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Congress Averts Shutdown, Locks in Some Agency Cuts as Senate Backs Funding Package

March 11, 2024

Eric Katz

Government Executive

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-NY, said Thursday that the funding minibus required bipartisan cooperation. CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY

By Eric Katz, March 8, 2024 / Government Executive

The Senate on Friday approved a funding package to set spending levels for some agencies for the rest of fiscal 2024, sending the measure to the president just hours before a partial shutdown was set to begin. 

The $460 billion “minibus” — which contains funding for the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Interior, Commerce and Justice, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency and some other agencies — will now become law after the House passed it earlier this week. The measures will force many agencies across government to absorb modest cuts relative to their current funding levels, though overall non-defense discretionary spending will remain flat.

The Senate had to manage its typical high-wire act ahead of its vote, with Republicans demanding action on a series of doomed amendments. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., cautioned on Thursday the final procedural steps still remained an open question. 

Read the rest of the article here: https://www.govexec.com/management/2024/03/congress-averts-shutdown-locks-funding-cuts-many-agencies-senate-approves-funding-package/394776/

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