Congress this week passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) funding the government at current levels through two separate dates in 2024 and included a one-year extension to the 2018 Farm Bill, which expired at the end of FY2023.
Funding for four departments, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), now runs through January 19, 2024, while funding for the remaining eight departments expires on February 2, 2024. The House voted 336-95 and the Senate voted 87-11 to pass the two-step CR. Congress must then fund those departments through the remainder of fiscal year 2024. President Biden signed the CR while in San Francisco for the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
Negotiations regarding the next Farm Bill will continue.
The CR does not include any supplemental funding for Ukraine, Israel, the U.S. southern border, or assistance for recent natural disaster.
As for individual appropriations bills, the House of Representatives has now passed seven bills, including Defense, Energy and Water, Homeland Security, Interior-Environment, Legislative Branch, Military Construction/VA, and State and Foreign Operations.
Most of the bills the House has passed have set spending levels below that of the debt limit and spending deal agreed to by Congress in the White House earlier this year. Those spending differences will need to be reconciled in conference once both chambers pass their appropriations bills.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has laid out a schedule for House consideration of appropriations bills in a letter to the Republican conference, which can be found here. The letter notes that the House will pass all appropriations bills in October/November, continue negotiating FY2024 appropriations in December, and pass the Farm Bill and await Senate action in December. Additionally, the letter lays out House consideration of FY2025 bills, which will begin in May 2024 and the House will not leave for its extended district work period in August unless all 12 appropriations bills have passed.
The Senate last week passed its first three bills, including Agriculture, Military Construction/VA, and Transportation/HUD in a “minibus” bill. It has not considered any other bills beyond the minibus.
Please find the below tracker with updates on the status of House appropriations legislation.
*Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration
- H.R. 4368
- Not agreed to 191-237 (September 28)
*Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
- H.R. 5893
- Has not passed Committee
- Has not received a floor vote
Defense
- H.R. 4365
- PASSED 218-210 (September 28)
Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies
- H.R.4394
- PASSED 210-199 (October 26)
*Financial Services and General Government
- H.R. 4664
- Passed Committee (July 13)
- Has not received a floor vote
- Was debated on the floor the week of November 6
Homeland Security
- H.R.4367
- PASSED 220-208 (September 28)
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
- H.R. 4821
- PASSED 213-203 (November 3)
*Labor, Health and Human Services, Education
- H.R. 5894
- Has not passed Committee
- Has not received a floor vote
- Was debated on the floor this week
Legislative Branch
- H.R. 4364
- PASSED 214-197 (November 1)
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
- H.R. 4366
- PASSED 219-211 (July 27)
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
- H.R. 4665
- PASSED 216-212 (September 28)
*Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
- H.R. 4820
- Passed Committee (July 18)
- Has not received a floor vote
*Has not passed the House floor
