “apportioned [funding] up to the rate for operations necessary to maintain activities as authorized,” including the Rural Housing Service’s Rural Community Facilities Program account; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund; and the Forest Service’s Wildland Fire Management account.
The bill also includes a number of short-term authorization extensions, including the National Cybersecurity Protection System, Forest Service participation in the Agriculture Conservation Experienced Services (ACES) program, Good Neighbor Authority, and the Food for Peace Act. Extensions are also provided for several public health programs and $3.19 billion is allocated for the Medicare Improvement Fund. Longer-term extensions (through the end of fiscal year 2025) are provided for programs to address veterans’ health and homelessness.
The House is expected to vote on the legislation by Wednesday evening, ideally sending the bill to the Senate for final passage well before the September 30th midnight deadline. However, dozens of House Republicans (if not the majority of the conference) are expected to vote against the bill. Given that Johnson moved to suspend House rules and pass the bill with a two-thirds majority vote, Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies will have to leverage Democratic votes to ensure passage. This all puts Johnson in a similar situation that led to a failed vote for his ouster as Speaker earlier this year. If Republicans lose the House in November, tempers are likely to boil over and culminate in another attempt to find new GOP leadership.
Finally, the new CR’s December 20th end date conspicuously puts Congress on a path to negotiating an end of year omnibus package, which Speaker Johnson and other House Republicans were trying to avoid with a longer funding timeline. Assuming the CR is passed later this week, lawmakers will face heavy pressure to at least consider an FY25 omnibus package with a tight window before the holiday recess and the end of the 118th Congress. This scenario could lead to an end of year rush to attach other priorities to what’s likely to be the last legislative vehicle before House and Senate majorities potentially flip next year.
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