Lawmakers were anxiously awaiting the details of the final spending package for fiscal 2024 to be revealed on Wednesday after the White House and congressional leaders hammered out an eleventh-hour deal.
The package includes the troublesome Department of Homeland Security funding that delayed the deal, and lawmakers will now have little time to comb through its contents before the shutdown deadline.
Congress must pass the six-bill package, which is expected to top $1 trillion, by midnight Friday to avert a partial shutdown.
The package’s other five components are finished, which would fund Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, Financial Services, Legislative Branch and State Department-Foreign Operations. The package covers about two-thirds of federal spending.
Six months into the fiscal year, Congress is about halfway finished with spending measures expected to total about $1.65 trillion. Lawmakers approved the first half of the spending bills in early March.
President Biden said that he would immediately sign the final funding package once Congress passes it.
Rep. Kevin Hern, Oklahoma Republican, said that House Speaker Mike Johnson planned to hit the deadline.
“The speaker wants to vote on it Friday,” Mr. Hern told reporters.
Most of the “no” votes are expected to come from Republicans opposed to the overall spending levels and lack of policy riders such as stopping the Pentagon’s paying for service members’ transportation to get abortions and ending diversity and inclusion programs inside federal agencies.
The bill is already facing pushback from 40 members of the House Freedom Caucus who sent Mr. Johnson a letter urging him not to cut a deal giving in to Democrats on Homeland Security funding.
The bill also could lose support from Republicans if Mr. Johnson waives the House rule requiring lawmakers to get 72 hours rule to review legislation before voting on it. If the bill is unveiled Wednesday, Congress wouldn’t be able to pass it until Saturday under the 72-hour rule.
“It’s fair to say that most of us who have an issue with the 72-hour rule weren’t going to vote for the bill anyways,” said Rep. Bob Good of Virginia, chair of the Freedom Caucus.
The bill could also be stalled in the Senate because any one senator can block legislation.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, stressed on the Senate floor on Tuesday that Congress needs to move quickly to avoid a partial shutdown or lapse in funding.
“If both parties proceed in the same manner we did two weeks ago, quickly, constructively and without unnecessary partisan dithering, then I’m hopeful we can finish the appropriations process without causing a lapse in services,” Mr. Schumer said.
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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