Congress is racing toward a Friday shutdown deadline, with leaders putting the finishing touches on the final funding package for fiscal 2024 amid uncertainty about the timeline for passing the legislation.
Funding for the departments of Homeland Security, Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and State; the Internal Revenue Service; and general government and foreign operations could lapse Saturday morning, leaving lawmakers with little time to get the package to President Biden’s desk.
House Republicans have demanded at least 72 hours to review any bills before voting — though it’s unclear if leadership will adhere to that rule — and Senate procedure could draw out the consideration process into the weekend.
Legislative text for the six bills could be released Wednesday.
What are colleagues saying? The proposal comes with risks:
GOP spending hawks bash Speaker Johnson’s minibus
Johnson, Biden risk blowback from all sides on government funding deal
At the same time, Israel has reemerged as a topic of discussion in the Capitol, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Senate Republicans by video during their weekly lunch and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) floated inviting Netanyahu to address Congress.
Follow along for live updates below.
Goldman on Johnson’s hypothetical invite to Netanyahu: ‘I don’t have a problem as long as he does not snub the president’
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) said he did not have a problem with the possibility of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu being invited to address Congress as long as he does not “snub” President Biden.
Goldman said he would welcome Netanyahu to address “concerns” regarding his leadership that had been in question before the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas that killed over 1,200 people.
“I would welcome him to come,” Goldman said Wednesday. “I would like to hear what he has to say. I think that a number of people do have real concerns about his leadership that predates October 7. And we’d like to understand what his plan is and what he hopes to do. But I don’t have a problem with it as long as he does not snub the president like he did with President Obama.
A range of options are being discussed for the Israeli leader to speak with members. One of the options includes doing a joint session, a source familiar with the matter said Wednesday. The possibility of him addressing lawmakers was brought up during the House GOP’s closed-door conference meeting on Wednesday morning, according to the source.
— Filip Timoija
Greene: ‘I am so tired’ of Trump VP questions
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said she is tired of being asked if she will be former President Trump’s vice presidential pick.
“Oh my god, just call the president,” Greene told reporters on Wednesday. “I am so tired of this question. Okay, while I’m ranting, I’m just gonna tell y’all, President Trump’s gonna pick his vice president. And it’s probably not the name, maybe might be one of the names that y’all have heard floated but it might not be, could be totally someone completely different.”
Greene said Trump’s running mate could be somebody who has been previously mentioned in media reports, like South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), but there is a possibility of somebody not mentioned before getting the nod.
The Georgia Republican said that whenever Trump talks about the topic, he says he is currently dedicated to the campaign and its success in 2024.
“Every time I heard the President talk about this issue, he keeps saying I’m just focused on winning,” Greene said. “I’m focused on winning. I’m focusing on my campaign right now. So I don’t even really have an answer for you.”
— Filip Tomatija
Jayapal says Johnson’s hypothetical invite to Netanyahu is ‘playing politics’ with Middle East
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) lambasted House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for the prospect of inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress.
“If he [Johnson] does, it is part of this playing politics with the Middle East. And I think that’s really unfortunate. Because it’s all in response to Schumer, so we’ll see if that actually happened,” Jayapal told The Hill.
Jayapal was referencing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) recent criticism of Netantyahu. In a speech last week, the New York Democrat called for new elections in Israel and slammed Netanyahu as an obstacle to peace.
She applauded Schumer’s speech, calling it “very important” “in terms of his relationship to Israel.”
Schumer is the highest ranking Jewish elected official in U.S. history.
— Miranda Nazzaro
Khanna: ‘Shame we would play politics’ with Israel
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) on Wednesday criticized Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) floating an invite to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress.
“I think it’s a shame that we would play politics with that relationship when the focus should be ending the war,” Khanna said on Wednesday.
A source familiar with the matter said a range of options are being discussed for Netanyahu to speak with lawmakers, including a joint session of Congress. The prospect was brought up in the House GOP’s closed-door conference meeting Wednesday morning, the source said.
“It’s one of the things that we have in mind, and we may try to arrange for that,” Johnson said.
Khanna said the possibility of Netanyahu addressing Congress could be “divisive for the US-Israel relationship at this moment until there’s an end to the war.”
— Filip Timotija
DHS negotiator hoping for funding package text ‘late tonight’
Rep. Henry Cuellar (Texas), the top Democrat on the appropriations subcommittee that crafts Department of Homeland Security funding, says he hopes the funding package will drop later on Wednesday — but warned it could be later.
“We’re hoping late tonight, but it could go into the early hours of Thursday,” he said, adding that members are pushing for a House vote on Friday.
— Aris Folley
Head of Dem Caucus promises votes to pass minibus
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), chair of the Democratic Caucus, said Democrats are poised to line up in support of the “minibus” spending package, all but ensuring it will have the votes to pass when it hits the floor later in the week.
“Many of us are waiting to see the details and the text. … But based on what we have heard from our leadership team, and ranking member [Rosa] DeLauro [D-Conn.], we look forward to putting up votes to pass this minibus,” Aguilar told reporters in the Capitol.
He said Democrats scored substantial wins in the package, including funding for child care and the elimination of a vast majority of the conservative policy riders Republicans had sought on radioactive issues like abortion and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
“Those are some of the key wins and priorities,” Aguilar said.
— Mike Lillis
California Republican says spending package ‘not perfect,’ but ‘good enough’
GOP Rep. Mike Garcia (Calif.) is looking ahead toward next year’s fiscal budget, arguing that while the spending package is “not perfect,” it is satisfactory enough to vote for and move on to the fiscal 2025 budget.
“We all know it’s not perfect but in my opinion, it’s good enough to vote for and then move to FY 2025,” he told reporters Wednesday. “As an appropriator, we’re already starting FY 2025 budget negotiations and that’s where our focus needs to be so that we avoid this type of scenario a year from now.”
—Miranda Nazzaro
Paul vows to hold up government funding
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) says he will hold up the $1 trillion minibus package that needs to pass by Friday to avoid a partial government shutdown.
“I will hold it up primarily because we’re bankrupt, and it’s a terrible idea to keep spending money at this rate,” he said.
“The spending bills before us will lead to a $1.5 trillion deficit for the year. We’re borrowing about $1 trillion every three months. It’s an alarming pace of accumulation of debt.
“My opposition to this will be based how much” the package will add to $34.5 trillion U.S. debt.”
Asked if he would delay the six-bill spending package into or past the weekend, Paul made a shrug emoji-type gesture to signal that remains to be seen.
— Alex Bolton
Johnson on 72-hour rule: ‘We’re talking about how to expedite it’
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday would not commit to waiving the 72-hour rule for the government funding package, but said discussions are underway over how to “expedite” the consideration process.
“We’re having thoughtful discussion in the conference,” Johnson said when asked if he has made a decision on waiving the rule.
“The Republican Party believes in the idea that you review legislation before you vote on it, and the 72-hour custom, tradition, is something we maintain,” he added. “I’m a rule-follower, and I believe in that idea. We’re also up against a crunch of the weekend and some members on both sides of the aisle have, you know, will be traveling and that kind of thing. So we’re talking about how to expedite it as soon as possible but also allow all the members to have an adequate time to review the legislation. We think that text can be out here very soon and they can begin that process,” he added.
Johnson, however, also said he does not think Congress will have to pass a continuing resolution to prevent a lapse in funding come Friday, a statement that suggests he will waive the 72-hour rule to quicken the consideration process.
House conservatives have demanded that leadership provide lawmakers with at least 72 hours to review the text of legislation before voting on the House floor. It was a key request during last year’s drawn-out Speaker’s race that landed former Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) with the gavel.
But as Congress finds itself racing the clock to avert a partial shutdown by Friday’s midnight deadline, speculation is abound that leadership may waive the rule to speed up consideration. Lawmakers are still awaiting legislative text.
— Mychael Schnell
Johnson: ‘I don’t think we’ll need a CR’
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he does not think Congress will have to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to stave off a shutdown at the end of this week, as lawmakers wrap up consideration of a government funding package.
“I don’t think we’ll need a CR,” Johnson told reporters at a press conference Wednesday, adding that it is his “hope” the appropriations process will be wrapped up by Friday.
Congress is racing the clock to pass a sprawling government funding package by the Friday-at-midnight deadline to stave off a partial government shutdown. Consideration of the legislation, however, could be dragged out into the weekend, which would trigger a lapse in funding.
Asked after the press conference if the House will vote on the bill Friday or Saturday, Johnson replied, “we’ll have to see, I don’t know yet.”
He said the vote timing depends on when the text for the package is released, which is expected Wednesday.
— Mychael Schnell
Good doesn’t ‘need 72 hours’ to know he’s voting against funding deal
Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good (R-Va.) said Wednesday that he doesn’t need 72 hours to know he’s against the government funding deal struck by GOP and Democratic leadership ahead of Friday’s shutdown deadline.
He said the GOP-led House “ought” to abide by its rule allowing members at least three days to read and consider legislation going through regular order before its brought to the floor for a vote.
But he added, “I don’t think I need 72 hours to be against the bill.”
“If you’re trying to get a yes and be for the bill, then gosh, it’s, again, 2,000 pages,” he said. “How you going to read 2,000 pages in 24 hours or even 48 hours, 72 hours is a challenge.”
“So, I can’t imagine a member who was planning to vote for the bill and wanted to vote for the bill wouldn’t require that amount of time.”
— Aris Folley
Johnson expects spending bill text to be released Wednesday
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters he expects the text of the spending package to be released Wednesday.
When asked if he has any idea if he will get the text of the bill out Wednesday, he told reporters, “We expect so.”
His answer comes amid pressure from House GOP members to review the bill at least 72 hours before voting as they race against a looming shutdown deadline later this week.
— Miranda Nazzaro
Elsewhere on Capitol Hill: Democrats bash GOP’s Hunter Biden hearing
Democrats offered early criticism of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s Hunter Biden hearing, accusing Republicans of relying on two witnesses with little insight into his business activities while ignoring testimony countering their goals.
“Republicans are attempting to erase exculpatory testimony from nearly 20 witnesses, instead depending on two discredited witnesses with significant ties to Donald Trump and his allies — and even they cannot provide evidence of wrongdoing,” House Oversight Democrats wrote in a memo released before the hearing began.
Republicans invited two witnesses sure to be antagonistic to Biden: his short-lived business associate Tony Bobulinski, whom Biden has requested an investigation into, as well as Jason Galanis, who is incarcerated on fraud charges and whom Biden says he has met one time.
Both had limited involvement with Biden.
Bobulinski was not ultimately involved in any Biden business deals but has suggested an email referencing funds held “the big guy” were a reference to the president.
Biden has said he only met Galanis briefly a decade ago.
“Both Bobulinski and Galanis sought to do business with Hunter Biden because they wanted to use the Biden name to advance their own business interests. Neither Bobulinski nor Galanis’s business ventures with Hunter Biden ever even made it off the ground,” Democrats wrote.
— Rebecca Beitsch
Johnson outlines GOP wins in minibus
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) outlined GOP wins in the yet-to-be released spending package during the closed-door Republican conference meeting, according to a source.
Johnson said the Department of Homeland Security portion of the package increases the number of beds at Immigration and Customs Enforcement to 42,000 — an increase from the 34,000 in fiscal 2023. He also said the bill funds 22,000 agents and includes a 20 percent cut to nongovernmental organizations.
Additionally, Johnson said the minibus includes a troop pay increase, cuts to diversity, equity and inclusion programs, cuts to Pentagon climate programs, and a 6 percent cut to foreign aid programs. And he previewed that the legislation does not fund UNRWA, only allows the U.S. flag to be flown over U.S. diplomatic facilities, prevents the banning of gas stoves, and leaves the Hyde Amendment in place.
— Mychael Schnell
House Republicans, Dems meet behind closed doors
House Republicans and Democrats are holding their respective weekly, closed-door meetings Wednesday morning.
Republican leadership could have to contend with anger from their right flank over the yet-to-be unveiled funding package, and may emerge with more answers about the timing of passing the legislation.
Johnson, Biden risk blowback from all sides on government funding deal
President Biden and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) are risking political blowback from the left and the right on a six-bill spending package that lawmakers are scrambling to pass before the government shuts down Saturday.
Congressional aides were still finalizing the text of the deal Tuesday afternoon, but lawmakers say they expect the bill to become public soon and predict it will draw fire from both sides of the political spectrum.
The pushback the legislation faces in both chambers could make it difficult to get to President Biden’s desk by 11:59 p.m. Friday, when funding for a large swath of the federal government will expire.
— Alexander Bolton
GOP spending hawks bash Speaker Johnson’s minibus
House conservatives are railing against the latest spending deal negotiated by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), accusing leadership of ignoring their demands and warning that future generations will be swamped in federal debt.
Their outcry is just the latest headache for Johnson, who has already cut a number of bipartisan funding deals with President Biden and did so again this week, announcing an agreement on the last six spending bills of fiscal 2024 ahead of Friday’s government shutdown deadline.
Johnson’s endorsement acknowledges the political realities of governing in a divided Washington, where Democrats control both the White House and Senate, and any major legislation requires bipartisan compromise.
Yet those hard truths have done little to placate the spending hawks of the GOP conference, who have pressed the Speaker to hold the line on deficits even if it means shutting down the government, and are thundering again this week against the final tranche of 2024 funding bills.
“We are back in Ryan-Boehner swamp mode where the omnibus is written behind closed doors,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said Tuesday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Members are told to take it or leave it, and although Republicans control the House, more Democrats vote for it than Republicans because it spends more money than when [former Speaker Nancy] Pelosi [D-Calif.] was in charge.”
— Mychael Schnell and Mike Lillis