Us Congress Negotiators Reach Deal Stopgap Funding Bill Lawmakers Say 2024 12 17
Reuters1 day
Congress Reaches Tentative Deal to Prevent Government Shutdown
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Above: US House Speaker Mike Johnson (2nd L) speaks alongside House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise (3rd L), House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R), and Rep. Blake Moore (L) on Dec. 17, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Image copyright: Alex Wong/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Congressional negotiators have reached a tentative bipartisan agreement on a stopgap funding bill that would extend government funding through Mar. 14, preventing a shutdown that would otherwise occur at midnight Eastern Standard Time on Friday.
The proposed legislation includes approximately $100B in disaster aid for hurricane and wildfire recovery efforts, along with $10B in economic assistance for farmers and ranchers.
The Spin
Republican narrative
The American people voted for a clear mandate to follow Trump's agenda, focusing on "draining the swamp" and fiscal discipline. The House has been working hard to align with this vision, yet the Democrat-led Senate is pushing a bloated spending bill that contradicts these priorities. Congress is just weeks away from officially carrying out the America First agenda, so it's time for these political games to end.
Democratic narrative
Republicans are the ones causing chaos in the budget bill process, as proven by their delaying of bipartisan judicial legislation until Trump's win, aiming to control future judicial appointments. As for Trump, he's quite literally planning to revive impoundment authority so he can block funds Congress has approved — undermining legislative authority and fostering a dictatorial approach to fiscal management. The new MAGA party is the problem, not the Democrats.
