The bill will enable government funding to March 14 after Congress failed to enact permanent bills on time, continuing a trend since 1997.
WASHINGTON—House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Dec. 17 unveiled a bipartisan bill that would keep the government funded until March 14, punting the issue of permanent funding to the incoming 119th Congress in the early days of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.
This bill is known as a continuing resolution, or CR.
Aside from extending the deadline to mid-March, the proposed CR—coming in at 1,547 pages—includes disaster relief in the aftermath of hurricanes in the South, environmental provisions, the Second Chance Reauthorization Act, veterans’ measures, foreign affairs-related legislation, and the Hotel Fees Transparency Act.
The CR also includes restrictions on investments in China and a one-year extension of the farm bill that consists of various initiatives, including food nutrition programs in schools, crop insurance, and disaster assistance. It usually gets extended for five years.
While the bill usually gets bipartisan support, a point of contention surrounding it is the GOP’s desire to strengthen requirements for recipients of food stamps, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Democrats oppose making changes.
The CR includes a measure to transfer control of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium to the District of Columbia from the federal government as the site could be the new home of the NFL’s Washington Commanders.
The legislation overwhelmingly passed the House in February but has been stuck in the Senate amid objections from Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).
Despite a House rule requiring 72 hours for lawmakers to read legislation, it’s expected that the CR could see a vote on the floor as early as Wednesday, defusing the threat of a government shutdown that would otherwise begin on Friday, Dec. 20.
Congress was supposed to enact 12 full-year appropriations bills by Sept. 30, which would fund the federal government for Fiscal Year 2025. However, as has happened every year since 1997, Congress failed to pass them in time and, therefore, enacted a continuing resolution (CR).
By Arjun Singh, Joseph Lord and Jackson Richman
