President Joe Biden signed the H.R. 2872 stopgap spending bill Friday, steering the country away from a government shutdown that would have kicked in at midnight.
Lawmakers now have more time to develop appropriations bills, since funding provided in the legislation will last through March. As future funding hangs in the balance, many may be wondering what exactly is in the stopgap measure.
Here is what you need to know
According to the White House, the “Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024” provides fiscal year 2024 appropriations to Federal agencies for continuing projects and activities funded in four of the 12 annual appropriations bills through March 1, 2024.”
Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas) said these four bills are: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.
“Today’s short-term extension of funding provides critical protections and programs that people across our community and country rely on,” said Fletcher. “While I supported this resolution, I hope that, moving forward, House Republicans will work in good faith with House Democrats to fund our government in a responsible manner on a sustained basis. It did not, and does not, need to be this way,” she added, referring to tension over government spending that has slowed approval of the bills in Congress.
Funding for the remaining eight bills will last a bit longer, through March 8. These are: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Defense; Financial Services and General Government; Homeland Security; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Legislative Branch; and State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.
With the stopgap legislation signed, Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts have been delayed, and authorizations for community health centers, the National Health Service Corps and Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education have been extended through March 8, according to the American Hospital Association.
What people are saying
“It’s good news for every American, especially our veterans, parents and children, farmers and small businesses, all of whom would have felt the sting of a shutdown,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) of the bill in an X post.
However, as Fletcher noted, not everyone is happy that the legislation passed.
“I am disappointed in Congress for not coming together to solve fiscal year 2024 spending, which we are already months into,” said Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah) in a statement. “I voted no on this continuing resolution because we should stay in Washington and get our work done, not pave a path for trillions of dollars in spending that will be crafted behind closed doors.”
Axios also reported that members of the far-right Freedom Caucus “may begin to routinely hijack Republican messaging bills as an act of retaliation against House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.),” for working on bipartisan deals to pass spending bills. NPR noted that the “wafer thin Republican majority” in the House is one of the main reasons why the full suite of spending bills hasn’t moved forward in Congress.
According to that outlet, Johnson insists the extension will give him time to pursue conservative policies in those bills.
“Because the completion deadlines are upon us, a short continuing resolution is required to complete what House Republicans are working hard to achieve: an end to governance by omnibus, meaningful policy wins, and better stewardship of American tax dollars,” said Johnson in a statement issued last week.