What’s in — and out of — the latest House funding bill

Summary

House Speaker Mike Johnson introduced a continuing resolution to fund the government until December 20th, avoiding a shutdown. This marks his second attempt after the first proposal failed. The resolution maintains fiscal 2024 budget levels with no new spending and excludes the SAVE Act, which required citizenship proof for 2024 elections. It includes $231 million for the Secret Service but omits previous disaster relief and Veteran Affairs funding, which will be revisited in December. The bill also extends healthcare provisions for the VA and improves disaster response funding access.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ Speaker Mike Johnson introduced a proposal to prevent a government shutdown by extending funding until December 20th.
• 📉 The continuing resolution maintains current spending levels without additional federal spending, as agreed upon in the fiscal 2024 budget.
• 🔄 This is Johnson's second attempt at a funding agreement after his first proposal failed in the House.
• 🚫 The new resolution excludes the SAVE Act, which was previously included to satisfy hard-line House Republicans.
• 🗳️ The SAVE Act would have required proof of citizenship for 2024 election voters, but it is not part of the new proposal.
• 💵 The bill includes an additional $231 million for the Secret Service to protect presidential candidates ahead of the election.
• 💼 Previous allocations for disaster relief and Veteran Affairs are not included in this shorter proposal due to the time frame, but are expected to be finalized in December.
• 🏥 The continuing resolution extends several healthcare provisions for the VA and allows quicker access to disaster response funds.
• 🤝 Johnson calls for traditional Republicans to break with MAGA extremists to keep the government open and meet American needs.
• 💼 House leaders emphasize the finite resources and the need to replace assets, highlighting the strain on current funding.

Q & A

What is the purpose of House Speaker Mike Johnson's proposal?

The purpose of the proposal is to keep the government funded past the shutdown deadline by extending current spending levels.

Until when does the continuing resolution proposed by Mike Johnson aim to extend the current spending levels?

The continuing resolution aims to extend the current spending levels until December 20th.

What was the fate of Mike Johnson's initial proposal for funding agreement?

Mike Johnson's initial proposal for a funding agreement died on the house floor.

What does the three-month continuing resolution proposed by Johnson entail?

The three-month continuing resolution extends government funding levels agreed upon in the fiscal 2024 budget without any additional spending for the federal government.

What was the SAVE Act and why was it omitted from the new continuing resolution?

The SAVE Act was previously included to appease hard-line House Republicans and required proof of citizenship for those voting in the 2024 election. It was omitted from the new continuing resolution.

What is the stance of the proposers regarding the commitment to keeping the government open?

The proposers' commitment remains the same, but they are calling for traditional Republicans to break with MAGA extremists and partner with them to keep the government open and meet the needs of the American people.

What additional funding was agreed upon for the Secret Service in the continuing resolution?

The continuing resolution includes a provision allocating an additional $231 million to the Secret Service to protect presidential candidates ahead of the election.

Why was increased funding for the Secret Service included in the bill?

The increased funding for the Secret Service was included to show the math of stretching finite resources to their maximum and the need to replace these assets.

What provisions from the previous bill are not included in the shorter proposal?

The shorter proposal does not include provisions for disaster relief and Veteran Affairs that were present in the previous bill.

Why are the provisions for disaster relief and Veteran Affairs not included in the shorter proposal according to House GOP sources?

House GOP sources say these provisions are not included because of the shorter time frame of the bill, and that funding for these areas will be finalized in December.

What healthcare extensions does the continuing resolution include for the VA?

The continuing resolution includes a number of healthcare extensions for the VA and allows for faster access to funds for disaster response.