Latest Congressional Can-Kick Delays Debt Ceiling Doom Until March

You’ll never guess what happened…

That’s right, folks! Our wise and benevolent lawmakers have once again averted debt ceiling disaster – after lawmakers in the House and Senate reached a bipartisan spending deal that will extend two major deadlines and keep the government operating … for six more weeks!

Until we get to do this all over again.

According to NBC News (so who knows), “The deal would keep the government funded until March, buying legislators more time to craft longer-term, agency-specific spending bills, following the agreement last weekend to set the overall spending level for fiscal year 2024 at $1.59 trillion.”

The new agreement moves upcoming government funding deadlines for different departments from Jan. 19 and Feb. 2 to March 1 and March 8.

The short-term bill, known as a continuing resolution or “CR,” will need to pass both the House and Senate before Friday at 11:59 p.m. to avoid a partial government shutdown.

Speaker Mike Johnson is set to hold a call with fellow House Republicans at 8 p.m. Sunday to discuss spending negotiations. Several hard-right Republicans have objected to the top–line spending deal he previously cut with Senate Democrats and have urged Johnson to go back on it, though he said Friday that the agreement remains intact. -NBC News

“The bipartisan topline appropriations agreement clears the way for Congress to act over the next few weeks in order to maintain important funding priorities for the American people and avoid a government shutdown,” said Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries – the top Democrats in both chambers.