House and Senate on collision course over funding.
The House and Senate Clash Over Appropriations
The House and Senate are on a collision course when it comes to appropriations this year, and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) finds himself in the middle of it all. He must navigate the demands of the far-right fringe of his conference while also ensuring that the government is funded before the September 30 deadline.
Senate appropriators and the House have been at odds over the spending caps set in the debt ceiling deal. Now, the House is marking their appropriations bills below those caps, causing even more concerns.
Conservative Demands
Speaker McCarthy is facing pressure from some of the most conservative members of his caucus who want to see significant spending cuts. In July, 21 Republicans signed a letter threatening to vote against appropriations bills unless they met a list of demands. One of those demands was to enact all appropriations measures at fiscal 2022 levels without increasing discretionary spending above the top-line.
This puts the House at odds with the Senate, who are displeased with the caps set in the debt ceiling bill. The Senate has started marking up appropriations bills above those caps, causing further tension.
Debate Over Emergency Spending
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) and ranking member Susan Collins (R-ME) recently announced a deal to add $8 billion for defense and $5.7 billion for nondefense emergency funds. Murray emphasized that emergency spending does not break the debt limit agreement, as the law allows for funding to be designated as an emergency.
However, members of the House Republican Conference are unlikely to see it that way. They remain steadfast in their commitment to cutting spending and are exploring other ideas to achieve savings.
Race Against Time
With just one week before the August recess, both chambers must pass appropriations bills before the end of September. The alternative would be a continuing resolution, a short-term stop-gap measure that extends government funding at the prior year’s rate, giving Congress more time to negotiate.
Speaker McCarthy is determined to avoid a continuing resolution and has been pushing to move the appropriations bills through the process. However, with the clock ticking, there isn’t much time for fighting between the House and Senate.
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