Federal agencies would be financed for another month under bipartisan legislation approved by the House on Tuesday, the latest emblem of Congress' persistent inability to finish its budget work on time.
Senate passage, expected perhaps next week, will send the bill to President Joe Biden for his signature. Without that the government would deplete its spending authority on Feb. 18 and have to shutter most of its doors, an election-year embarrassment that neither party wants, and it will not happen.
The bill includes $350 million to address leaking military fuel tanks that have contaminated drinking water near Hawaii's Pearl Harbor, and nearly 6,000 people have complained of illness. The military has moved around 4,000 families into hotels and flown in water treatment systems from the U.S. mainland.
Tuesday's House vote was 272-162. All but one voting Democrat supported the bill, but it was opposed by more than 3 in 4 Republicans, who often use such votes to portray themselves as fiscal conservatives.
The short-term measure would fund government at last year’s levels through March 11. Congressional leaders say they hope that will give bargainers time to reach agreement on overall spending totals, and then write the 12 bills that spell out details on how agencies will spend that money.
Those bills finance everything from the armed forces to programs for education, the environment, veterans and public health. In addition, a portion of the 10-year, $1 trillion infrastructure bill — about $14 billion this year — can't be committed to projects until Congress approves a spending bill formally providing the money.
The government's budget year runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. It's been many years since Congress has finished all its budget bills by Oct. 1 because of partisan fights over priorities.
“No one wins" when Congress has to rely on short-term legislation to finance agencies piecemeal, said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who chairs the House Appropriations Committee. The top Republican on that panel, Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, said that while no one wants another stopgap bill, “the alternative is much worse" — a reference to a federal shutdown.
The Supreme Court appeared prepared Wednesday to uphold a Mississippi law that would ban almost all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The ruling is far from over, with Roe V. Wade at risk. Susan Rinkunas, senior reporter at Jezebel, joins Cheddar News to share the developments of the hearing.
The nine justices heard arguments Wednesday, around a Mississippi abortion law that bans the procedure after 15 weeks and appeared to lean toward upholding the law, while leaving uncertainty about the landmark precedent, Roe v. Wade. Kristin Ford, vice president of communications and research at NARAL Pro-Choice America joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Just about a week after being re-nominated, Federal Reserve Chair Jermone Powell is changing his tune. After nearly a year of referring to inflation as 'transitory,' Powell said he will retire the 'T' word as inflation remains elevated. Christopher Russo, Post-Graduate Research Fellow, Mercatus Center joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Airbnb has come under fire after an Axios report found that the rental company has properties available in China's Xinjiang region where the nation has been accused of committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims, demolishing their homes, and replacing them with tourist attractions.
With the emergence of the omicron variant, the U.S. is considering tightening international travel guidelines. The CDC said it might reduce the window for foreign travelers to submit a negative COVID-19 test from three days prior to one day before allowing entry.
Jill and Carlo cover the latest on Omicron, another school shooting in America and more. Plus, bidding farewell to 'transitory' inflation, and the controversy surrounding 'Lovely Bones' author Alice Sebold.
Disparities in tree coverage across America is a huge issue that affects air quality, heat exposure, and ultimately determines how resilient communities are against climate change. The Build Back Better Act is allocating $2.5 billion to boost 'tree equity.' Lemir Teron, assistant professor at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, joins Cheddar News to explain why this is a priority for Democrats today.
