In a significant development, leaders in Congress have announced a spending deal that could potentially avert another government shutdown. The agreement, revealed by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), outlines a fiscal 2024 budget of $1.59 trillion, with $886 billion allocated for defense and $704 billion for nondefense purposes.
The spending agreement, as outlined by House Speaker Mike Johnson, aligns with the “statutory levels” agreed upon in the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) and sets the stage for negotiations on the 12 annual appropriations bills. The agreement includes several key modifications to the June framework, resulting in over $16 billion in additional spending cuts to offset discretionary spending levels.
While acknowledging that the final spending levels may not satisfy everyone, Speaker Johnson emphasizes that the deal represents progress in championing conservative priorities and achieving real savings for American taxpayers. Notably, the agreement includes further cuts to the Internal Revenue Service and rejects accounting gimmicks from the FRA framework.
The spending agreement has drawn mixed reactions from lawmakers, with both support and dissent emerging from various quarters. The conservative House Freedom Caucus expressed dissatisfaction, criticizing the agreement for not cutting spending as much as desired and characterizing the topline spending figure as a failure.
Representative Chip Roy (R-TX), a member of the Freedom Caucus, highlighted concerns about the caps deal and the ongoing trend of spending more money than the government has. On the other hand, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) expressed encouragement, emphasizing the need to deliver full-year resources to address national security challenges.
Democratic leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), welcomed the spending agreement, particularly highlighting the allocation of $772.7 billion for non-defense discretionary funding. They emphasized the importance of protecting key domestic priorities such as veterans’ benefits, healthcare, and nutrition assistance from harsh cuts sought by right-wing extremists.
Schumer and Jeffries also made it clear that Democrats would not support including poison pill policy changes in any of the appropriations bills. Their statement reflects a desire to ensure that the bills focus on critical domestic and national security priorities, free from any extreme policies.
Joe Biden expressed his support for the spending agreement, applauding the progress made by congressional leaders in preventing a government shutdown. Biden highlighted that the framework aligns with the funding levels negotiated and signed into law last spring.
The President emphasized the rejection of deep cuts to programs relied upon by hardworking families and the provision of a path to passing full-year funding bills that deliver for the American people. Furthermore, Biden called upon congressional Republicans to fulfill their responsibility to fund critical domestic and national security priorities, including his supplemental request.
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