Once again, the federal government faces the shutdown of important services, only this time there are two cliffs from which the nation will plunge if Congress does not act. Under a complex short-term spending measure adopted in November, funds for some departments will run out on Jan. 19, while for other departments the deadline is Feb. 2. For Americans who rely on government services and federal paychecks, Congress must get the country back on its feet. back from the edge of the abyss.
The good news is that congressional leaders have crafted a bipartisan agreement, praised by President Biden, that would set spending levels for the current fiscal year in line with a compromise reached last year to temporarily suspend the federal debt ceiling. The new deal includes some concessions to Republicans, including a faster pace for $20 billion in budget cuts to the Internal Revenue Service.
Republican opposition to adequate resources for the IRS is counterproductive and rooted in the fantasy of an “army” of IRS agents threatening American citizens. But just as Republicans must acknowledge the fact that this is a divided federal government, Democrats must also be willing to make concessions to avoid a fiscal disaster.
The problem is that there probably won't be enough time for Congress to enact the deal through its usual procedures before the deadlines. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said another temporary government funding bill will “obviously” be needed to close the gap. The problem is that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is on record saying “I'm done” with short-term continuing resolutions.
What's more disturbing is that the same far-right Republicans who ultimately toppled former President Kevin McCarthy could cause problems for Johnson if he follows the smart path of fiscal responsibility and compromise with Democrats. On Wednesday, several Republicans expressed their displeasure with the spending deal by joining Democrats in voting to block debate on three unrelated bills.
To further complicate the matter, some Republicans could try to use the threat of a government shutdown as leverage to impose restrictions on migrant entry at the southern border. Senators have been negotiating a separate measure to bolster border security as part of a supplemental spending bill to provide aid to Ukraine and Israel. One issue under discussion is tightening the standards for “credible fear” of persecution or torture used in initial interviews with migrants seeking asylum.
Biden has said he is open to “significant commitments” on border security. Given the apparent progress on the border issue, there is no reason to link it to the attempt to prevent a closure.
Johnson, like McCarthy, has tried to appease far-right Republicans by supporting a baseless impeachment inquiry into Biden while also showing some sense of responsibility by agreeing to a bipartisan compromise on federal spending. If he really wants to put the nation first, he will do whatever it takes to avoid a government shutdown, including supporting a short-term funding bill that would buy time for Congress to implement the bipartisan spending deal. .
