House leaders unveil bill to avert government shutdown with extra funding for Secret Service
House leaders unveiled their new bill Sunday aimed at avoiding a government shutdown at the end of the month and funding the government through Dec. 20.
The House is expected to vote Wednesday on the resolution to keep the house clean for about three months, according to GOP leadership advisers.
Here is what the bill contains:
$231 million extra for US secret services
Since the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, lawmakers from both parties have been calling for more funding and resources for the Secret Service. The additional aid is limited to meeting the agency’s needs for the 2024 campaign, including protecting candidates.
No additional disaster aid
The bill does, however, provide funds to shore up FEMA.
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced his plan to the GOP conference in a letter to his colleagues Sunday.
“Everyone’s comments and ideas have been very helpful, and next week the House will take the lead and pass a clean three-month CR to prevent the Senate from loading us up with a bill loaded with billions of dollars in new spending and unrelated provisions. Our legislation will be a very narrow and minimalist CR, including only the extensions that are absolutely necessary,” Johnson said in the letter.
Johnson admits that shutting down the government before a presidential election would be “an act of malfeasance.”
“Although this is not our preferred solution, it is the most prudent path in the current circumstances,” he said.
The President concluded his letter by saying: “Between now and Election Day, I will continue my tireless efforts and single-minded focus on expanding our majority for the 119th Congress. It is a great honor for me to serve alongside you in these historic days. The future of our great nation depends directly on our success, and I am confident that together we will prevail!”
The House leadership’s announcement comes after the House last week failed to pass a six-month-old resolution that included the SAVE Act, which would have required proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. Democrats have argued that noncitizen voting is already illegal and voted against the funding plan.
Former President Trump had called on Republicans to shut down the government if the election security bill didn’t pass. But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “It would be politically stupid for us to do it right before the election because we would certainly be held accountable for it.”
In a statement released moments after Johnson unveiled his new funding proposal, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he was “pleased” that negotiations had resulted in “a deal without poison pills.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement that House Democrats will “collectively evaluate” the spending legislation this week.
“Congress is on a bipartisan path to avoid a government shutdown,” Jeffries said.
However, Schumer criticized Johnson for his previous proposals, which delayed passage of a short-term funding bill.
Congress will now have just over a week to vote on the new proposal before funding runs out.
“If both parties continue to work in good faith, I am hopeful that we can complete work on the CR this week, well ahead of the September 30 deadline. The key to completing our work this week will be bipartisan cooperation, in both chambers,” Schumer said.
