What to know about the spending fight ahead in Congress
WASHINGTON – A new presidential administration and a new crop of lawmakers is just around the corner in Washington. But before they can turn over, the current lame-duck Congress has three short weeks to tackle two must-pass tasks: Passing government funding to avoid a shutdown and approving a defense policy bill.
The government funding bill expires on Dec. 20, which means the federal government could shut down right before Christmas if lawmakers can't come to an agreement.
There's little indication that will happen – instead, the question is whether lawmakers will broker a funding deal or extend current funding levels, and for how long.
"Letting the government shut down just before Christmas would be asinine, plain and simple, and nobody wants that to happen," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor before Congress adjourned for Thanksgiving.
Here's what to know about the crucial spending and policy packages Congress will consider in the final weeks of the year:
Dodging a government shutdown
The federal government's coffers reset every year on Oct. 1, requiring Congress to pass annual legislation that funds crucial programs. This fall, lawmakers extended funding levels until Dec. 20 to avoid a messy funding fight ahead of the presidential election.
Now that deadline is rapidly approaching, and the two parties in Congress still don't have an agreement on how much they want to spend on government programs over the next year.
Leaders of the House and Senate appropriations committees want to pass a funding deal by the end of the year. Republicans who take this view argue it would clear the way for President-elect Donald Trump to focus on his agenda in his first 100 days, rather than dealing with last year's spending battle.
But House Speaker Mike Johnson has said it is more likely they will pass another funding extension into the "first part" of 2025.
"I think that would ultimately be a good move because the country would benefit from it because then you'd have Republican control and we'd have a little more say in what those spending bills are," he told Fox News Sunday in mid-November.
Defense policy
Congress approves a national defense policy bill every year that lays out how much money goes to the U.S. armed services.
The GOP-led House passed a version of this legislation in June that was laden with conservative priorities targeting Pentagon abortion policy, climate change initiatives and more. Democrats in the Senate would not agree to it.
The House and Senate Armed Services Committees are now expected to release a compromise bill soon that could get support from both parties. But they still have to make a deal on a total spending amount that stays within the bounds of a larger budget deal brokered in 2023 by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden.
Congress has passed the defense bill, dubbed the National Defense Authorization Act, every year for more than six decades.
Natural disaster aid
Biden asked Congress last month to approve nearly $100 billion in emergency funding to help it respond to several natural disasters.
The request included $40 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide aid in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which caused catastrophic damage in Florida and several other states across the Southeast in September and October.
Additional funding would be used to respond to other emergencies, such as last year’s devastating wildfires in Maui, tornadoes across the Midwest and the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in March.
There is bipartisan support for additional aid, especially from lawmakers from the southeast that were hard-hit by hurricanes. Leaders from both parties have said they want to pass a package. Still, divisions over how much to spend on which programs may make it challenging to approve in the final weeks of the year.
What happens during a government shutdown?
During a government shutdown, federal employees who are classified as "nonessential" are sent home and paid once the government reopens. "Essential" workers – those necessary to keep the most crucial elements of the federal government functioning – would keep working and receive their pay.
Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits are considered essential and would continue, though it might be harder to get through to representatives for assistance during a shutdown. Other key benefit programs, such as military veterans programs and food programs would also continue.
The U.S. military and federal law enforcement agencies including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and prison staff, as well as the Secret Service, Coast Guard and border security agents would also keep working.
National parks and monuments would close to the public, and it may be harder to get other government services, like assistance with passports and visas, during a closure. Child care programs like Head Start would be left without funding.
Airport security and air traffic controllers would keep working, but there could be airline delays due to absenteeism.
Michael Collins contributed to this report.
(This story has been updated with more information.)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What to know about the spending fight ahead in Congress