Review - HR 5672 Introduced – FY 2024 CR

Last week, Rep Bacon (R,NE) introduced HR 5672, the Bipartisan Keep America Open Act. The bill would extend current spending rates through January 11^th, 2024, giving legislators additional time to work out deals on the twelve spending bills or, historically an easier effort, an omnibus spending bill. Additional spending is provided for FEMA’s disaster relief programs and support for Ukraine. The bill does include some minor immigration measures as well as extensions for a number of programs.

Moving Forward

Bacon is not a member of the House Appropriations Committee to which this bill was assigned for consideration, but one of his cosponsors {Rep Case (D,HI)} is. This would mean, in the normal course of events, that there could be sufficient influence to see the bill considered in Committee. Unfortunately, there is nothing normal about the situation the House faces with spending bills. None of the normal legislative considerations apply.

Commentary

The only way that this bill will move forward is for Speaker McCarthy (R,CA) to realize that there is no way that the Republicans are going to be able to consolidate behind a spending bill of any kind. Passage of this bill would require substantial Democratic support as more than just the Republican 11 are going to vote against it. That would cause further problems between McCarthy and powerful Republican fringe.

I do not think that this bill will reach the floor of the House, but if the House initiates a continuing resolution that makes it to the floor for consideration, it will look something like this. More likely, the Senate will pass a CR (based on HR 3529, the FAA reauthorization bill) that is scheduled to be considered there this week. Still not sure how that bill gets to the floor of the House for a vote….

 

For more details about the provisions of the legislation, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-5672-introduced - subscription required.