APPROPRIATIONS/BUDGET NEWS
House to vote today on two FY 19 appropriations bills
– Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019
– Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019
Yesterday the House passed the FY 19 Financial Services/Gen. Govt. bill by a vote of 240-188.
8 Republicans voted for the bill – Brian Fitzpatrick, John Katko, Jaime Herrera Beutler, Will Hurd, Adam Kinzinger, Elise Stefanik, Fred Upton, and Greg Walden.
This is a slightly different group than the 7 who voted for HR 21 – the six bill package of FY 19 appropriations bills: Will Hurd, Elise Stefanik, Fred Upton, Brian Fitzpatrick, Peter King, Greg Walden and John Katko.
Now what?
We have asked the question, “Now what?” several times during the most recent partial government shutdown.
Following yesterday’s abrupt ending to the White House meeting between President Trump and congressional leaders, Sen. Lindsey Graham met with several Republican senators as Politico reports:
“Sen. Lindsey Graham is throwing a Hail Mary to reopen the government.
“Graham brought together a half dozen Republican senators Wednesday afternoon in a last-ditch attempt to resolve the three-week stalemate before President Donald Trump deploys an explosive emergency declaration to build his border wall. The Republican senators were joined mid-meeting by White House emissaries Jared Kushner and Shahira Knight, the president’s congressional liaison.”
Graham’s group plans to meet with Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell today and find a deal that will allow the shutdown to end before the President declares a national emergency.
Charlie Savage with the New York Times wrote that finding that deal may be mission impossible:
“Both sides have taken absolutist positions that leave no room for the kind of split-the-difference compromise that usually ends budget impasses. Mr. Trump refuses to accept anything less than his demand for about $5 billion in wall spending, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said his wall along the southern border would be immoral.”
Savage makes the case that if the President declares a national emergency it may be “the only politically realistic way out of the shutdown crisis.”
Such a declaration will wind up in the courts but that will buy time:
“In the meantime, the shutdown that is threatening to last for months could end. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors could once again receive their wages and pay household bills. National parks could reopen and be cleaned. Needy families could keep receiving food assistance. Across the economy, farmers and businesses that depend on government actions could proceed with work they need to be handled.1010
“It’s a way to get past an ugly fight in a way that allows the dust to settle and passions to cool while moving on,” said Bruce Buchanan, an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Texas at Austin.
For more information, contact:
Jerry Chouinard
Deep Water Point Legislative Affairs Lead
jerry.chouinard@deepwaterpoint.com
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