Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said he is "pleased" with the Senate's plans to take up its first appropriations "minibus" bills, which are expected to include aid to Ukraine.
Spending bills must be passed through Congress and signed by President Joe Biden ahead of the new federal fiscal year, which begins on Oct. 1. If this does not happen, the government will shut down and federal agencies will shutter and discontinue non-essential operations until appropriations are passed. Several House Republicans have vowed to hold up the process if certain demands aren't met, but the Senate appears to be in general agreement.
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“While the spending levels and policy differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate are large, I hope regular order will prevail and we work to pass appropriations bills through both bodies," Graham said in a statement. "It is obvious to me this will be a challenge."
He added, “The omnibus approach, where you put the vast majority of federal spending in a single bill, massive in size and scope, needs to stop."
Graham said he won't support an omnibus package under any circumstances.
“I do not want a government shutdown and realize we need emergency spending for our own military, natural disasters, and conflicts," the South Carolina Republican continued. "We have a lot of work ahead, but we need to follow regular order and work together to get the spending process completed.”
The Senate will be taking up bills to fund military construction, agriculture, transportation, and housing in the minibus bills next week. It has already passed all 12 appropriations bills out of committee, something Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Vice Chairwoman Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) noted was done with bipartisan support.
The same bipartisan support might be hard to achieve in the House, as conservative members expect certain promises to be upheld. Several members of the House Freedom Caucus have expressed unwillingness to sign on to a continuing resolution, a measure that would fund certain agencies temporarily while appropriations are decided, if an agreement can't be met prior to the deadline. They've also said they aren't fearful of a shutdown if it becomes necessary.
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The conservative group is demanding that spending levels return to previous years, something members have said House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) promised during the contentious series of votes necessary for him to be selected for the speaker position. Further, spending measures must address the southern border, “weaponization” of the Justice Department, and controversial policies in the military, the caucus has said.
An influential conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, has also said it will be encouraging conservative House members to hold the line when it comes to opposing a continuing resolution, even if it means facing a government shutdown.