### Congress Faces Dec. 20 Deadline to Avert Government Shutdown

With a critical Dec. 20 deadline approaching to fund the government, Speaker Mike Johnson has suggested that House Republicans might extend the funding battle into early 2025 rather than secure a full-year agreement this year. Johnson expressed this view on "Fox News Sunday," emphasizing the dwindling time to formulate a resolution before the deadline.

“We're running out of clock. December 20 is the deadline. We're still hopeful that we might be able to get that done but, if not, we'll have a temporary measure, I think that would go into the first part of next year and allow us the necessary time to get this done," Johnson noted. Such a measure would carry the funding deadline into the early months of President-elect Donald Trump's second term. By that time, Republicans will have regained control of the Senate while maintaining a slim majority in the House, potentially giving them greater influence over federal funding decisions for the rest of the fiscal year.

Rep. Robert Aderholt, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, acknowledged an ongoing lack of consensus on total government spending between the parties. He suggested that the resolution might be postponed to January or, more likely, March next year. "We had a meeting with the speaker earlier this week... he doesn't think there's any way that we can finish by the end of the year," Aderholt remarked. "I'll be very shocked if we do anything, if we get anything resolved by the end of the year."

However, some Republicans, like Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas, prefer to finalize the funding deal this year to prevent it from interfering with the initial 100 days of Trump's presidency. According to Boozman, settling the issue now would clear the path for confirming nominees and advancing GOP legislative priorities such as tax cuts and border security. "I'd rather do it this year," Boozman shared, emphasizing the importance of not burdening the new administration with last year's unresolved appropriations.

Despite differing opinions within the party, a stopgap bill or continuing resolution appears to be a potential interim solution if a full-year deal isn't reached. This approach might find support from Democrats, as indicated by Rep. Pete Aguilar, who acknowledged past support for continuing resolutions.

Nonetheless, some conservative lawmakers remain wary of a last-minute, comprehensive spending bill during the holiday season, preferring a more measured approach. Rep. Chip Roy expressed opposition to an "omnibus" spending bill, advocating instead for a resolution extending into March 2025. Similarly, Boozman highlighted the risk of automatic cuts to defense and other programs if a full-year funding bill is delayed excessively.

Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray and incoming Appropriations Committee Chair Sen. Susan Collins have both indicated their preference for passing bipartisan, full-year spending bills before the year ends. However, Republican leadership seems prepared to delay, underscoring the complex dynamics at play as Congress approaches the Dec. 20 deadline.