Congressional leaders secure spending deal amid looming shutdown threat
House and Senate leaders unveil a crucial spending deal for 2024, effectively warding off an imminent government shutdown while ensuring essential funding remains intact
House and Senate leaders have reached a spending deal for government funding in 2024, which is the initial step towards preventing a shutdown later this month. Despite the looming threat, the agreed topline numbers by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer include $1.59 trillion for fiscal year 2024, where $886 billion is allocated for defense spending and $704 billion for non-defense spending. Additionally, they have also reached a $69 billion side deal for adjustments that will be directed to non-defense domestic spending.
The non-defense spending figure is now close to $773 billion, according to a Democratic source speaking to CNN. This brings the overall spending total to nearly $1.66 trillion. While the agreement on funding levels reduces the chances of a shutdown, Congress still faces significant hurdles before the January 19 and February 2 funding deadlines.
Dealing with demands from conservatives to use the funding bill as leverage to impose stricter immigration and border security measures is one of the challenges. Congress will need to approve funding bills or a stopgap resolution to prevent a shutdown by the deadlines. The outcome of this effort is still uncertain, despite Schumer and Johnson having reached a deal on funding levels.
In a letter to his Republican colleagues on Sunday, Johnson stated, "We have successfully obtained hard-earned concessions in order to unlock the FY 24 topline numbers and enable the Appropriations Committee to finally start negotiating and finalizing the twelve annual appropriations bills."
According to Johnson, the concessions from Democrats include "an extra $10 billion in cuts to the IRS mandatory funding (bringing the total to $20 billion), which was a crucial aspect of the Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act. Additionally, we will reduce $6.1 billion from the Biden Administration's ongoing COVID-era discretionary funds, despite facing strong opposition."
Schumer, along with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, stated that the agreement on non-defense discretionary spending will enable Democrats to safeguard important domestic priorities such as veterans benefits, health care, and nutrition assistance from severe cuts proposed by right-wing extremists.
The statement also emphasized that this agreement will help maintain the investments for hardworking American families that were established by President Biden and Congressional Democrats. They further indicated that they have informed Speaker Mike Johnson that Democrats will not approve the inclusion of controversial policy changes in any of the twelve appropriations bills presented to Congress.
President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that the bipartisan funding framework agreed upon by congressional leaders brings us closer to avoiding a government shutdown and safeguarding key national priorities. He stated that it aligns with the funding levels he previously negotiated with both parties and signed into law last spring.
This story has been updated with additional information.
