Janice R. Andrews
Congress has less than two weeks to avoid a government shutdown. The stakes are high, and it’s not clear what to do next. The lawmakers have until September 30 to pass laws that will keep the government running and paying its bills. But big disagreements about spending and political tactics could make it impossible to come to a deal. Here are four major issues that could make it harder for Congress to avoid a shutdown.
How long the Continuing Resolution (CR) will last
One of the main problems Congress has to deal with is deciding how long the continuing resolution (CR) that keeps the government funding past September 30 should last. Both Democrats and Republicans want a continuing resolution (CR) that keeps the government running after the elections in November. Depending on the results of the elections, this could have a big effect on the talks over spending.
But some Republicans, especially those who supported former President Trump, want a CR that would extend the next funding date until early next year. They say that a delay like this could keep Congress from having to deal with too many spending bills at the end of the year and give a possible Trump administration more control over the budget for the next fiscal year.
Democratic and some Republican lawmakers, especially those who work on yearly spending bills, are against this idea. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, who is the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, is worried about the plan. He says that similar strategies have not always worked in the past. As the deadline gets closer, the fight over how long the CR should last is sure to become heated.
Bill to Require Proof of Citizenship to Vote
Conservatives in the House want to add a requirement for proof of citizenship to the CR, which could also be a problem. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act wants to make sure that only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections. It does this by telling states they need to see proof of citizenship in order to register voters and get rid of people who aren’t citizens from their voter lists.
Advocates of the bill say it will protect the fairness of federal elections. However, Democrats and the Biden administration are strongly against it and have promised to veto any similar legislation. Some people are against the bill because they say it will make it harder for qualified voters to sign up and raise the risk of real voters being taken off the voter rolls.
Adding this bill to the CR could make talks a lot harder because the Democratic-controlled Senate is not likely to pass it. Some conservatives see the bill as a trading chip that can help them get other things they want, but including it could make it even harder to agree on the spending bill.
Differences of opinion about how much to spend
Another big problem in the effort to avoid a shutdown is disagreements over how much money should be spent. Hard-line conservatives don’t like the spending limits that were set by recent bipartisan deals, so they don’t want to back a CR that keeps funding levels the same.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) is worried about the CR because he says it keeps spending the same and doesn’t fix the budget problems that are really causing them. He and other Republicans have been unhappy with the way the budget is being made right now and want more action on individual spending bills instead of temporary fixes.
Some of the 12 normal spending bills have been passed by the House, but others have not moved forward because of disagreements within the chamber. The Senate has made work on its spending bills in committee, but none of them have been taken to the floor for a vote yet. It is harder to agree on the CR because people don’t agree on how much money should be spent. This makes the talks even more complicated.
Shortfall in the VA budget
The problems are made worse by the fact that Congress has not yet fixed a $3 billion budget gap for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The gap is mostly because of the PACT Act, a law that was passed by both parties in 2022 and gave soldiers who had been exposed to toxic chemicals more health care and benefits. The law has caused more people to sign up for VA health care and more people to apply for benefits, which has put a strain on the agency’s budget.
The VA wants an extra $3 billion for required benefits in fiscal year 2024 and an extra $12 billion for medical care in fiscal year 2025. Time is running out for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to pass a stand-alone bill that will fill the shortfall in funding right away. There could be problems with the payments for millions of soldiers if the problem isn’t fixed by September 20.
The top Republican on the panel that is in charge of funding the VA, Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), has admitted how important the situation is. While the bigger talks about funding are still ongoing, it’s not clear if this will happen or not. He has suggested that the emergency funds could be added to the CR.
Congress is having a hard time trying to keep the government from shutting down as the September 30 deadline draws near. There could be problems with talks because of the length of the CR, the addition of controversial voting laws, differences over spending levels, and the VA budget shortfall. Because there is so much at stake, politicians will have to be very careful to avoid a funding gap that could have very bad effects.
