After returning from their summer holiday, House Republicans have just 12 legislative days left before the end of the fiscal year on September 30. As a result, they are crafting a temporary budget proposal to prevent a shutdown.
On a conference call with House members, Republican Kevin McCarthy of California proposed a continuing resolution to fund the government until early December. A continuing resolution could reduce the pressure on lawmakers to pass spending bills before the September funding deadline, but it would increase the urgency of reaching a compromise on the package of bills to avoid the automatic 1% cut in spending that is included in the debt-ceiling deal if a continuing resolution is not passed. The reduction will go into force if legislators do not move budget proposals forward by January.
Due to internal expenditure battles, the lower House has been stalled in its progress to adopt a dozen pieces of legislation to support the government. House Freedom Caucus members have assured McCarthy that they would not shut down the government over their demand for further cuts to spending in 2022. A mutiny by the approximately 40-member Freedom Caucus against a continuing resolution might be troublesome for the campaign to avert a shutdown, as McCarthy maintains a razor-thin five-vote advantage.
The current proposal for $40 billion in emergency expenditure from the Biden administration, of which $24 billion would go to Ukraine, is expected to complicate budget disputes in the House significantly. While approving the National Defense Authorization Act, several Republicans in the House voiced opposition to allocating additional funds to Ukraine, and they are expected to do the same in response to President Biden’s newest request.
Gonzales, a Republican from Texas in the House of Representatives, tweeted late on Monday night that it is evident that the President and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy “want a government shutdown.”
One of 12 federal spending measures has been approved by the House, while the other 11 have been postponed until the parliament returns from break. Funding for military building projects, the Veterans Administration, and other associated organizations is included in the $317 billion House budget plan.
