The House Rules Committee has advanced a critical spending bill, a continuing resolution, to prevent a government shutdown by extending fiscal 2024 spending levels through the start of the 2026 fiscal year. The bill must pass the House, Senate, and be signed by the President by midnight Friday to ensure uninterrupted government operations. Backed by President Trump, the resolution aims to secure sufficient support from House GOP members, some of whom remain uncertain or opposed.
The proposed bill includes a $6 billion boost in defense spending from fiscal year 2024, while non-defense discretionary spending will fall by $13 billion below the previous fiscal year's levels. In an effort to bolster immigration enforcement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will receive a slight increase, raising its budget to nearly $10 billion to facilitate President Trump's mass deportation initiatives. Notably, the bill contains no earmarks, setting it apart from prior spending legislation.
House Republicans have emphasized the bill's intent to eliminate wasteful spending and prevent a budget-busting omnibus package.
“This bill will reduce and then freeze spending for the next six months to allow President Trump and his Administration to continue their critical work within the Executive Branch to find and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse,” stated House Republicans.
Furthermore, the resolution introduces significant rescissions to both the Internal Revenue Service and what Republicans describe as a "Commerce slush fund," while also allocating additional funding for immigration enforcement and deportation operations.
The House Freedom Caucus has expressed its support for the resolution, yet it faces opposition from within its ranks. Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has committed to obstructing the bill's passage. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has criticized the proposal, alleging that it would severely impact Medicaid.
“The largest cut to Medicaid in American history,” asserted Jeffries, who has also warned of potential threats to Social Security and Medicare.
“They’ve also put a target on the back of Social Security and Medicare,” Jeffries continued, adding that “Republicans are trying to rip health care away from tens of millions of Americans.”
In response, a senior House GOP aide clarified that these concerns pertain to mandatory funding, separate from discretionary appropriations.
“That’s a completely separate issue from discretionary appropriation bills, that’s all mandatory funding,” explained the aide.
House Republicans have dismissed Jeffries' claims regarding Medicaid cuts as unfounded. They argue that the bill is crucial for maintaining fiscal discipline and aligns with the administration's objectives.
“It entirely kills the prospect of a budget busting, pork-filled omnibus this fiscal year, and it breaks the longstanding practice in the Swamp of handcuffing increases in defense funding with increases to the non-defense bureaucracy,” stated House Republicans.
“Furthermore, it contains zero earmarks, makes major rescissions to the Internal Revenue Service and the so-called ‘Commerce slush fund,’ and includes additional funding for immigration enforcement and deportation operations,” they added.
“Perhaps most importantly, it prevents Democrats from derailing the America First agenda with a go-nowhere government shutdown,” they concluded.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where it must garner support from at least seven moderate Democrats to overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold. It is scheduled for a final vote on the full House floor on Tuesday.
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