For weeks, the Senate worked on its
emergency security supplemental appropriations bill
to provide military funding and other aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as well as boost border security operations. After removing the border security funding and policy changes due to political complications, the Senate voted 70-29 last week to pass the supplemental bill. The real question is what happens now in the House. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has already said he opposes the package because it lacks any border policy changes. Johnson is torn between conservatives hoping to add significant immigration policy changes to the bill and national security-focused Republicans hoping to quickly aid an ally facing weapons shortages on the battlefield.
If the House can get the security supplemental to the President’s desk, it would make the process of passing the regular FY24 appropriations package much more likely. If the security supplemental lingers in the House, it will disrupt and complicate FY24 appropriations negotiations. Both chambers are in recess this week, leaving very few days to navigate the political and procedural hurdles ahead to avoid shutdown deadlines on March 1 and 8.
Regardless, Senate and House Appropriations Committees are working at a feverish pace to complete their bills. As many as four of the March 1 deadline bills (Military Construction/Veterans Affairs, Transportation/HUD, Energy and Water, and Agriculture/FDA) are reportedly close to completion. Perhaps they will soon be ready to bring to the floor of both chambers in time to avoid a shutdown. Meanwhile, the remaining eight bills funding all the other federal departments are still works in progress, as well as the policy riders seeking to be attached to the bills. It remains unclear how the FY24 package will play out.