By KEVIN FREKING (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Leaders from both parties in Congress are trying to show that a $1.2 trillion spending package is good, and they want lawmakers to approve it before funding runs out at midnight Friday for many important government agencies.
The details of the legislation were not available by Wednesday afternoon, but lawmakers and aides were expecting an official presentation later in the day. The package, which is likely to pass, will finish Congress' work on spending bills for the year, almost six months after the fiscal year started.
This year's twelve spending bills were put into two packages. The first one was approved by Congress two weeks ago just in time before a shutdown deadline for the agencies funded by the bills.
Now Congress is focusing on the second, larger package, which includes about $886 billion for defense, around a 3% increase from last year's levels. The bill also funds the Departments of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Labor and others, with non-defense spending expected to be similar to last year's.
Leaders worked to convince members to support the package. In a private meeting with GOP lawmakers in the morning, Speaker Mike Johnson mentioned a few of the policy changes that House Republicans were able to secure in the latest negotiations. These included a ban on funding for a United Nations relief program for Palestinian refugees which is in effect until March 2025. He also mentioned that the bill provides funding for 8,000 additional detention beds for noncitizens awaiting their immigration proceedings or removal from the country.
“The Homeland (Security) piece was the most difficult to negotiate because the two parties have a wide chasm between them,” Johnson said at the GOP leadership’s weekly press conference. “I think the final product is something that we were able to achieve a lot of key provisions in, and wins, and it moved in a direction that we want even with our tiny, historically small majority.”
The House is expected to vote on the second package on Friday, giving lawmakers more than a day to examine the legislation, but in doing so, leadership is bypassing a House rule that calls for giving lawmakers 72 hours to review major legislation before having to vote on it.
That is riling some House Republicans, but following the rule would surely invite some lapse in federal funding, even if just for a day or so, for several key federal agencies.
Once the bill passes the House, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said he will put it on the Senate floor.
“Even with bipartisanship, it’s going to be a tight squeeze to get this funding package before the weekend deadline,” Schumer said.
Democrats celebrated staving off the vast majority of policy mandates Republicans had sought to include in the spending bills, such as restricting access to the abortion pill mifepristone or banning access to gender-affirming health care.
“We’re exactly in the position that we knew we were going to end up,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar D-Calif. “We knew that House Democrats, Senate Democrats, Senate Republicans and the White House weren’t going to tolerate any significant harmful cuts and crazy policy riders.”
The spending in the bill closely aligns with a deal that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy arranged with the White House in May 2023. This deal limited spending for two years and postponed the debt ceiling until January 2025 so the federal government could keep paying its bills.
Sen. Patty Murray, the Democratic chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, stated that they had to adhere to challenging spending limits and reject numerous Republican proposals, including severe cuts suggested by House Republicans. However, they now have a solid, bipartisan bill that safeguards essential investments in the American people.
McCarthy was removed from the speaker’s role a few months after securing the debt ceiling deal. Eight Republicans joined with Democrats in removing McCarthy as speaker. Some of those who were unhappy with the debt ceiling deal also expressed concerns about the latest package.
Johnson is expected to bring the bill up for a vote through a streamlined process that requires two-thirds support for the bill to pass. The earlier spending package passed by a vote of 339-85 with Republicans providing all but two of the no votes.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, expressed concern that if the bill is delayed for two weeks, it will face strong criticism. He mentioned that there is a push to pass it within the next 48 hours.
Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., expressed pessimism about the potential for significant policy wins based on past history and their reluctance to use leverage to force policy wins, meaning a willingness to walk away and say no.
Johnson highlighted a change prohibiting funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency until March 2025. This agency provides food, water and shelter to civilians in Gaza. Republicans want to cut off funding to the agency due to allegations that a dozen of its employees were involved in the attack conducted by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7.
The U.S. is the biggest donor to the agency, providing it with about $364 million in 2022 and $371 million in 2023. After Israel made its allegations, the Biden administration paused funding for the agency. Republicans seek a more lasting prohibition.
However, the ban worries some lawmakers because many relief agencies say there is no way to replace its ability to deliver the humanitarian assistance that the United States and others are trying to send to Gaza, where a quarter of the 2.3 million residents are starving.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., emphasized the importance of holding individuals accountable for participating in the Oct. 7 attack, but not innocent civilians.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., suggested to punish the 14 individuals responsible for the attack, rather than punishing 2 million innocent Gazans.
House Republicans view the agency as “part of the problem” that Israel is facing. About three dozen wrote to Appropriations Committee members, stating that no further U.S. taxpayer funds should be given to the agency due to its troublesome record and disturbing revelations since Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack on Israel.
Johnson also mentioned to colleagues that he sees a 6% reduction in foreign aid programs and allowing only the American flag to be flown over U.S. diplomatic facilities as achievements, according to a Republican congressional aid who is not allowed to speak publicly. Under the Biden administration, U.S. embassies have been encouraged to fly the pride flag or illuminate with rainbow colors in support of the LGBTQ community.
Johnson stated that once the spending package is approved, the House will focus on a bill that aims to help Ukraine and Israel, even though lawmakers are set to be away from Washington for the next two weeks. The Senate has already passed a $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, but Johnson has chosen not to bring it up for a vote.
