The Problem Solvers Caucus of the House of Representatives on Sept. 27 released an appropriations framework as the U.S. government is four days away from a shutdown.
For a CR, the 61-member caucus calls for including President Joe Biden’s requests for $24 billion in Ukraine funding and $16 billion in disaster relief. It also proposes border security enforcement until the end of 2024. House Republicans, including Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), oppose Ukraine funding in a CR and have instead called for inserting a border security measure that passed the House earlier this year that the Biden administration has come out against. This CR would last until Jan. 11, 2024. However, the caucus calls for the limitation of provisions to a CR.
When it comes to appropriations, the caucus calls for funding levels that were agreed to months ago in the debt agreement between Mr. McCarthy and President Biden. The levels include $886 billion in defense spending, a number decried by military hawks as they criticized it as a cut when accounted for inflation and the threats, including from China. There would be a 1 percent cut in discretionary spending items in 2025—entitlements including Social Security and Medicare would not be touched as those are mandatory-spending programs.
The caucus seeks the implementation of recommendations made by the bipartisan House Committee on Modernization and Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform. These include regular order, meaning that appropriations bills would go through committee before reaching their respective chamber’s floor as opposed to legislation, like the 2022 omnibus spending bill, that goes directly to the House and Senate floors.
It also consists of a required annual report from the Comptroller General on the U.S. fiscal condition and a mid-year report by the president on America’s budget.
Finally, the caucus calls for “a Fiscal Commission to review and recommend a package to stabilize long-term deficits and debt” and mandating that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office “consider the cost of servicing the debt in its estimations.”
The caucus’ framework comes as the Senate has started work on a continuing resolution to last 45 days in order to give lawmakers more time to iron out appropriations measures. The House, meanwhile, has not brought up a CR due to intra-party differences in the chamber’s GOP wing.
In accordance with the debt ceiling agreement, if appropriations bills are not passed and enacted by Jan. 11, there would be a 1 percent cut across non-discretionary spending items for the remainder of the federal fiscal year. The debt agreement expires in early January of 2025, just months after the 2024 presidential election.
