President Joe Biden has confirmed his intention to veto a bill proposed by House Republicans to temporarily fund the government and avoid a shutdown on September 30th.
The fiscal year 2024 is set to end on September 30th, which means that Congress must authorize new spending to ensure the government remains funded and operational. However, both chambers of Congress have yet to pass all 12 appropriations bills required for this process, and there is currently no agreement between them on the contents of these bills.
As a result, it is likely that Congress will need to pass a continuing resolution (CR) that funds the government for a temporary period after the deadline, using funding levels authorized for the previous year.
On September 6th, Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) introduced a continuing resolution on behalf of the House GOP leadership to address this issue.
However, on September 9th, the Biden administration released a statement announcing its plan to veto the bill. The administration cited concerns over the duration of funding, which would extend through to March 2025, and the inclusion of controversial provisions related to federal elections.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) criticized the proposed continuing resolution, noting that it would keep agencies funded at insufficiently low levels for both defense and non-defense sectors for a full six months. Instead, the OMB argued that a short-term stopgap measure should be provided to allow Congress more time to work on full-year bills.
In addition, the Biden administration expressed further concerns regarding national security. They stated that a six-month CR would erode the military advantage relative to China, impede readiness, and fail to provide adequate support to the troops.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) shared a letter with The Epoch Times, expressing the need for a short-term continuing resolution that would allow the appropriations process to be completed within this calendar year.
Congressional Republicans reportedly desire a longer CR, hoping to win the presidency and control of Congress in the upcoming general election, after which they can pass a more fiscally conservative spending bill. Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas) stated, “We’ll fund the government into March… We’re going to give [government spending] to President Trump’s administration to fix.”
The continuing resolution, introduced by Rep. Higgins, includes provisions from the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act. This Act was passed by the House in July and aims to prevent foreign nationals from voting in U.S. elections. Democrats oppose the measure, claiming it would make voter registration more challenging for U.S. citizens, potentially requiring additional documents during the registration process.
The Biden administration criticized this inclusion, contending that it would neither safeguard elections nor facilitate voter registration for eligible Americans. The administration pointed out that states already have effective safeguards in place to verify voter eligibility and maintain the accuracy of voter rolls.
Due to Democrats’ control of the Senate, it is unlikely that Senate Democrats will accept the continuing resolution as introduced by Rep. Higgins, necessitating negotiations between the two chambers to reach a compromise. With only 14 days remaining before the shutdown deadline, Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to find a solution.
In a letter to his colleagues, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer emphasized the need for bipartisan cooperation, as it has been the approach taken with every funding bill in the past. He stated, “That is how we’ve handled every funding bill in the past, and this time should be no exception.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has not released a statement regarding President Biden’s veto pledge, according to his office.