US Congress scrambles to pass $1.2 trln spending bill, midnight deadline looms (updated)

The Brink's

22/03/2024 12:47

(Updates with Republican opposition in paragraphs 7-8)
    By Richard Cowan
       WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - The
Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives and
Democratic-majority Senate on Friday will scramble to beat a
midnight government shutdown deadline by passing a $1.2 trillion
bill keeping the government funded through September.
    If they succeed, it will end a more-than-six-month battle
over the scope of Washington's spending for the fiscal year that
began Oct. 1. If they fail, federal agencies will begin a
partial shutdown, furloughing thousands of workers nationwide
and abroad.
    "This bill funds our highest national security priorities,"
Republican House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Kay Granger
said in a statement on Thursday, praising the bipartisan deal.
    Granger mainly was referring to the Defense Department's
$886 billion in funding included in the 1,012-page bill that
also covers agencies ranging from the Department of Homeland
Security, Internal Revenue Service and Justice Department to
Treasury and State departments.
    It will add to the fast-growing national debt that now
totals nearly $34.6 trillion.
    Not all Republicans were as enthusiastic over the bill.
        Representative Robert Aderholt, who chairs a House
appropriations subcommittee, raised concerns about the prospects
for passage by voicing opposition to the measure over provisions
that he said would benefit undocumented immigrants and fund
abortion services. 
  
        "I cannot and will not vote for these projects or this
bill," Aderholt said in a statement.  
  
    The hardline House Freedom Caucus, which represents roughly
three-dozen Republicans, also complained that the bill is loaded
with "radioactive 'woke' earmarks."
    Earmarks are special spending requests sought by individual
members of Congress, often public works projects for their home
states or districts.
        Still to be seen is whether conservative Republicans in
the Senate delay passage of the bill by demanding debate on a
series of amendments.
    A separate controversial money matter is boiling in Congress
where its leaders, except for House Speaker Mike Johnson,
urgently are calling for final passage of a $95 billion security
assistance package approved by the Senate for Ukraine, Israel
and Taiwan.
        Some Republicans are balking at continuing to back
Ukraine in its war against the invading Russian military.
  
    While conservatives succeeded in getting Congress and
Democratic President Joe Biden to agree to some fiscal 2024
spending cuts, they hoped for far deeper ones. Their
disgruntlement led to the historic October removal of House
Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The Republicans' subsequent political
infighting shut down the House for three weeks as Republicans
fought over a replacement.
    
    BACK TO THE BRINK
    Since then, with the November elections looming, most
Republicans have been loath to trigger a government shutdown
over spending, although Washington was brought to the brink four
times since late September.
    The last shutdown occurred during Donald Trump's presidency,
from Dec. 22, 2018 until Jan. 25, 2019. The record-long
interruption in government services came as Trump insisted on
money to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico and was
unable to broker a deal with Democrats.
    It ended when some air traffic controllers in major airport
hubs, tired of working without pay, threatened to stay at home.
    Rating agencies have warned that the repeated brinkmanship
could take a toll on the U.S. government's creditworthiness.
    A shutdown beginning on Saturday would mean most U.S. Border
Patrol and immigration agents would continue to work. But local
governments might not receive new aid to shelter migrants.
    U.S. soldiers and all federal workers would not get paid
until new funding is enacted and national parks would be
shuttered. Same situation for the two U.S. astronauts aboard the
International Space Station 254 miles (409 km) above Earth. 
    Meanwhile, the Internal Revenue Service would continue
processing tax returns that are due on April 15. It would advise
taxpayers of any potential delays in refunds. At the State
Department, security at embassies and other foreign offices
would remain in force and passports and visas would be issued as
long as there were sufficient fees to support such activities.
Many other operations would cease.

 (Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Scott Malone, David
Gregorio and Chizu Nomiyama)
 ((Richard.Cowan@thomsonreuters.com;))