August 25th

Written By DSEANTE PARKS

1000 MORE's weekly nonpartisan roundup of the most important happenings in federal government, written in a way that doesn't require a law degree to understand, with tools to take action

August 25, 2023

Congress is still in recess, but they will be back soon and have to move fast to avoid a government shutdown, so this week we are diving deeper into the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget outlook. Here is the latest on the power dynamics and legislative progress: 

Government Shutdown Watch
House Appropriations Committee 
Senate Appropriations Committee
Budget Political Realities
Status Check on Budget Progress
ICYMI: New Feature Alert!

Government Shutdown Watch

Congress is coming back after Labor Day. They only have 12 working days once they return to pass the 2024 budget and keep the federal government open past the September 30th deadline. 

The budget consists of 12 separate “appropriations bills.” Congress must pass all 12 bills in order for the government to stay funded and not shut down on October 1. If the government shuts down, possible repercussions include stalled Medicare, Medicaid and veteran benefits, and significant airport delays.

House Appropriations Committee

The House Appropriations Committee is responsible for writing the House version of the bills that fund the federal government and its programs. Once the committee’s budget bills pass the House, and the Senate passes their own versions of these bills, the committee has to work with its counterparts in the Senate to negotiate and pass the final appropriations bills in both chambers so that the president can sign the budget into law.

The House Appropriations Committee has already passed 10 of the 12 must-pass bills. That means the full House could vote on those bills as soon as they get back to D.C. next month. The two that haven’t made it through the committee are for funding on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies and Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies. 

Senate Appropriations Committee

The Appropriations Committee in the Senate writes their own version of the bills that provide funding to the various parts of the federal government. Once the committee’s budget bills pass the Senate, and the House passes their versions of these bills, members from both chambers have to work together to negotiate and pass the final appropriations bills. 

The Senate Appropriations Committee has passed all 12 must-pass bills. That means the full Senate could start voting on these bills as soon as they return from recess.

Budget Political Realities

This week, House Freedom Caucus members made a list of budget-bill demands that they require in order to secure their votes to pass the budget and avoid a government shutdown. While Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, (R-CA) may give in to their demands to pass bills in the House, the Senate is unlikely to include similar provisions in their bills. This sets up a scenario for conference committees to pass middle-of-the-road budget bills, and Democrats and more moderate Republicans coming together in both chambers to pass a budget thereafter. 

It is anyone’s guess whether this will happen by the September 30th deadline, but the word from our sources on the Hill is that passing a budget in September is unlikely. If they don’t pass the budget bills, Congress will have to pass continuing resolutions to keep the government open until negotiations are complete. We will keep you updated on their progress. 

Status Check on Budget Progress

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And that is your weekly roundup...

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DSEANTE PARKS
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