House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) unveiled a proposal on Sunday to keep the government funded past a shutdown deadline next week, punting decisions about the fiscal 2025 budget until after the November election.
The continuing resolution, which would extend current spending levels until Dec. 20, is Johnson’s second attempt to pass a funding agreement after his initial proposal died on the House floor last week. That failed vote prompted House leaders to go back to the drawing board to craft a short-term extension that could pass with support from both sides of the aisle.
The result was a three-month clean CR with few changes from the original proposal. Here’s a breakdown of what is included in the new resolution and what was left on the cutting room floor.
In: 2024 spending levels
The three-month continuing resolution extends the government funding levels agreed upon in the fiscal 2024 budget with no additional spending for the federal government.
As a result, the legislation is being framed as a “very narrow, bare bones CR including only the extensions that are absolutely necessary,” according to a letter Johnson sent House Republicans on Sunday. That way, Johnson can sell the proposal as a win for Republicans, arguing the party was able to fight off Democratic demands for increased spending.
Instead, the CR will postpone those negotiations until mid-December, when the fights for the White House and Congress are settled.
Out: SAVE Act
One of the most notable omissions from the new CR is the absence of House Republicans’ election integrity bill known as the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship for those voting in the 2024 election.
Johnson attached the SAVE Act to his first government spending proposal in a bid to win the support of some of his hard-line colleagues, including those who refuse to vote for any short-term extension regardless of its length. But it wasn’t enough to convince the cohort of “Never CR” Republicans, leading to its removal in the newest iteration.
Although the absence of the SAVE Act will likely garner support from Democrats, it could prompt several Republicans in both the House and Senate to reject the stopgap measure. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on Republicans to oppose any funding bill that does not include the SAVE Act, even at the risk of a shutdown, but the measure is expected to clear Congress with bipartisan support later this week.
In: Secret Service funding
Although the CR keeps spending largely flat, House leaders did agree to attach increased funding for the Secret Service ahead of the 2024 election.
The bill includes a provision that would allocate an additional $231 million to the agency to protect presidential candidates ahead of the November contest. Support for that increased funding comes after a second failed assassination attempt against Trump earlier this month that has prompted concern from both sides of the aisle.
But that funding is conditional. According to the bill, the money will only be made available after the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service, provides a report to Congress related to the July 13 assassination attempt. The bill also compels the DHS to respond to two requests by the House task force investigating the assassination attempts against Trump that were sent last month.
Under the bill, the additional funding will be made available to the Secret Service until Sept. 30, 2025.
Out: Disaster relief and Veterans Affairs funding
Although the six-month CR included additional funding for disaster relief and the Department of Veterans Affairs, those provisions are not included in the shorter proposal. That decision was made because of the shorter time frame, according to House GOP leadership sources who say that funding will be finalized in the December legislation.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
However, the CR does include a number of healthcare extensions for the VA, including extensions for nursing care to veterans with “service-connected disabilities” and for “disabled veterans training in Paralympic and Olympic sports program.”
In terms of disaster funding, the bill would also allow the agency to access funds more quickly for disaster response during the three-month period. Additionally, House Republican leadership aides say the bill would replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund “as soon as the CR becomes law.”