The Topline
The Big Game in Town: Appropriations cardinals continue to plug away on finalizing their FY24 bills with less than a month to go before stopgap funding expires. We're hearingSteptoe Appropriations Newsletter - - United States (mondaq.com) some of these bills are essentially done, with a few remaining policy riders in some of the bills "kicked upstairs" (to the "big four" and eventually leadership) for finalization.
Appropriators are confident they will be able to pass their bills before the next funding deadlines despite the tight timeframe, with House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) emphasizing that subcommittees have been making "very, very positive" progress. While we know some of the bills can be prickly, we are predicting the passage of all the FY24 appropriations bills before their upcoming deadlines. Touchdown!
First Down: While the prospects of Congress passing border security fell apart this week, senators are moving forward with a supplemental package of foreign aid funding. This week the Senate cleared a procedural hurdle to move forward with its consideration. The package provides $95 billion in funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Senators will have time to consider amendments to the package. We believe if the bill can pass the Senate, it is highly possible it could pass the House, as we are hearing that more than half of the GOP conference remains in favor of the foreign aid funding. We can see a situation where the House amends the Senate package and punts to the Senate for further consideration.
Huddling on FY25: The White House announced a March 11 release of their FY25 budget blueprint. We think it will be slim on details but contain enough for Congress to get moving on FY25.
Client Alert: Speaking of moving the ball on FY25, member deadlines for FY25 requests will be mere days after wrapping up FY24. If you are still thinking of funding or policy changes for FY25 and haven't spoken to us yet, get in touch with us ASAP!
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