To:
IGA Member Tribes
From:
Ernest L. Stevens, Jr., Chairman Jason C. Giles, Executive Director
Re:
Government Shutdown Alert!: Urge Congress to Enact Bipartisan Funding Bill for FY’2024
Date:
September 7, 2023
The United States Senate returns this week after a 5-week August recess. The House of Representatives returns on Tuesday, September 12 th , which leaves eleven (11) legislative days to reach an agreement on FY’2024 spending levels before the September 30 th deadline. However, there is a $120 billion gap in overall spending levels agreed to between the Speaker of the House and President Biden. The U.S. House of Representatives set funding levels at $1.47 trillion, below the levels agreed on the Fiscal Responsibility Act/Debt Ceiling deal. The Senate Appropriations Committee followed the Debt Ceiling agreement and passed all 12 individual spendings bills totaling $1.59 billion, which is a one percent increase over FY’23 funding levels. (Attached below is a chart of the current FY’24 spending levels in the House and Senate for each of the 12 annual funding bills that must pass Congress). Few expect the House and Senate to reach final agreement by the September 30 th deadline, but instead of negotiating towards a short-term continuing resolution (“CR”), some hardliners are welcoming a government shutdown. The House Freedom Caucus put out an official position in August that they will oppose a CR unless it includes text of the House passed border security bill, language to “address the weaponization” of the Justice Department, and provisions to “end” “woke policies” in the Department of Defense, all of which increase the potential for a government shutdown. The Freedom Caucus demands would have no chance of passing in the Democratic controlled Senate, and the White House has signaled that the President will veto a CR with these provisions. The last disastrous government shutdown, which spanned 35 days from December 22, 2018 to January 25, 2019, cost American taxpayers more than $11 billion. The damage and lasting impacts on local economies throughout Indian Country was many times worse. Tribal government communities rely on federal funding to administer basic services, including health care, education, public safety, housing, nutrition and food distribution programs, and social services. Shutdowns destabilize these programs and cause fear and anxiety throughout Native communities.
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