As Congress Prepares for Holiday Recess, FY24 Budget Remains Uncertain

As the year comes to an end, Congress remains no closer to finding a resolution to the fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations process. As previously reported by COSSA, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to extend the appropriations deadline to after the new year. Early last week, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Appropriations Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) unveiled a supplemental funding bill that would provide $110.5 billion of economic and humanitarian aid to Israel and Ukraine, Taiwan and Indo-Pacific allies and funding to combat fentanyl trafficking and process migrants crossing the U.S. southern border. The bill was halted by Republicans, expressing that the bill did not adequately address the border crisis.

The House has successfully passed seven funding bills, including Defense, Energy-Water, Homeland Security, Interior-Environment, Legislative Branch, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, State-Foreign Operations. The House began their initial vote on November 14 for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS) funding bill but delayed the end of the vote to an unspecified date (see previous COSSA coverage). The House also intended to consider the Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) funding bill, however, that vote was also delayed. COSSA recently published a full analysis providing details of the House’s FY 2024 LHHS and CJS appropriations bills as introduced. The House has yet to express any intention to resume these votes in the upcoming weeks.

It’s uncertain whether Congress will cross the appropriations finish line or need to pass a year-long CR to avoid a government shutdown in early 2024. Senator Murray (D-WA) recently released a fact sheet on the impacts of a year-long CR. Further, the FY 2025 appropriations process is intended to begin in early February with the Presidential Budget Request. If Congress continues to delay finalizing the FY 2024 budget, the FY 2025 budget process will likely be delayed as well.

Stay tuned to COSSA’s continued coverage of the appropriations process.