Lawmakers are still working on an agreement to temporarily fund the government beyond today’s (December 20) shutdown deadline, after opposition from President-elect Donald Trump sank a bipartisan spending agreement and disaster relief package before it could receive a vote. While the bill currently funding the federal government expires at midnight tonight, lawmakers have the weekend to pass an agreement, which would keep the shutdown from impacting federal programs.
The bipartisan spending bill would have extended federal funding through March 14, 2025, and provided over $110 billion in disaster recovery funding for communities impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as other communities still recovering from recent disasters. The bill also contained an extension of the Farm Bill, which funds food and rural housing assistance programs, and provided funding to help states cover the cost of food assistance benefits stolen from low-income families.
House Republicans instead proposed a smaller funding extension bill, which included the disaster aid package and a funding extension through March 14, as well as the Farm Bill extension. However, the bill omitted several policies –including funding to cover the cost of stolen food assistance – that we were central to maintaining Democratic support. At the urging of President-elect Trump, the bill also included a two-year extension of the debt ceiling, which angered conservative Republicans who were already unwilling to vote for either bill due to their hefty price tags.
The slimmed-down proposal received a vote on the House floor on December 19 and was defeated, with a final vote of 174-235. All but two Democrats voted against the bill, as did 38 Republicans.
Take action: contact your members of Congress TODAY and demand they pass a bipartisan spending bill to keep federal programs funded and provide aid to disaster survivors!
NLIHC is calling on advocates to contact their members of Congress TODAY and urge them to pass a bipartisan spending bill and aid for disaster survivors immediately!
Use NLIHC’s Take Action page to contact your members of Congress today and urge them to pass a bipartisan CR with disaster aid immediately!