Third Time's the Charm: Teeing Up Another End of Year Funding Bill
The Republican Caucus will meet at 12:30 to discuss Speaker Johnson’s third proposal for a Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government through March 14, 2025 and provide funding for disaster relief. Speaker Johnson is expected to propose a package of three separate bills: a bill to extend FY25 fund at current levels to March 14; a bill to provide $110 billion in disaster relief funding — including funds for NPS and other public lands; and a bill to allocate farm assistance. President-elect Trump’s must pass demand to lift or eliminate the debt ceiling will not be included but Republicans are negotiating an agreement to cut trillions of dollars in spending in exchange for an increase in the borrowing limit next year under reconciliation.
Speaker Johnson aims to vote this afternoon on the three bills in an effort to avoid a shutdown. The proposal has not yet been shared with Democrats, so their position is not yet known.
The good news is that over the negotiations and many configures of this end of year funding bill, the proposal for $110 billion in disaster relief, including the NPS and public lands funding, has remained unchanged.
This morning, the White House Office of Management and Budget alerted federal agencies to prepare for an imminent government shutdown. This is an act of good management not a negotiating tactic. For everyone on this list, the big question is what would a government shutdown mean for holiday travel. TSA and FAA air traffic controllers are considered essential employees and will be expected to work, even if they won’t see a paycheck on time. The Washington Post has a good round up of what a shutdown would mean, but the bottom line is expect some disruptions and get to the airport early.
If a government shutdown occurs, the Biden Administration is expected to partially close national parks. Gates and roads will generally be open, but bathrooms, visitor centers and other buildings will be locked. There will be very limited staff on hand to protect the parks, their resources and visitors. For those in gateway communities, this would be a costly disruption. Here’s a link to the DOI contingency plans — by Bureau/Office — for those who want to more details on shutdown plans.
I am cautiously optimistic that if we have a government shutdown it would only last the weekend but as this week has proven anything can happen in the final week of Congress.
Please let me know if you have questions.