House leaves town for six-week recess with spending bill drama unresolved
Cami Mondeaux
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The House adjourned for its six-week August recess on Thursday, leaving town one day earlier than expected despite a lengthy to-do list and lingering negotiations over must-pass spending legislation.
Lawmakers were initially scheduled to leave Washington, D.C., on Friday afternoon for its six-week recess after voting on the agriculture bill, but those plans were changed after it became clear the legislation would not make it to the floor for a vote. House leaders say they will continue working over the break, although it remains unclear whether lawmakers will meet in person to do so.
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“I don’t know, I don’t set the schedule,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) told the Washington Examiner. “But I think we ought to do whatever it takes to get our job done.”
The House managed to pass its military construction appropriations bill on Thursday, advancing only one of 12 of its must-pass spending bills before leaving town and returning on Sept. 12. That leaves Congress with just 18 days to pass its budget and avert a government shutdown.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has continued to express confidence that the House can pass all of its appropriations bills before the Sept. 30 deadline, admonishing reporters in a Thursday press conference for “doubting” Republicans’ ability to advance legislation.
“I can know what day it is based upon the questions that you ask. I began to refer to them as the five stages of the D.C. press cycle of doubt,” McCarthy said. “You’ve asked me that same question almost every single week, and we’ve proven every single week that we’ll do it.”
Still, McCarthy faces challenges within his own conference as members of the House Freedom Caucus demand deep spending cuts — with several threatening their support altogether if their demands aren’t met. That puts the House on a collision course with Senate Democrats, who are likely drafting budgets with a much larger number.
As a result, McCarthy met with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Thursday afternoon to discuss how the two chambers can work together on appropriations as well as a slew of other must-pass bills. The two leaders did not give further details on what was discussed.
Meanwhile, the future of the agriculture appropriations bill remains in limbo as House Republicans are split on a measure that would ban a Biden administration rule allowing abortion pills to be sold through the mail and in retail pharmacies. Several moderate Republicans joined Democrats in coming out against that provision, threatening to vote against the bill if it was included.
“I have said from the very beginning that I would not support legislation that would ban abortion nationwide,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) told reporters on Wednesday. “To me, some of these issues that are being dealt with should be dealt with at the state level, and that’s it. Some states allow it to be mailed, some states don’t. But that should be a decision with the states and the FDA.”
Meanwhile, Democrats are accusing Republicans of putting Congress on track for a government shutdown by “hijacking” the appropriations process and circumventing any bipartisan agreements.
“The appropriations process has been hijacked by the most extreme wing of the Republican Party, which is increasingly a majority,” said Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). “Instead of taking a bipartisan approach to figuring out [how we] invest in the health and safety and economic wellbeing of the American people, extreme MAGA Republicans have hijacked every single one of these appropriations bill that is our responsibility to pass in order to march toward a nationwide ban on abortion.”
Congress has until the end of September to pass its annual budget before the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, or else lawmakers risk a government shutdown. Budget disagreements typically drag out as both parties fight to include their own priorities, with a final deal often not made until the 11th hour after a marathon voting session.
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Other times, lawmakers agree to pass a continuing resolution that allows the government to operate at the same spending levels until a new agreement is made. However, some hard-line conservatives are already ruling that process out, noting they aren’t afraid of enforcing a government shutdown to get the budget passed.
“I will not vote for a CR, I will not vote for a rule for a CR, I will not help advance a CR in any way, shape, or form,” Roy said. “[Not] unless H.R. 2 is signed into law, [Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro] Mayorkas is gone, or something damn close to that.”