Senate Appropriations Committee Sets Stage for Showdown With House
The Senate Appropriations Committee passed two bills and approved top-line spending for 10 others at the levels indicated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the spending agreement reached by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in May.
The action took place at a June 22 markup, a committee session where a bill may be debated, amended, and voted upon. This sets the stage for a showdown with the House of Representatives, where its Appropriations Committee is pressing for larger spending cuts in some areas.
The Fiscal Responsibility Act limits defense spending to $886.2 billion for fiscal year 2024 and non-defense spending to $703.7 billion. The combined spending included in the 12 annual appropriations bills must fall within those limits. That does not include entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
Senate leaders from both parties have pledged to implement the spending levels indicated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act. House Republicans have said those levels are spending maximums, not minimums, and they intend to lower spending even further.
If both chambers are not able to agree on all 12 required spending bills by Jan. 1, 2024, the Fiscal Responsibility Act mandates that all discretionary spending be cut by 1 percent.
Senators Unhappy, Resolved
Senators of both parties expressed frustration with the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act but were determined to get their appropriations bills passed on time.
“This is not an agreement I would have made,” said Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), expressing concern that the law would limit investments in the nation’s future.
“But we have a critical job as appropriators and as members of Congress, and I’m determined to get this done,” she said.
Vice Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) said, “I want to second Chair Murray’s conclusion that we must continue to make progress in advancing the annual appropriations process in order to avoid a shutdown, a year-end omnibus bill, or damaging across-the-board funding cuts.”
The spending totals for each of the 12 bills passed on a party-line vote over Republican opposition.
The committee also passed two appropriations bills that had already cleared their subcommittees. Those bills were for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, and for Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies. Each passed on a voice vote.
Subcommittee Battles Ahead
By Senate tradition, Murray, as committee chair, set the top-line amounts for each of the 12 bills. Each appropriations subcommittee must now craft its spending bill within its allocation.
However, further negotiation is possible.
“The proposed 302(b)s before us today are not the final story for this fiscal year,” Collins said. The term 302(b) refers to the total spending allocation for a particular area, such as Defense or Energy and Water Development.
“I hope in the weeks ahead we will be able to reach an agreement to ensure that our military and the Department of Homeland Security have the resources they need to keep our country safe,” Collins said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who had threatened to oppose the Fiscal Responsibility Act because of concerns over military spending and border security, reiterated those concerns at the committee meeting, foreshadowing likely debates on the subcommittee level.
“If you’ve looked at the border and you feel like we can spend less on Homeland Security, you shouldn’t be allowed to drive,” Graham said.
Then, noting that the proposed level of defense spending would reduce the size of the U.S. Navy, Graham quipped, “The Congress has sunk eight ships.”
Democrats signaled their intention to seek a larger piece of the spending pie for social services.
“And at every stage in this process. I am going to be fighting to protect key investments and families across the country and in our country’s future,” Murray said.
Regular Order
The June 22 session marked a return to regular order for the first time in three years, according to Collins. Regular order refers to the usual process of considering legislation, which begins with open hearings in a committee or subcommittee where public input is invited and amendments may be offered. A bill approved by a committee is then sent to the Senate floor for debate.
Last year, a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill was passed at the last minute on Dec. 22 without going through that process. Senate leaders are determined to avoid the need for such extreme measures by adhering to the usual process this year.
“The challenges we face under the limits imposed by the debt ceiling deal do not get any easier and they don’t get any better if we start going backward, or if we abandon our return to regular order, or we write unserious bills. As we all know, chaos only helps those who want to see our government shut down,” Murray said.
“We share the goal of having this committee operate under regular order,” Collins said. “The system just works better that way. Legislation is more carefully vetted, committee members have more opportunity for input, and the Senate as a whole has the chance to work as well.”
Murray noted that the June 22 session marked two firsts for the committee. It was the first time the Senate Appropriations Committee had been led by two women—Murray as chair and Collins as vice chair. And it was the first appropriations markup to be live streamed.
