WASHINGTON, D.C. – The US House Appropriations Committee has approved four of the 12 annual spending bills needed to keep the government running, but there is still no agreement on a full-year budget. The current funding resolution expires on September 30, and a government shutdown could occur if a new budget is not passed by then.
The four bills approved by the House committee on Saturday include funding for the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, State, and Homeland Security. The bills now go to the full House for consideration.
However, the bills are unlikely to be passed by the Democratic-controlled Senate in their current form. The Senate has already passed a different spending bill for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the two chambers will need to negotiate a compromise on the remaining 11 bills.
If Congress is unable to pass a new budget by September 30, the government will shut down. A government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass a funding bill for a fiscal year, which begins on October 1. During a government shutdown, most government services are suspended, and non-essential government employees are furloughed.
The last government shutdown occurred in 2019 and lasted for 35 days. It was the longest government shutdown in US history.
It is unclear whether the House and Senate will be able to reach an agreement on a full-year budget before the September 30 deadline. There are significant divisions between the two parties on a number of issues, including spending levels and immigration policy.
If a government shutdown does occur, it would have a significant impact on the US economy. It would also disrupt the lives of millions of Americans who rely on government services.