On December 18, the Financial Associated Press reported (Editor: Qin Jiahe) that with the deadline for a federal government "shutdown" approaching on Tuesday local time, the leadership of the USA Congress announced the text of a temporary funding bill to provide funding for the federal government until March 2025, which also includes more than 100 billion dollars in disaster assistance and Agriculture assistance.

Homepage of the temporary funding bill.

In September of this year, the USA Congress passed a temporary funding bill. Before the temporary bill expires on December 20 (this Friday), the USA Congress must take new legislative action to avoid a "shutdown" of the federal government due to insufficient operating funds.

Although the newly released temporary bill provides a short-term solution, the divergence between the two parties on key spending priorities creates uncertainty for future financial appropriations.

Main content of the bill.

The text of the funding bill spans over 1,500 pages and can maintain government funding until March 14 of next year to give the next Congress and the incoming president more time to negotiate the future budget.

The bill also includes approximately 100 billion dollars in emergency disaster funding, which includes assistance for communities severely impacted by hurricanes "Helen" and "Milton." Additionally, Agriculture subsidies have become a major focus of the bill, allocating 10 billion dollars for economic assistance to farmers and ranchers.

In addition to disaster relief and Agriculture subsidies, the bill also introduces a series of new regulations targeting Pharmaceutical Benefit Managers (PBMs) and proposes to expand the year-round sale of ethanol fuel. Part of the funding will also be used to rebuild the Baltimore bridge that collapsed in the bridge collision incident.

The $24 billion Ukraine aid proposed by the Biden administration was not included in the bill.

Disagreements continue to escalate.

Although the bill attempts to address several urgent issues, its complex content and lack of sufficient discussion time have sparked dissatisfaction within the Republican Party.

South Carolina Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace stated on Social Media: "They stuffed everything into one massive bill. If you vote against it, they will make you feel guilty. I support hurricane relief, but do not try to cover up the government's reckless spending anymore."

"A bill of over 1,500 pages, billions in reckless spending, and new laws we absolutely do not have time to review, otherwise they probably wouldn't pass—this is Washington's everyday operation!" said Republican Senator Rick Scott.

At the same time, Senator Rand Paul believes that green Energy subsidies should be cut to offset the rescue costs in hurricane disaster areas, and a clear choice must be made between green Energy subsidies and natural disaster relief. He stated that unless Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer guarantees that fiscal hawks can fully debate the offset of spending costs in the proposal, he will not concede on the vote.

Democratic Congressman Rosa DeLauro argues that this bill is a comprehensive plan, a "responsible and necessary measure," providing critical relief across the country.

In the context of divided opinions within the party, House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed hope that a majority of Republican lawmakers would support the bill, stating that both chambers need to act swiftly to "promptly send the bill to President Biden's desk."

Currently, the exact timing for the House vote has not been clarified, with voting on the bill expected as early as Wednesday or Thursday local time. Once voted through, the Senate will need to pass the bill promptly before midnight on Friday.

Editor/lambor