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In a race against time to prevent a government shutdown, Congress unveiled a sprawling funding bill late Tuesday.
The 1,500-plus-page package, designed to extend funding until March 14, comes with significant policy add-ons and, notably, the removal of a long-standing provision blocking automatic congressional pay raises.
Funding Extension and Key Provisions
The bipartisan legislation delays the December 20 shutdown deadline, buying the incoming Congress and administration time to address long-term funding issues.
However, the package is far from a simple stopgap measure. It includes approximately $100 billion in disaster relief, $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers, $2 billion for the Small Business Administration, and significant allocations for FEMA, which has faced recent funding shortfalls.
Agricultural aid was a contentious point in negotiations, with some Republicans threatening to withhold support if economic assistance for farmers was excluded. The package ultimately includes billions in disaster relief and economic support for the agriculture sector, along with a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill.
The bill also contains health care provisions, such as reforms to the pharmaceutical benefit manager industry, extensions for Medicare telehealth flexibilities, and reauthorizations addressing pandemics and the opioid crisis. Additionally, it includes funding for the replacement of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, a project highlighted by Democrats.
Congressional Pay Raises
A controversial aspect of the bill is the elimination of a provision that has blocked automatic pay raises for Congress since 2009.
This decision effectively grants lawmakers a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) tied to changes in the Employment Cost Index. The adjustment will now occur annually unless Congress reinstates the block.
Critics within the GOP have condemned this move, viewing it as a self-serving measure slipped into a must-pass bill.
House Republicans, already critical of the bill’s complexity and rushed timeline, expressed outrage over the inclusion of the pay raise. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who led negotiations for Republicans, defended the overall package as necessary to avoid a shutdown but faced backlash from conservatives across the ideological spectrum.
GOP Concerns Over Timing and Spending
The bill’s size, timing, and lack of offsets have drawn fire from fiscal conservatives.
House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) acknowledged that offsets for the added spending were not included, a decision likely to frustrate those advocating for spending cuts elsewhere.
Republicans like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) criticized the package as a bloated “year-end omnibus,” while others decried its rushed rollout and lack of transparency.
Defense hawks have also raised concerns about the funding freeze’s impact on the Pentagon, while some Republicans worry the three-month extension will delay action on key priorities during President-elect Donald Trump’s first months in office.
Bipartisan Support Amid Divisions
Despite internal GOP discord, the deal has garnered support from Democrats. House Appropriations Committee ranking member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) praised the package for its investments in disaster relief and infrastructure, emphasizing its benefits for communities nationwide.
As the House prepares to vote on the bill by Friday, it remains uncertain how the pay raise provision will impact Republican support. If passed, the Senate must act swiftly to send the legislation to President Biden’s desk before the funding deadline.