Congress worked through the weekend to hammer out the specifics of a spending plan to avert a partial shutdown of the federal government that would begin Friday.
A continuing resolution passed in January only funds some agencies until March 1, while the remainder of agencies will shut down on March 8 unless a deal is put in place, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to fellow Democrats on February 25, blaming the stalled process on “extreme House Republicans” who are purportedly more interested in “causing chaos than passing legislation.”
“While we had hoped to have legislation ready this weekend that would give ample time for members to review the text, it is clear now that House Republicans need more time to sort themselves out,” Schumer said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) called Schumer’s statement “counterproductive rhetoric,” according to Bloomberg News.
A sticking point on continued federal spending has been over border security, with many House members claiming the Biden administration’s policy has allowed for an unprecedented number of unlawful migrants to enter the United States. Some members have stated that securing the border should take precedence over continuing to spend taxpayer money on Ukraine’s war effort.
Reporting by The Dallas Express indicates that more than 300,000 unlawful migrants were encountered in December alone, and some policy experts are arguing that the historic levels of unlawful migration are effectively reshaping the contours of the country’s system of political representation.
President Joe Biden will host top congressional leaders on February 27 in a bid to pressure them into a deal that includes aid to Ukraine. Schumer was in the war-torn country over the weekend and said in his letter that Johnson needs to “rise to the occasion” and solve the funding issue.
One of the first departments that will wind down its operations if no deal is reached will be the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD uses taxpayer money to help low-income Americans pay rent and mortgages through Section 8 vouchers and other programs. HUD cautioned that a government shutdown would halt nearly all payments to these welfare programs.
According to statistics published by iPropertyManagement, 1.93% of the population of Texas receives some taxpayer assistance through HUD. That totals 254,668 households that occupy 86% of the state’s available HUD housing.
Most of HUD’s 8,600 employees would be furloughed during a shutdown. However, programs funded by grants, such as the emergency housing for the homeless program, would remain operational, according to CNN.
HUD explained that payments funded through previous years’ allocations will continue until the money is exhausted. It is unclear how much prior-year funding is currently available to make Section 8 or rental assistance payments.
A change in taxpayer spending authorized in October will ensure that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Women, Infants, and Children benefits will remain available through the Department of Agriculture. Food safety workers will also remain on the job, but about 59% of the employees in the department will be furloughed until a spending bill is secured.
The Department of Veterans Affairs will also be impacted on March 1, though most programs and benefits will continue. A few things, such as the GI Bill helpline for veterans, will not be available. Maintenance at the National Cemeteries will stop operations.
The Department of Transportation will continue most of its duties, though it warned that disruptions could occur as air traffic controllers will be expected to work without pay. Training programs for new air traffic controllers will stop until additional funding is authorized.
The Department of Energy could shutter anything deemed “not related to the preservation of life and property, unnecessary to the discharge of the President’s constitutional power, not funded by other than annual appropriations, or not otherwise expressly authorized by law will cease.” Department guidance claims that a shutdown of five days or less will have no impact on operations.
The remainder of the federal government will undergo a similar process on March 1. Departments will be issued guidance on what aspects of their agencies will not be operational until Congress approves a funding bill.
