The Fate of Our Government Hangs in the Balance - What Comes Next?
Congress narrowly avoids government shutdown by passing a stopgap funding bill Find out what operations continue, why Ukraine aid was not included, and what to expect in the upcoming long-term bill
Congress successfully passed a temporary funding bill on Saturday, ensuring the government remains operational until mid-November. The narrow avoidance of a potential shutdown is a relief as it could have resulted in severe consequences. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy managed to garner support from Democrats for the short-term bill, despite facing resistance from staunch members of his own party. Similarly, senators from both sides of the aisle joined forces to advance the bill to President Joe Biden, who promptly signed it into law on Saturday evening.
The government will now continue operating until November 17. Lawmakers must pass another spending bill before then to avoid a shutdown. Heres what you should know.
These are the operations continuing for now
The immediate financial impact on nearly 2.2 million federal workers and 1.3 million active-duty troops has been avoided, thanks to the passage of the bill. This prevents them from experiencing a shutdown that would have left them without pay.
Additionally, the bill's passage will temporarily prevent major disruptions to air travel. A shutdown could have resulted in significant delays, as seen during the 2019 shutdown when numerous Transportation Security Administration officers, who were working without pay, called out sick.
Sunrise hits the U.S. Capitol dome on September 30, 2021 in Washington, DC.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/File
US averts government shutdown
The stopgap bill also includes a provision to ensure the Federal Aviation Administration remains operational. Without this measure, a shutdown combined with the imminent expiration of a crucial aviation law would have led to significant daily financial losses and left the agency in a frantic race to restore the air traffic control system.
Furthermore, the White House successfully secured funding for natural disaster relief within the stopgap bill. This crucial provision enables ongoing relief efforts following a recent devastating series of natural disasters.
Border policies will continue to be enforced as hardline Republicans were unable to get a border security amendment into the final bill.
Stopgap bill did not include additional Ukraine aid
The stopgap measure passed by Congress did not include extra funding for Ukraine following McCarthy's proposal of a bill without additional aid to the war-torn country. This was a significant compromise sought by many House Republicans but left Democrats feeling disappointed.
To date, Congress has allocated approximately $113 billion in aid to Ukraine based on calculations by the US State Department Office of Inspector General and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. In August, the White House requested Congress to approve an additional $24 billion in aid, and just last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Capitol to appeal for further assistance.
Some Republicans argue the Biden administration should divert funding to border security and other domestic priorities instead of giving more financial assistance to Ukraine.
What happens next?
The House and Senate have adjourned until Monday, and lawmakers are expected to continue negotiations upon their return to the Capitol. Before heading home for Thanksgiving, they will need to pass another spending bill.
There is still more than a month to reach an agreement on the provisions to be included in a long-term spending bill. The intense debate leading up to Saturday's resolution highlighted a significant divide within the Republican Party. This division is anticipated to make the second round of talks equally challenging, even before considering the GOP's efforts to secure Democratic support.
What could be included in the long-term bill?
, McCarthy's removal as speaker could potentially hinder progress, a motion that is anticipated to be initiated by uncompromising Republicans. However, the exact timing of this motion remains uncertain.Border security and Ukraine aid were the two sticking points delaying an agreement and nearly leading to a government shutdown.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is pictured speaking with members of the media in Washington, DC, on September 30, 2023, following the passage of a continuing resolution in the House. The photograph was taken by Nathan Howard/Getty Images.
McCarthy's decision to challenge his own party members on the right and avoid a government shutdown. When negotiations restart for the approval of a prolonged spending bill, Democrats, backed by bipartisan agreement, are anticipated to prioritize the renewal of aid for Ukraine, while certain Republicans are likely to advocate for a border amendment. However, as of Friday, Republicans had not yet reached a unanimous decision on the specific details of the amendment they would propose.
The House Democratic leadership announced that McCarthy is anticipated to push for a vote on Ukraine aid once the House reconvenes. In a statement issued on Saturday evening, bipartisan members of the Senate leadership declared their commitment to vote on additional funding for Ukraine aid "in the upcoming weeks."
CNNs Tami Luhby, Betsy Klein, Gregory Wallace, Zachary B. Wolf, Clare Foran, Haley Talbot, Morgan Rimmer, Annie Grayer, Lauren Fox, Melanie Zanona and Manu Raju contributed to this report.
