On Tuesday, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced his support for a short-term spending bill after his Republican counterpart in the House, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), informed other House Republicans that such a measure was likely during a conference call the evening prior.
“I thought it was a good thing that he recognized that we need a CR [continuing resolution] in September. I’m supportive of that,” Schumer said
“A CR until early December provides time for consideration of these bipartisan bills,” Schumer added. “We urge our House colleagues to emulate the Senate. The only way we’re going to avoid a government shutdown is by bipartisan support in both houses. You cannot keep the government open if you just want to do it with one party … We hope that House Republicans will realize that any funding resolution has to be bipartisan or they will risk shutting down the government.”
In fact, the two legislative leaders had discussed the interim solution earlier this month before lawmakers took their traditional August recess.
The possibility of a budget showdown in September has been known for months, since the two parties reached a tenuous deal on lifting the budget ceiling in early June. In that agreement, Republicans succeeded in extracting commitments to spending cuts from Democrats that they would not otherwise have agreed to, except for the need to avert an impending default on the US federal debt.
Since then, different interpretations of the deal have fueled not just partisan posturing, but also a furious internal dispute between Republicans, with a small but vocal right wing of the House GOP caucus claiming McCarthy had all but abandoned his conservative principles in making a deal with the liberals. The pro-Trump faction has punched far above its weight in congressional politics this year, having served as kingmaker in the race for Speaker in the closely-split House - albeit after exacting a heavy price from McCarthy, who they say isn’t living up to his promises.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-NC), who was rated as the most conservative member of Congress last year by the legislator vote-tracking website GovTrack, told reporters last month he was “absolutely” willing to force a government shutdown to accomplish his policy goals.
Another, Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), said recently that lawmakers “shouldn't implement bad policy to avoid” a government shutdown.
On Monday, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), who has been censured by his own party for voting with Democrats on several hot-button issues, pinned the blame on both sides for failing to reach an agreement thus far.
“It’s clear President Biden and Speaker McCarthy want a government shutdown, so that’s what Congress will do after we return in September,” he posted on social media. “Everyone should plan accordingly.”
The deadline for a new budget bill to be passed is September 30, requiring the passage of a dozen appropriations bills, only one of which has been sent to the president. However, lawmakers are in session just 12 of the days between September 12, when they return from break and the end-of-month deadline.