Guess what? CR talk is back! That's right, the dreaded continuing resolution—the fallback to passing real appropriations bills that are rationally related to the government's funding needs. Instead, the CR just keeps the government funded at the previous year's levels. CRs have basically become the norm over the last handful of years, but Republicans were going to fix all that,
reports Rachael Bade.
This was supposed to be the year of regular order — the year the new, GOP-controlled Congress would return Capitol Hill to the days when lawmakers actually scrutinized each spending bill, ensuring Uncle Sam was funding top priorities and minimizing government waste.
Instead, Republicans and Democrats say they’re spiraling toward the one thing both sides want to avoid: another continuing resolution that essentially keeps government funding on autopilot from one year to the next.
The main issue roiling lawmakers is that Republicans want to expand the Pentagon's budget while essentially keeping sequestration spending caps in non-defense areas. And then there's that embarrassing
Confederate flag debacle that forced House GOP leadership to shelve one of its appropriations bills. Those pesky Democrats want a vote on prohibiting the Confederate flag from federal cemeteries and gift shops.
Though some Republicans aren't yet admitting defeat, others are embracing it.
“It’s pretty clear we’ll need a short-term CR at the end of September,” said Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), an appropriations subcommittee chairman. “After that, one of two things will happen: either a budget agreement … or a long-term CR.
It is true that not all CRs are created equal. A short-term CR could buy lawmakers time to reconcile their differences on the 12 appropriations bills, while long-term CRs are basically like waving the white flag of surrender, erasing all the work lawmakers have done to actually budget according to need rather than blindly extending funding across the board.
The White House has already indicated that it won't accept a continuance of sequestration spending caps, whether they're in approved appropriations bills or a long-term CR. Of course, if Republicans fail to get their way in the appropriations process, they might use a looming government shutdown to try to get their preferred spending levels passed in a long-term CR.
On a conference call with reporters last week, Office of Management and Budget Director Shaun Donovan said a long-term CR would get a chilly reception at the White House.
“I’m not going to speculate on exactly what would happen if Republicans engage in brinkmanship,” he said. Obama “won’t accept a bill that locks in sequestration. That means full spending bills or a long-term CR that would lock in those sequestration levels.”