Congress has approved a bipartisan spending deal that will avoid a government shutdown before the election.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday announced the new temporary funding proposal that will last nearly three months. The proposal included some deviations from the original bill he introduced earlier this month.
Some of them are going against Donald Trump’s wishes and some are making concessions to the Democrats.
Earlier this month, Trump stated that if Republicans “don’t get absolute guarantees about [amendments involving] ‘Election security’, then they should not hesitate to shut down the government.
No such assurances were seen in the new law, which will fund the government through Dec. 20. It did not include any part of the SAVE Act, the Trump-backed proposal that requires Americans to show proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson announced the new temporary funding proposal on Sunday that will last three months — and it included some deviations from the original bill he introduced earlier this month.
Several voices are going against Donald Trump’s wishes, and some are making concessions to the Democrats
“While this is not the solution we favor, it is the most prudent path forward under the current circumstances,” Johnson wrote in a letter to his Republican colleagues explaining the rationale for the temporary bill.
“As history has taught us and current polls confirm, it would be an act of political malpractice to shut down the government less than 40 days before a fateful election.”
He added that the budget measure would be “very limited and bare” and would “only include the extensions that are absolutely necessary”, and that “given that we have missed the target by a little, an alternative plan is now needed.”
‘The feedback and ideas from everyone have been very useful, and next week the House will take the initiative and have a clean, three-month [continuing resolution] “To prevent the Senate from saddling us with a bill that costs billions in new spending and other unrelated provisions,” the Republican continued.
“From now until Election Day, I will continue my tireless efforts and my sole focus on expanding our majority for the 199th Congress.”
“It is my great honor to serve with all of you in these historic days,” concluded the speaker, who was spotted with Trump at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend.
“The future of our extraordinary nation depends directly on our success, and I am confident that together we will triumph.”
Earlier this month, Trump stated that if Republicans “don’t get absolute guarantees about [amendments involving] Election security,’ they shouldn’t hesitate to shut down the government. The couple was seen together at Trump’s Mar-a0Lago mansion last Sunday
The new law, which finances the government until December 20, contains no such guarantees.
The last-minute compromise appeared to avert a funding battle that would have lasted until spring 2025. The Trump-backed bill requiring proof of citizenship as election credentials was one of the casualties in the process.
Also missing was funding for the Virginia Class Submarine program, which had been included in earlier drafts, which proposed allocating approximately $2 billion to the Department of Defense for the program’s “shipbuilding and conversion.”
Aides insisted Sunday that the financing was the result of a “joint conversation” between the lenders, defense officials and the Biden administration.
The bill also failed to address the potential $12 billion deficit that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) had projected in the next budget year, a condition demanded by Democrats.
Republicans have argued that the agency needs more information on the budget deficit before Congress takes action, while lawmakers from both camps said Sunday there is more time to address the threat in the coming months.
The move comes after Congress last week passed legislation to address an urgent $3 billion shortfall at the VA, in response to warnings that veterans’ benefits could be cut off as early as next month.
The compromise reached late in the evening appeared to avert a funding battle that could have stretched into the spring of 2025, with the Trump-backed proof-of-citizenship bill among the casualties in the process.
The three-month temporary measure also excludes the $10 billion in additional funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster fund that Republicans requested.
This provision was previously included in the first House Republican bill, which had a six-month lifespan. It was shortened to two and a half months to appease Democrats and some Republicans who are less defense-focused.
The new version of the bill allows part of the fund’s resources to be used for disaster relief.
“We collectively decided to address the disaster side because it will be a two-and-a-half-month CR, with no additional disaster money,” House Republican staffers told The Hill on Sunday.
They noted that there is still money available for the disaster in the form of “the disaster fund within FEMA that will be replenished once the CR goes into effect,” which they said “would be more than adequate for the two and a half month period.”
According to insiders, ‘further discussions’ on the matter will take place in the coming months.
Perhaps the most notable omission was Trump’s SAVE Act — a bill that would have restricted noncitizens from voting in elections by requiring proof of citizenship. The new bill is expected to be heard in the House of Representatives by midweek, before moving to the Senate for consideration.
Perhaps the most glaring omission was Trump’s SAVE Act, a bill that would restrict non-citizens from voting in upcoming elections by requiring proof of citizenship.
But nearly all Democrats voted against it, and a handful of Republicans did too, many of whom called the bill unconservative.
Last week on Truth Social, Trump encouraged Republicans to push through with the SAVE Act even if it meant shutting down the government. He wrote: “If Republicans will not pass the SAVE Act, and all of its components, then there is no way they should be passing a ‘Permanent Resolution.’
“Democrats are registering TENS OF THOUSANDS of illegal voters right now,” he continued, reiterating his earlier claim that the 2020 election was “stolen.”
“They’re going to vote in the 2024 presidential election, and that’s not allowed.”
Additional funding was also made available to strengthen the Secret Service, which has faced criticism after two failed assassination attempts on the former president.
The new bill is expected to be heard in the House of Representatives midweek, before moving to the Senate for consideration.