Divided House Under Pressure With Bipartisan Approach By Senate Over Short-Term Funding

Short-term funding

The political fight over short-term funding continues in Washington as House Republicans load up their government funding packages with conservative policy priorities and deep spending cuts. It is a move to placate the conservative wing of the GOP.

This latest move over short-term funding has drawn the ire of the Democrats. They have branded their Republican colleagues as bigoted and extreme. They have also backed out of supporting the watered-down legislation on short-term funding.

The differences within Congress are rather glaring this time around. It has led to a chasm between both chambers that will be difficult to fill. This engulfing chaos threatens to pull down America into another round of shutdowns. The shutdown due to a consensus over short-term spending could start as early as this month as funding from 2022 expires.

House Republicans have proposed a plan that will ensure short funding but have included measures to strengthen border security. The proposal is sure to die a premature death within the Republican camp. A small group of 6 GOP members drawn from both the right-wing and centrist camps proposed a deal over short-term funding that they hope will garner support from the conservatives in both houses.

Leaders Refuse To Budge On Short-Term Funding Stand

But the move on short funding has drawn the ire of both the conservative camp within the Republicans and the Democrats who have responded with scorn at the short-term funding proposal. Leaders from both chambers are refusing to backtrack on their stand on short-term spending. Billions of dollars in government programs are in danger of shutting down, including military aid to Ukraine and backup funds for disaster recovery.

The Senate move on short-term funding is being helmed by Senator Patty Murray from the Democratic camp and Senator Susan Collins from the Republican. They have crafted 12 individual funding bills and have urged leaders from both parties to shield the short-term funding plans from policy riders that would be unacceptable to the other party.