CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The U.S. Congress will be busy Thursday as lawmakers work to avert a government shutdown and continue discussions about passing parts of President Joe Biden’s agenda.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Wednesday announced the chamber will vote Thursday morning on a resolution to keep the government open. The House will consider the matter if the Senate approves with the goal of passing the bill before Friday when the new fiscal year begins.
The resolution includes appropriations to keep the federal government open through Dec. 3. It also provides agencies with funding to address natural disasters and assist Afghan refugees following the withdrawal of American troops.
“With so many critical issues to address, the last thing the American people need right now is a government shutdown,” Schumer said. “This proposal will prevent one from happening, and I want to thank my colleagues who are working quickly to prepare this legislation.”
The House last week approved funding the government and suspending the debt limit as part of one measure. The Senate on Monday voted against moving forward with the bill as Republicans oppose increasing the debt ceiling.
The House is additionally scheduled to vote Thursday on the $1 trillion infrastructure measure which received bipartisan senatorial support. The proposal includes $550 billion in new spending on physical infrastructure issues like roads and bridges, broadband, water and electricity systems, and resiliency needs.
According to the White House, West Virginia will receive billions of dollars from the legislation, including $3 billion for federal-aid highway programs, $506 million for bridge replacement and repairs, and at least $100 million for expanding broadband coverage. The measure additionally allocates money for Corridor H construction and the Appalachian Regional Commission, a federal agency focused on economic development in West Virginia and 12 other states.
The Senate passed the legislation in August. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., were among the 69 legislators who supported passage. Thirty senators, all Republicans, opposed the bill.
The resolution’s future is uncertain because of differences among Democrats over a sweeping $3.5 trillion measure addressing health care, education and environmental issues. Progressive lawmakers want both bills passed simultaneously, but Manchin and moderate Democrats have voiced concerns about the second proposal’s cost.
The Biden administration has pushed the infrastructure bill and the extensive proposal as essential parts of its agenda.
“Both bills are must-pass priorities and are strongly supported by large majorities of the American people, who know that for far too long the wealthiest taxpayers and large companies have been able to write one set of rules for themselves while everyone else is left more and more behind,” the White House said following a meeting between the president, Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Manchin — who was part of the bipartisan Senate group that drafted the infrastructure package — has argued lawmakers should consider both bills individually. He has questioned the proposal’s cost and the possible impact on inflation, and suggested a pause on advancing the legislation.
“While I am hopeful that common ground can be found that would result in another historic investment in our nation, I cannot – and will not – support trillions in spending or an all or nothing approach that ignores the brutal fiscal reality our nation faces,” he said Wednesday in a lengthy statement.
Manchin is fine with possible changes to the 2017 tax law to fund government programs but has warned against changes that would affect the nation’s economic competitiveness. Manchin did not support the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
“Overall, the amount we spend now must be balanced with what we need and can afford – not designed to reengineer the social and economic fabric of this nation or vengefully tax for the sake of wishful spending,” he said.
The president has met with Manchin and other congressional Democrats this week in an effort to reach a deal.
The sweeping proposal has also been a sticking point in lawmakers addressing the debt ceiling. Republicans refuse to increase or suspend the debt ceiling over opposition to Democrats’ policy goals.
“Taxpayers are sick of footing the bill for terrible policies which continue to make the problem of inflation even worse,” Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., said Wednesday on the House floor. “Americans shouldn’t have to pay for the consequences of Democrats’ out-of-touch actions. Democrats are responsible for the spending, and they need to take responsibility for the borrowing.”
The House on Wednesday voted 219-212 to extend the debt limit to Dec. 16, 2022. West Virginia Reps. David McKinley, Alex Mooney and Miller opposed the measure.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has urged congressional leaders to raise or suspend the debt limit by Oct. 18.
“At that point, we expect Treasury would be left with very limited resources that would be depleted quickly. It is uncertain whether we could continue to meet all the nation’s commitments after that date. While this is our best estimate, the federal government’s cash flows are subject to unavoidable variability,” Yellen wrote in a letter sent Tuesday.
“Furthermore, we know from previous debt limit impasses that waiting until the last minute can cause serious harm to business and consumer confidence, raise borrowing costs for taxpayers, and negatively impact the credit rating of the United States for years to come. Failure to act promptly could also result in substantial disruptions to financial markets, as heightened uncertainty can exacerbate volatility and erode investor confidence.”
Schumer said the Senate “cannot and will not” raise the debt ceiling through reconciliation, calling such action risky.