Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Update

Crisis averted…for now. Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) yesterday that keeps the federal government funded through November 17. The CR includes an additional $16B for the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund, but no additional funding for Ukraine. The bill also reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration (through December 31) and the National Flood Insurance Program (through November 17), and includes the Animal Drug User Fee Amendments of 2023 and some public health and child and family services programs extenders. The new funding deadline expires right before the House and Senate are scheduled to recess for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The House passed the measure by a vote of 335 to 91. Ninety Republicans and one Democrat voted against the measure. The lone Democrat to vote against the bill was Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) who called the bill’s lack of funding for Ukraine, “a victory for Putin.” The Senate then took it up and passed it by a vote of 88 to 9. The nine “nay” votes were all from Republicans. The President signed the CR last night enacting it into law.

Funding for Ukraine was left out of the CR even though big majorities in both chambers support sending more money. The White House is preparing to send to Congress a full year supplemental funding request for Ukraine in November. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) secured a commitment from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to hold a vote on Ukraine aid in the near future. Not specific timeline was laid out. The Senate could use the House-passed bill providing $300M in Ukraine funding that was passed as a show-of-confidence vote after the money was stripped out of the House Defense appropriations bill. The Senate could amend this bill, add additional funding for Ukraine, and send it back to the House.

The House was supposed to take a two-week recess beginning October 2. House Republican leaders canceled the planned district recess for the beginning of October and said they will continue to move their own spending bills. They will meet next week to consider the Energy & Water and Legislative Branch appropriations bills on the House floor.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) announced this morning that he will introduce a motion to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from his leadership position. Once the motion to vacate is introduced, the House would have 48 hours to vote on it. Gaetz did not say when he would introduce the motion. Conservative Republicans in the House said they would challenge McCarthy if he relied on Democrats to pass any funding legislation. If they are successful in this effort, Republicans would then need to elect a new Speaker. In any event, this move will eat up valuable floor time that is needed to pass all 12 annual appropriations bills through regular order before the new November 17^th deadline.

Topline Funding Levels by Appropriations Subcommittee