Lawmakers Unveil $1.2 Trillion Government Funding Package to Avoid Shutdown
As a deadline for a potential government shutdown looms at the end of the week, lawmakers on Capitol Hill unveiled a $1.2 trillion government funding package on Thursday. Concerns have been raised regarding a potential short-term lapse in government funding over the weekend.
The legislative text, which is over 1,000 pages, has put the House and Senate under a time crunch to pass the legislation before the deadline. Critical government operations, including departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, need funding by the end of the day on March 22.
The package includes increased funding for Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense. Additionally, the bill provides additional special immigrant visas for Afghans who helped the US and increases funding for Child Care and Head Start programs.
Poison pills, such as cuts to administration salaries and bans on diversity and inclusion programs, have been removed from the bill. Speaker Mike Johnson praised the legislation for strengthening national defense, while top lawmakers on both sides of the aisle express a desire to avoid a partial shutdown.
In early March, Congress passed a package of six bills to fund government agencies for the fiscal year and is now working to pass the latest funding bills. If there is a temporary lapse in federal funding, it is likely to have a limited impact on government operations if funding is restored quickly.
