Senate Sends Funding Package To Biden

On Friday night, the Senate approved a comprehensive six-bill funding package, totaling $459 billion, which is now headed to President Joe Biden’s desk. This timely approval averted a potential partial government shutdown after midnight.

With a vote of 75-22, the Senate passed the measure after addressing several failed Republican amendments. The funding package addresses budgets for numerous federal departments and independent agencies responsible for sectors such as transportation, energy, housing, agriculture, and veterans programs.

This legislative success, achieved after a day marked by partisan disputes over Republican amendment requests, marks Congress’ first effective move to fund the government more than five months into the fiscal year. It concludes a tumultuous round of spending negotiations delayed by internal conflicts among House Republicans.

Facing a deadline of March 22, appropriators and congressional leaders now aim to finalize a more extensive second spending package covering approximately 70% of the government. This includes funding for crucial areas such as the military, health, education, and labor programs.

Senator Patty Murray, Chair of the Senate Appropriators, expressed confidence on Friday night that Congress can pass the remaining dozen funding bills, emphasizing the importance of leaving far-right extremism out of the negotiation process.

The deliberations over Republican amendments, which extended up to the midnight deadline, underscore the potential for negotiations on the bills to face challenges. The Senate rejected provisions targeting earmarks and the inclusion of undocumented immigrants in population counts for congressional seat distribution, among other proposed adjustments.

While the first funding package was deemed a comparatively straightforward task, the true test lies in finalizing negotiations on the second batch of six funding bills. This will determine if Congress can conclusively resolve the funding battle that contributed to the removal of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year.