Congress unveils bill to stave off government shutdown, drawing eye-rolls from GOPers
They want to avoid a nightmare before Christmas.Congressional leaders dropped the text late Tuesday for legislation to stave off a looming government shutdown Friday night and keep the government’s lights on through March 14, 2025, at current spending levels.
In keeping with Congress’ Christmas tradition of a late December scramble, the 1,547-page continuing resolution was chock-full of an assortment of add-ons affecting everything from pharmaceutical policy to $100 billion in disaster relief.The measure also featured tightened restrictions on US investments in China, the green light for the NFL’s Washington Commanders to return to the RFK Stadium site, provisions aimed at the middlemen in drug pricing, a one-year extension of the farm bill, a reauthorization of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems program and more.
Leadership has not yet laid out a clear plan for when the CR will be taken up for a vote.House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has waffled as to whether he will adhere to the soft 72-hour rule intended to give lawmakers time to parse through the text.
Should Johnson stick with the 72-hour rule, then the Senate will be forced to move quickly on Friday in order to prevent a shutdown.A cacophony of Republican lawmakers groaned about the CR, griping over everything from the process to some of the add-ons — including moderate members and the hard-right flank alike.
“Everything I am hearing about the CR thus far leads me to believe that I’ll be voting NO.Republicans are in the majority and yet the Democrats seem to get more of their priorities in than we do,” Rep.
Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) complained on X before the text was released.“This CR is turning into a three-month omnibus, that will result in more Democrats than Republicans voting for it.
The Swamp is using farmers and victims of natural disasters as pawns to fund an over-bloated pet project filled disaster,” Rep.Marjorie Taylore Greene (R-Ga.) griped.
She later struck a more ominous ton...