House GOP’s Stopgap Measure To Prevent Shutdown

In the early hours of Friday, House Republicans unveiled their latest proposal for a short-term spending bill aimed at averting a government shutdown.

This proposal, known as the Spending Reduction and Border Security Act, seeks to extend funding until the conclusion of October.

However, it also includes a provision for sweeping across-the-board cuts of approximately 30 percent. Notably, certain areas, such as national defense, the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security, and designated disaster relief funding, are exempt from these cuts.

The legislation is slated for review by the Rules Committee on Friday morning, after which it could proceed to the floor for a vote.

The key question that remains is whether this bill can garner sufficient support to pass in the House.

There is no anticipation of Democratic support for the measure, leaving Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) with a narrow margin of just four potential Republican defectors if the entire House is present.

However, more than four House Republicans have publicly expressed their reluctance to endorse any short-term spending proposal aimed at preventing a government shutdown. Without a new funding measure, the government is poised to shut down on Sunday.

Even if the bill manages to pass in the House, it faces insurmountable odds in the Democratic-majority Senate, increasing the likelihood of a government shutdown.

This weekend, the Senate is expected to vote on its own short-term measure designed to avert a shutdown. Nevertheless, McCarthy has informed his caucus that he has no intention of bringing this bipartisan proposal to the House floor.

In addition to its short-term funding provisions, the House measure incorporates elements of the party’s hallmark border bill, H.R. 2.

This legislation includes provisions to bolster wall construction, expand the recruitment of border agents, and impose restrictions on asylum access, among other measures.

Furthermore, the bill outlines the creation of a fiscal commission tasked with identifying strategies to achieve a “sustainable debt-to-GDP ratio” and fiscal balance.

This commission would propose adjustments aimed at enhancing the solvency of certain programs, such as Medicare and Social Security.