THE LATEST ON SPENDING PROBLEMS Congressional leaders have a seemingly simple goal on spending: Release text for the remaining six bills this weekend, giving the House and Senate enough time to process the massive package before most of the federal government runs out of money after March 22. But it’s no secret that the last six bills — including the fiscal 2024 budgets for the Pentagon, major health programs, the Department of Homeland Security and more — present a much more challenging lift than the last six Congress just cleared last week. Even if lawmakers manage to tie up all the loose ends in the coming days, moving the measures through both chambers will almost certainly prove a tough lift. That’s especially true in the Senate, where leaders will need consent from all 100 senators to hasten a final passage vote and thwart a partial shutdown, likely right up against the deadline. A tough time agreement: If you’ll recall, the Senate spent hours last Friday trying to lock in an agreement on GOP amendment votes to speed up passage of the first funding package. Some of those Republican demands — spanning tricky immigration issues, earmarks, money for ships that navigate the Arctic and more — are spilling over into the second, much larger funding bundle, clouding prospects for swift final approval. “The sooner we get the text out there, the more quickly I think people can begin to prepare amendments to offer,” Senate GOP Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) said earlier this week. “There are some things in the last bill that we tried to push into this one. So those things will be things that we now have an opportunity to address.” Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), one of the conservatives who held up the first package with demands for amendment votes, said: “I can't imagine it will be any easier this time than the last time. I'd be surprised if it's not more difficult to get to a time agreement.” Defense dealmaker: It’s worth noting that any attempts to significantly delay or derail the next tranche of bills endangers money for the military. Many members can’t risk that kind of backlash back home. The defense bill is “going to be the engine that pulls this cargo,” said Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), a senior appropriator. “And most of us realize that this particular engine needs to pass because it means so much to the national security of our country.” Where the last six stand: The defense measure is done, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. Other bills, like Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education and State-Foreign Operations, have a ways to go. As we’ve said before, Homeland Security remains the toughest to close out, although people familiar with discussions insist that talks are progressing. The bill has been made more complicated by House Republicans’ immigration demands. With little extra money to go around, tough decisions have to be made about how to spread around dollars for both personnel, border security and humanitarian needs. Still, appropriators are determined to avoid yet another stopgap funding bill. “It ain't over till it’s over,” said Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), who oversees the troubled bill. His Democratic counterpart, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), said a stopgap is “always a possibility. We don’t want a CR. We’re trying to get it done.” Little GOP leverage: Womack, who oversees the Financial Services bill, said he’s still wrestling with several open issues in his measure, including hundreds of millions of dollars for the General Services Administration for a new FBI headquarters in Maryland. The Senate version of the bill included $375 million for that headquarters, while some House Republicans want to zero that out amid ongoing complaints about the politicization of the FBI. “I wish I could say that it’s been good faith negotiations, but I really can’t say that, because it’s obvious that we don’t have a strong playing hand because [Republicans don’t control] the Senate and we don’t have the White House,” Womack said. — Caitlin Emma, with an assist from Jennifer Scholtes
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