WASHINGTON – Lawmakers have reached a bipartisan deal to temporarily avoid a major shutdown, keeping the government open through at least mid-March and boosting disaster relief efforts after hurricanes devastated the Southeast this year.
Current government funding is set to run out at midnight on Friday. Thousands of federal employees would be furloughed, and other important resources could be delayed or put on pause if Congress is unable to pass the funding extension in time.
The bill extends current government funds through March 14, which Republican leaders have argued will allow President-elect Donald Trump to weigh in on the final deal. Republicans will also control both chambers of Congress next year.
The deal includes $100 billion in disaster relief funds that can go to cleanup for the aftermath of two hurricanes, Helene and Milton, and other disasters. It also provides $10 billion in aid for farmers and ranchers and a one-year extension of the farm bill, the basis of American agricultural policy that encompasses nutrition programs like SNAP.
It would also bring sweeping changes to the pharmaceutical benefit manager (PBM) industry and other health care provisions in an effort to lower drug prices.
But before lawmakers can jet off for their holiday vacations, they’ll actually have to pass the agreement. It comes as House Republicans are frustrated with both the process to reach the deal and the contents of the extension, which is referred to as a continuing resolution.
House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana told reporters Tuesday the bill was originally only supposed to keep the government open until next year. But leaders changed course to provide support for farmers and the areas across the Southeast hit by deadly hurricanes in the fall.
Several of the House’s right-wing members who have been frustrated with Congress repeatedly kicking funding deadlines down the road have remained opposed to the latest effort.
“I think that our current path is a mistake,” said Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., especially because the incoming Department of Government Efficiency, led by Trump allies Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, will try to cut spending next year. “I’ll be surprised if (the continuing resolution) has a majority of Republican support.”
Ogles added that he’s hearing “a lot of chatter and frustration” about Johnson’s approach to this funding deal but “I don’t know if that manifests itself into an actual challenge come January.”
Lawmakers will vote to formalize the next House speaker next month. While Johnson has the backing of Republicans in the lower chamber, a handful of GOP rebels helped oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023 after he worked with Democrats to dodge a government shutdown at the time.
The deal was also met with some frustration from some more moderate Republicans, including GOP Rep. Mike Lawler of New York who represents a district President Joe Biden won in 2020. He raised concerns that lawmakers have been left out of the dealmaking process and that it includes too many additional provisions, Punchbowl News reported.
But if wrangling lawmakers to support the most recent government funding extension seems challenging, think ahead to next March, when this deal will expire: House Republicans will have an even smaller margin of 217-215 as they work to fill the seats vacated because Trump pulled a few House members into his Cabinet.
Several Republicans have raised concerns that that will make it more challenging to enact Trump’s agenda during his first 100 days in office. They also suggested that the three-month extension simply serves to avoid a battle over Johnson’s leadership position, given the Speaker promised not to pass big year-end spending bills dubbed “Christmas trees,” which leverage lawmakers’ desire to leave town in order to secure spending for myriad pet projects.
Johnson argued Tuesday that the bill is “not a Christmas tree” and the funding addresses things that were “out of our control,” such as natural disasters.
Senate Democrats and Republicans have pushed to complete the existing spending bills by the end of the year.
“Across all of our funding bills, there are real consequences for real people, for our economy, and for our national security,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. “So, yes, it’s disappointing to be here again at the 11th hour waiting to simply kick the can down the road with another CR, rather than passing our bills into law that meet the needs of our country.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A government shutdown before Christmas? Congress reaches crucial deal
