US House Speaker Mike Johnson’s two-stage proposal aimed at keeping the government running beyond November 17 was doomed today.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) gave no hope for the initiative, while President Joe Biden warned he would veto it if it reached his desk.
Some analysts believe the Louisiana Republicans’ plan is a disaster that will face all sorts of objections, even though the deadline for a shutdown is less than seven days away, because they wasted three weeks on the spectacle of the House of Representatives failing to do so a president is paralyzed.
The “phased” continuing resolution (CR) published this Saturday stipulates that part of the funds will be exhausted on January 19th and the rest on February 2nd.
Thus, January 19 would be the funding deadline for state programs and agencies covered by regular budget bills related to agriculture, rural development, and the Food and Drug Administration; energy and water development; military construction and veterans affairs; and transport, housing and urban development.
While funding for all other agencies and programs would expire on February 2, there is the possibility of a partial government shutdown rather than a full one.
The bill also extends the authorization of programs and authorities in the 2018 Farm Bill through September 30, 2024, the end of the fiscal year.
According to The Hill newspaper, the CR is funding the government at current spending levels, without budget cuts or additional key conservative policy provisions.
That would deal a blow to Republicans who had tried to attach budget cuts or policy changes, such as changes to asylum laws, to the bill, the newspaper noted.
The bill does not provide aid to Israel, which has no clear path to final approval in Congress. There are also no funds for Ukraine, which Johnson said should be considered independently of other foreign aid.
Earlier this month, House Republicans passed a $14.3 billion relief package that included cuts to funding for the Internal Revenue Service.
The extension of September 30th by 45 days prevented the damaging shutdown, stating at the time that this time would be sufficient to reach a new agreement.
The scenario conveys the same tone of division that characterizes Republicans in the House and the marathon negotiations to reach a last-minute meeting point.