2024 United States federal budget
Throughout the early 2010s, the Tea Party forced debate over balanced budgets led to a series of austerity measures and debt-ceiling negotiations intended to decrease federal spending.
[11] In May 2023, McCarthy negotiated with president Joe Biden on a deal to resolve a debt-ceiling crisis and an imminent debt default.
In response, Republicans, led by Matt Gaetz, blocked a bill protecting gas stoves against federal regulations[12] in order to force McCarthy to choose between acquiescing to the insurgents and passing legislation that would face resistance in the Senate, or to work with Democrats and contend with a potential ousting.
[13] Grievances among Republicans quelled several days later after an agreement was made, but Freedom Caucus members threatened that a blockade could occur if their demands were not met.
Rosa DeLauro, the ranking member of the House Committee on Appropriations, stated that Republican opposition would ultimately result in a government shutdown.
The Senate Committee on Appropriations remained committed to securing a deal according to ranking members Patty Murray and Susan Collins.
In particular, Republicans sought to include language that reversed an FDA ruling allowing the oral abortion pill mifepristone to be sold in retail pharmacies.
[17] Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer agreed to a temporary spending bill with McCarthy to avert a shutdown that month.
[18] McCarthy argued that a shutdown could prevent the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability from investigating the Biden family, but some Republicans remained dismissive.
[20] The Freedom Caucus stated its opposition to any bill that would not include a border measure that revives Trump-era policies, including constructing the Trump border wall, detaining asylum seekers for longer, and deporting unaccompanied minors,[21] while many hardliners maintained their oppositions to any continuing resolutions to keep the government open.
[24] House Republicans began considering a temporary bill to fund the government on September 17,[25] but were met with opposition from within the party.
[31] On September 29, the House Committee on Rules convened to consider a continuing resolution to fund the federal government for an additional month with border security measures.
[44] Several senior members of congress indicated an interest in passing another continuing resolution into March to allow for more time to draw up funding bills aligned with the deal.
The bill provides funding for the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Energy, Interior, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development.
[49] The rightmost faction of the Republican conference harshly opposed the deal, arguing it did not contain any substantial conservative policy;[50] the proposal also drew criticism from some Democrats, who expressed concern over a provision allowing mentally incompetent veterans to buy guns in certain circumstances.
[55] On April 20, the House passed bills providing aid to Israel, Ukraine and Indo-Pacific allies and imposing further sanctions on enemies of the United States.
Pursuant to a resolution agreed to by the House, the bills were merged into a single Act before being sent to the Senate: the latter therefore held one vote on the whole package, which passed on April 23.
