Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are running out of time to court voters before Americans go to the polls on Nov. 5. But time is running out on another deadline before Election Day that has the potential to significantly affect the election and beyond.
On Sept. 30, the end of fiscal year 2024, the government could shut down if Congress fails to pass a short-term funding bill.
The chances of a government shutdown are incredibly unlikely, given that neither Republicans nor Democrats have the political incentive to risk getting blamed for a shutdown on the eve of an election. Nevertheless, how Congress ultimately decides to fund the government, and for how long, will be one of the last big fights of the raucous 118th Congress.
House Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan reportedly is to continue funding the federal government at levels previously agreed upon by congressional leaders of both parties, but with some key changes. Johnson, R-La., wants to throw out the sweetheart deals former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., struck with President Joe Biden in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 that raised the government’s debt ceiling. That’s not unreasonable, given that those side deals were geared toward fiscal ’24 spending levels.