On Monday, Congress passed legislation to fund the government through February 8th after the Senate was finally able to reach an agreement. This vote follows the Senate’s failed attempt to approve a must-pass spending measure last Friday which resulted in a three-day government shutdown.
Although Congress reached a deal to temporarily fund the government for the next 13 days, it is my understanding that the terms surrounding this agreement failed to negotiate budget caps for things like: Military readiness, disaster relief, immigration, and national security. Unless something changes in regard to the budget cap debate in the coming weeks, Congress will vote on another Continuing Resolution (CR), its fifth in the past four months, instead of an annual spending bill.
Like you, I am extremely frustrated by the fact that Congress has been forced to govern by deadline. I’m tired of lurching from budget crisis to budget crisis, which is why the House made it a priority to pass all 12 appropriations bills through regular order by last year’s September 30th deadline. However, if Congress is ever going to reach an actual budget agreement – the Senate must do its job.
In order for the Senate to do its job, Members must stop blocking the spending bills the House sends its way. So, until the Senate is able to fulfill one of its most basic duties as outlined in the Constitution, short-term spending bills will be the only way Congress can continue to fund federal spending.
Since Members should expect to vote on another CR by February 8th, any predictions surrounding what that might include are, at this time, unclear – aside from the inclusion of an immigration component since Congress is up against a March 5th deadline to pass legislation on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
While several broad proposals to address DACA and general immigration reform have been introduced in the House, it is still not clear what might be attached to another CR. There is also no definitive indication of which proposal is most likely to pass the House or the Senate. Some of these proposals include: the Securing America's Future Act (H.R.4760), the Uniting and Securing America Act (H.R.4796), and the Recognizing America’s Children Act (H.R. 1468). While these bills all address the DACA population and border security in different ways, an actual vote on any of these bills would move us one step closer to a permanent legislative solution for DACA recipients, while also addressing border security and immigration reform.
Let’s take a look at where we are a third of the way through the February 8th deadline:
- With respect to Budget Caps, it’s fair to say that Senators weren’t close to making any agreements on these items before agreeing to Monday’s deal. Furthermore, the last week has not led anyone to change that conclusion.
- With respect to border security and immigration issues, it’s important to note that whatever was discussed between Senators McConnell and Schumer was just to get us to the point of reopening the government. For all intents and purposes, these discussions did not include any specific outline for moving forward on immigration and border security issues.
The bottom line is this: a government shutdown is not an effective or responsible tool for negotiation – especially at the expense of children’s health insurance, the military, and our nation's veterans. Congress must hold itself accountable and get to work on a long-term budget agreement. Please know my staff and I will remain transparent throughout the upcoming negotiation process, keeping you informed of any updates we receive along the way.
For additional information, please visit my website at amodei.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-6155, Reno office: (775) 686-5760 or Elko office: (775) 777-7705. To receive updates on what I am doing in Washington and in Nevada’s 2nd District follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.
