Top lawmakers unveiled a finalized package of six government funding bills Sunday evening, kicking off a race against the clock to pass the measure ahead of a shutdown deadline at the end of the week.
The release of the package – which is backed by the top Democrats and Republicans in both chambers – represents a breakthrough for negotiators. The current fiscal year began more than five months ago on October 1, 2023 – and the federal government has operated under a series of short-term funding extensions since then as lawmakers had struggled to reach consensus on new bills to fund the various departments and agencies. But after months of averting shutdowns at the eleventh hour with stopgap bills, Capitol Hill may finally be on the verge of passing that legislation.
Both sides of the aisle were quick to claim wins. “It’s good news that Congress has finally reached a bipartisan agreement on the first six government funding bills that will keep the government open. We are proud to be keeping the government open without cuts or poison pill riders,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.
“The House must quickly pass and send the Senate this bipartisan package. Once we receive the bill, the Senate will once again need bipartisan cooperation to pass it before Friday’s deadline and avoid a shutdown,” the New York Democrat said.
Democrats touted that the package fully funds nutrition assistance for women and children through the program known as WIC. A release from Senate Appropriations Committee Democrats said the package provides $7.03 billion for the program, a roughly $1 billion increase from fiscal year 2023.
“I said I would move mountains to fully fund WIC and that’s exactly what I did. Full funding for WIC should never have been in question, but I’m glad that the…
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