Congressional leaders are racing against time to reach a bipartisan deal before the federal government shuts down on Friday. The main issue causing delays is farm and disaster assistance. With only five days left, House Speaker Mike Johnson will need support from House Democrats to pass the bill to the Senate, but the two parties are struggling to find common ground on the continuing resolution (CR).
Republicans are insisting that additional farm funding be included with the one-year extension of the Farm Bill. Agriculture committee leaders have stated that they will not support a CR without aid for farmers, emphasizing the serious impacts on farm families and rural communities if such assistance is not provided.
Both parties are also debating the amount of funding for hurricane disaster relief. Republicans feel that President Biden's request for nearly $100 billion is too high, while Democrats are unwilling to compromise. Patty Murray, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, highlighted that the delay in providing disaster funding is unacceptable given the numerous disasters in the past two years.
Due to these disagreements, congressional leaders found themselves at an impasse. A previous temporary CR was passed in September to keep the government funded until December 20, and any new CR would only sustain operations until March 2025. This scenario means the incoming Republican-led Congress will face the challenge of managing the federal budget alongside other pressing issues. As of Monday morning, leaders have not yet settled on the spending limit for the upcoming fiscal year.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_e1ac99aa-bbd0-11ef-b755-ff6820c24788.html
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