A
jogger
runs
by
the
U.S.
Capitol
as
the
deadline
to
avert
a
partial
government
shutdown
approaches
at
the
end
of
the
day
on
Capitol
Hill in Washington,
U.S.,
September
30,
2023.
Ken
Cedeno
|
Reuters
Congressional
leaders
announced
a
$1.59
trillion
deal
on
top-line
spending
Sunday
as
the
government
races
to
avoid
a
potential
shutdown.
The
deal
establishes
an
overall
spending
budget
of
$1.59
trillion
for
the
2024
fiscal
year,
allocating
$886
billion
to
military
spending
and
$704
billion
for
non-defense
spending,
said
Republican
House
Speaker
Mike
Johnson
of
Louisiana
said
in
a
Sunday
note.
“After
many
weeks
of
dialogue
and
debate,
we
have
secured
hard-fought
concessions
to
unlock
the
FY
24
topline
numbers
and
allow
the
Appropriations
Committee
to
finally
begin
negotiating
and
completing
the
twelve
annual
appropriations
bills,”
he
wrote.
The
deal
comes
as
the
House
and
Senate
inch
closer
to
a
key
Jan.19
deadline,
when
funding
runs
out
for
many
federal
agencies.
Funding
for
the
rest
of
the
government
expires
on
Feb.
2.
While
the
deal
paves
the
way
for
a
potential
funding
decision,
and
signals
that
both
Johnson
and
Schumer
are
working
in
unison,
a
shutdown
isn’t
out
of
the
question
as
parties
continue
to
clash
over
key
policy
issues.
“”The
framework
agreement
to
proceed
will
enable
the
appropriators
to
address
many
of
the
major
challenges
America
faces
at
home
and
abroad,”
wrote
Senate
Majority
Leader
Chuck
Schumer
(D-N.Y.)
and
House
Minority
Leader
Hakeem
Jeffries
(D-N.Y.)
in
a
Sunday
letter.
“It
will
also
allow
us
to
keep
the
investments
for
hardworking
American
families
secured
by
the
legislative
achievements
of
President
Biden
and
Congressional
Democrats.”
Johnson
acknowledged
that
the
spending
levels
would
“not
satisfy”
all
parties,
or
cut
as
much
as
many
had
hoped
for,
but
offers
a
way
to
“move
the
process
forward;
2)
reprioritize
funding
within
the
topline
towards
conservative
objectives,
instead
of
last
year’s
Schumer-Pelosi
omnibus;
and
3)
fight
for
the
important
policy
riders
included
in
our
House
FY24
bills.”
Some
of
the
concessions
made
include
a
$10-billion
cut
to
IRS
mandatory
funding
under
the
inflation
Reduction
Act
and
a
$6.1
billion
of
the
“COVID-era
slush
funds.”
In
a
separate
statement,
Schumer
and
Jeffries
said
the
deal
allocates
$772.7
billion
toward
non-defense
discretionary
funding,
aimed
at
safeguarding
“key
domestic
priorities
like
veterans
benefits,
health
care
and
nutrition
assistance
from
the
draconian
cuts
sought
by
right-wing
extremists.”
The
coming
weeks
represent
the
first
major
test
of
Johnson’s
ability
to
govern
as
speaker.
They
come
after
a
year
during
which
the
GOP-controlled
House
passed
just
27
bills
that
became
laws.
This
number
reflects
a
historically
unproductive
rate,
halfway
through
the
118th
Congress.
And
Johnson’s
task
is
complicated
by
a
shrinking
majority.
Louisiana
Republican
House
Majority
Leader
Steve
Scalise’s
absence
from
Washington
shrinks
the
GOP
margin
to
just
one
vote,
meaning
any
spending
deal
will
require
Democratic
votes.
This
makes
it nearly
impossible
for
House Republicans to
pass
government
spending
bills
along
party
lines
because
hardliners
in
the
caucus
are
all
but
assured
to
oppose
anything
that
does
not
contain
drastic
cuts.
Scalise’s
absence
follows
the
ousting
of
GOP
Rep.
George
Santos
of
New
York
late
last
year,
and
the
departure
of Johnson’s predecessor,
Former
House
Speaker
Kevin
McCarthy
of
California,
whose
resignation
was
effective
Dec.
31.
In
a
statement
released
Sunday,
President
Joe
Biden
seemed
to
approve
of
the
deal
and
the
progress
it
makes
toward
averting
a
shutdown,
while
taking
into
account
funding
levels
negotiated
last
year.
“Now,
congressional
Republicans
must
do
their
job,
stop
threatening
to
shut
down
the
government,
and
fulfill
their
basic
responsibility
to
fund
critical
domestic
and
national
security
priorities,
including
my
supplemental
request,”
he
said.
“It’s
time
for
them
to
act. “
