Congress narrowly managed to avert a government shutdown last Thursday after both chambers voted in favor of a short-term stop-gap spending bill a day before the initial Jan. 19 budget deadline, keeping the government funded until early March. President Biden later received the bill for final approval, signing it a day later. The CR, or Continued Resolution, received bipartisan support from both the House and the Senate, clearing both legislatures with a 314-108 vote and a 77-18 vote, respectively.
“Avoiding a shutdown is very good news for the country, for our veterans, for parents and children, and for farmers and small businesses, all of whom would have felt the sting of the government shutdown,” Chuck Schumer, Majority Leader, said on the Senate floor.
The CR (Continued Resolution) pushes back the budget deadlines, extending last year’s budget spending levels from the previous Jan. 19 and Feb. 2 deadlines to the new March. 1 and March. 8 deadlines. Delaying a partial government shutdown to March. 1 and a complete government shutdown starting on March. 8.
“It’s precisely what Americans want to see,” Schumer said, “both sides working together and governing responsibly. No chaos, no spectacle, no shutdown.”
The deal ideally buys Congress enough time to finish all 12 appropriation bills for the fiscal year, avoiding the effects of a government shutdown at least for the time being. This is significant, as a government shutdown would either see America’s millions of federal employees left out of a job or working without pay for that entire period.
According to the National Federation for Federal Employees, one of the many unions that represent government employees, an estimated 2.1 million government employees could see their paychecks delayed, while around 4 million federal contractors are liable not to receive paychecks at all if there is a government shutdown. People reliant on government assistance for survival are also among the most vulnerable to a government shutdown.
“If you think about it, the risk of vital nutrition assistance for nearly 7 million mothers and young children who count on WIC, prevent farmers from being able to access new loans, and delay housing loans for rural families,” Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack said in a September 2023 press brief.
As of now, funding for The U.S. Department of Agriculture, The Department of Transportation, and The Department of Energy, among others, is set to expire on Mar. 1, and the rest of the agencies following suit on Mar. 8.
“And I could go on for some time. But the reality is that when there is a shutdown, we’re looking at a significant disruption of the lives of millions of Americans,” Vilsack said.
Sources Used:
NBC News: Congressional leaders see new hope for a spending deal to prevent a shutdown
CNN: Congressional leaders near deal on overall funding levels but shutdown threat still looms
The Hill: Shutdown risk grows with GOP’s border fury
Forbes: Government Shutdown Deadline Looms For January
NBC News: Congress reaches a deal on how much to spend for 2024 as shutdown deadline nears
CBS News: Senate clears first hurdle in avoiding shutdown, votes to advance short-term spending bill
Washington Post: Congress moves toward preventing government shutdown this weekend
Politico: Senate clears first hurdle to thwart partial government shutdown
CNN: Senate advances short-term funding extension but challenges remain to avert government shutdown
Reuters: Bill to avert government shutdown advances in US Senate
The Hill: Congressional leaders unveil 2-step plan to fend off shutdown
Appropriations.Senate.gov: Murray Releases Text of Continuing Resolution
Vox: Congress averted a shutdown, but the funding fight isn’t over
AP News: Congress votes to avert a shutdown and keep the government funded into early March
ABC News: Biden signs stopgap measure to avoid partial government shutdown
CBS News: Congress approves short-term funding bill to avoid shutdown, sending measure to Biden
Reuters: US Congress passes bill to avert government shutdown, sends it to Biden
NPR: What closes and what keeps running in a federal government shutdown
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
