Should Congress fund the government until September 30th and ban the State Department from funding the UNRWA?
H.R. 4366 provides funding for the federal government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2024.. Agencies funded under the bill include the Departments of Labour, Defense, and Health and Human Services. The bill also funds and extends the operation of programs such as the National Flood Insurance Program. H.R. 4366 also prohibits the use of State Department funds to fund the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the primary sponsor of humanitarian aid to Gaza as of March 2024.
Sponsor: Rep. Juan Ciscomani (Republican, Arizona, District 6)
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Opponents say
• "You’re going to give more funding for more border patrol agents to process more illegal aliens who are overrunning our border, overrunning our cities, overrunning our hospitals, overrunning our jails, overrunning our schools, driving mass crime into our communities, resulting in the death of Laken Riley, resulting in the death of Kayla Hamilton, resulting in the death of too many people for me to sit here and mention – and Republicans are going to cower in the corner tomorrow, wring their hands, and say we can’t talk about a shutdown." Source: Rep. Chip Roy (Republican, Texas, District 21)
• "The legislation is not only the product of a broken system, but it also seeks to perpetuate the system while doing nothing to counter the numerous dangerous actions of the Biden administration to destroy our culture, our economic system, and American families…[HR 2882 contains] numerous earmarks worth tens of millions of dollars being directed to organizations that support child mutilation…One such grant, $400K earmark for an organization giving confused thirteen-year-olds binding and tucking clothing without parental permission,” McClusky indicated. “Another earmark gives $1.8 million to a facility that performs late-term abortions in Rhode Island. The benefitted organization also heavily promotes abortion as healthcare on its social media... The legislation also funds the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)...[the Biden administration has] been working to turn the program into one that advances abortion as well as forcing countries that value human life to change their position to one of promoting the destruction of nascent human life." Source: Rep. Tom McClusky (Director of Governmental Affairs, CatholicVote)
• "Palestinians are now dying of starvation across Gaza…Let’s be clear; this is not a tragic accident. What we are witnessing, all of us, across this world, is the Israeli government using starvation as a weapon of war…Now my colleagues are pushing legislation to send more American tax dollars to the apartheid government of Israel and stop funding UNRWA, the major organization that provides desperately needed food and humanitarian assistance to starving Palestinians. Now members here, all of them, are now going to be contributing to the starvation of Palestinian families… What has happened to our shared humanity? Palestinians deserve to live. Palestinian children are not disposable… There is nothing humanitarian about feeding starving children for six weeks before the bombing and killing resumes. A ceasefire is what we need - a lasting permanent ceasefire." Source: Rep. Rashida Tlaib (Democrat, Michigan, District 12)
Proponents say
• "This bill also includes investments to promote global stability, keep our country safe, deter conflict, and ensure our military remains the strongest in the world. That means investments in diplomacy: maintaining strong ties with our allies, upholding our commitments, forging new partnerships, providing more humanitarian aid, and promoting stability and global health. It means investments in defense. And not just funds for new equipment—though that is important—but investments in the men and women in uniform who are our true frontlines of defense! This bill provides servicemembers a pay raise. It invests in child care for their kids, like I mentioned earlier. It invests in food security. It strengthens our efforts to prevent suicide and to address sexual assault and harassment in the forces, and more…Now, M. President, I hope my colleagues will work with me to close the book on FY24, avoid a shutdown, and get this bill passed as soon as possible." Source: Sen. Patty Murray (Democrat, Washington)
• "I worked hard to ensure these bills will strengthen our Arctic military capabilities including delivering an icebreaker to Alaska waters, improve Alaskans’ access to healthcare, bolster workforce development, support our families, and improve border security. Throughout, we aimed at taking on Alaska’s biggest challenges—from modernizing our military and addressing our workforce challenges to helping with housing and childcare and combating the mental health crisis in our state. I thank the many Alaskans who helped shape these priorities, and I’m proud to bring home investments that will benefit our health, economy, and security." Source: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Republican, Alaska)
• "The bipartisan funding bill I just signed keeps the government open, invests in the American people, and strengthens our economy and national security. This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted. But it rejects extreme cuts from House Republicans and expands access to child care, invests in cancer research, funds mental health and substance use care, advances American leadership abroad, and provides resources to secure the border that my Administration successfully fought to include. That’s good news for the American people.But I want to be clear: Congress’s work isn’t finished. The House must pass the bipartisan national security supplemental to advance our national security interests. And Congress must pass the bipartisan border security agreement—the toughest and fairest reforms in decades—to ensure we have the policies and funding needed to secure the border. It’s time to get this done." Source: President Joe Biden (Democrat)
- Bill Signed: H.R. 2882 (Press Release)
- Senate Passes Government Funding Legislation, Averting a Partial Shutdown (CNN)
- What’s in the Government Funding Bill (CNN)
- Hardline Republicans Hopes Dashed as US Congress Pushes Funding Bill (Reuters)
- Congress’ Spending Bill Could Ban Funding to U.N. Gaza Aid (Time)
- Government Shutdowns Have Been Normalized. Here’s How (Vox)
- Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s Largest Donors (OpenSecrets)
