Congress is struggling to pass nine essential government funding bills before the January deadline, with potential consequences of a government shutdown. Currently, the House is not expected to advance any legislation before the Christmas break, focusing instead on healthcare policy.
• Minimal Progress: Congress has made little progress on the annual funding bills, which must be passed by the end of January.
• House's Focus: The U. S. House is concentrating on the "Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act," a Republican response to a failed Democratic attempt to extend Obamacare subsidies.
• Senate Stalemate: The Senate is stalled on a proposed minibus package of five bills due to disagreements among Republican members over certain budget earmarks.
• Tight Timeline: Congress has only about seven weeks to finalize the bills. Even with agreement on the text, it can take two to three weeks to pass them through both chambers.
• Funding Background: Most federal agencies are currently operating under funding levels from fiscal year 2024 because Congress did not approve a full budget for fiscal year 2025. They have employed three Continuing Resolutions (CRs) to extend deadlines, leading to the government shutdown on October 1.
• Shutdown Risk: If the remaining appropriations bills are not passed by February 1, when the current CR expires, there is a risk of a partial government shutdown.
With significant hurdles still to overcome and a pressing deadline, Congress is under pressure to pass essential funding bills to avoid another government shutdown. The lack of progress and focus on issues outside of funding underscore the challenges lawmakers face in addressing budgetary needs.
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