Bill to Avoid Shutdown Into Early December

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said he supports passing a stopgap spending bill in late September that lasts until early December, paving the way for a potential bipartisan agreement to avoid a government shutdown after Sept. 30.

“Early December makes sense,” Schumer told reporters on a conference call.

Schumer’s comments come after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) told his colleagues that he told Schumer at a meeting before Congress recessed for August that such a continuing resolution couldn’t last past early December. The goal would be to avoid a partisan standoff ahead of Congress’ planned recess for Christmas.

Schumer said a stopgap bill would give senior lawmakers time to consider bipartisan funding bills for the rest of the fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1.

Schumer urged House Republicans to “emulate” the Senate. The Senate Appropriations Committee had signed off on all spending bills with bipartisan support before the recess. The chamber has passed none, though Schumer said he planned to put some on the floor for votes.

House Republicans passed their Military Construction-VA spending bill— one of the 12 annual funding measures — before leaving for August recess.

The debt-limit deal enacted earlier this summer would automatically cut all discretionary spending by 1% if Congress relies on a stopgap measure to fund any portion of the government beyond Dec. 31. That provision makes any late-December theatrics — which have become common in recent years — more risky than usual.

“We hope that our House Republicans will realize that any funding resolution has to be bipartisan or they will risk shutting down the government,” Schumer said.

Schumer also endorsed the Biden administration’s request for an additional $12 billion for Hawaii in the wake of historic wildfires on the island of Maui. But he didn’t commit to putting those funds in the stopgap that has to pass by the end of September.

“I’m not going to get into the details as we negotiate,” Schumer said. “We want to get a supplemental done as quickly as possible.”