Senate Republican Whip John Thune said Congress may need to pass a short-term government funding bill – known as a continuing resolution – into the “March timeframe” in order to allow lawmakers enough time to process the 12 outstanding appropriations bills and avoid a shutdown.
The chamber’s no. 2 Republican said it’s “unrealistic” to think Congress can get that work done ahead of two fast approaching deadlines, in part because congressional leadership only this week agreed to topline funding levels and appropriators are now beginning the difficult task of negotiating the individual bills that fund different parts of the government.
“We ought to allow some time to do some work on the other bills and, if there is a CR, maybe in the March timeframe,” he told reporters when asked if a CR would be needed.
This session began in 2023.
Right. I keep forgetting that. Was there significant tangible legislation passed between 2021 and 2023 then?
Big items were the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. There are other minor acts like making Juneteenth a federal holiday and the repeal of DOMA.
I would want it to be more liberal, but that requires more liberal people in Congress.