Jan. 13 (UPI) — Congress on Saturday evening agreed on a short-term spending deal to prevent a potential government shutdown until March.
The deal would keep the government funded until March and avoids Friday’s shutdown deadline, plus a second deadline on Feb. 2. The new government funding deadlines are March 1 and March 7, giving legislators more time to appropriate funding for different departments.
The short-term bill still needs to pass both the House and Senate before Friday to prevent a shutdown.
Congressional leaders last week agreed to a bipartisan topline spending deal that put the spending limit for 2024 at $1.59 trillion, the same as it was last year.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who introduced the topline spending bill, plans to hold calls with fellow House Republicans on Sunday to discuss spending negotiations. Members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus opposed the topline deal, arguing it would put America on the “path to fiscal ruin.”
Johnson, however, called it “the most favorable budget agreement in years.”
Schumer and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries praised the topline spending deal as well when it was announced.
“The bipartisan topline appropriations agreement clears the way for Congress to act over the next few weeks in order to maintain important funding priorities for the American people and avoid a government shutdown,” the New York Democrats said in a statement.
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