Tell your Representatives: Thank You and Continue to Stand Up to MAGA
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Call Script
My name is __________. I am a constituent, and my zip code is _______. I am a member of Indivisible SF.
Thank you for standing strong against MAGA Republican extremism in favor of protecting a functioning government by providing enough votes to pass a Continuing Resolution without the draconian cuts MAGA extremists were seeking. Please remain strong in protecting our values in the second batch of bills in February.
Please continue to insist on passage of the President’s supplemental funding request for aid to Ukraine, Israel, humanitarian aid, border/immigration, Pacific/China security matters,, and domestic manufacturing package.
Background
When there was less than a week left to avert a government shutdown, the new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, sent his fellow Congressional Republicans home early. There was speculation that he was dashing off to give another speech to the Worldwide Freedom Initiative meeting in Paris. When he returned, he presented the House with a plan for a two-phase Continuing Resolution to keep our government funded. This two-step system gives MAGA House a second opportunity for political hostage taking and shutdown blackmail, but the Defense bill has been saved for February, which gives Democrats some leverage.
The House: Speaker Johnson’s 2-Phase Continuing Resolution was posted for House Review on November 11, 2023, thus starting a 72-hour clock for lawmakers to review the proposal. The House would be able to vote on the bill as soon as Tuesday evening under a rule adopted by the House in January.
Until January 19: Funding for the agencies covered by the Military Construction-VA, Agriculture, Energy-Water and Transportation-HUD bills
Health care provisions for programs renewed through Nov. 17 under the current stopgap law, including funding for community health centers and teaching hospitals, special diabetes programs and a delay of Medicaid cuts to so-called “disproportionate share hospitals” which serve predominantly lower-income patients. It would also renew a Medicare physician payment “extender,” and delays for an additional year scheduled changes to Medicare clinical laboratory test payments.
The House Rules Committee added the draft stopgap measure to its Monday meeting agenda, along with the chamber’s Labor-HHS-Education bill.
Until February 2: Funding for the agencies covered by the other eight bills : Legislative Branch, Commerce-Justice-Science, Financial Services and General Government, State-Foreign Operations, Defense, Interior-Environment, Labor-HHS-Education, Homeland Security. The National Flood Insurance Program would also be extended.
Other Extensions:
Most lapsed farm bill programs through Sept. 30, 2024, retroactive to the beginning of this fiscal year on Oct. 1.
Excluded:
Supplemental funding packages President Joe Biden has requested, including $106 billion for Israel, Ukraine, U.S.-Mexico border management.
Sec. 702 extension in order to provide “breathing room” for a FISA overhaul measure that’s currently under discussion in both chambers
This Monday, the Senate was expected to vote on a more conventional stopgap measure to extend spending for all agencies to Jan. 19.
It would also have extended several expiring authorizations including the farm bill, flood insurance, a health care package and Sec. 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It also could contain money to boost pay for wildland firefighters.
Excluded from the Senate stopgap bill: Aid to Israel and Ukraine, humanitarian aid, China/Pacific security matters, border/immigration funding and reform, and domestic manufacturing support.
Majority Leader Schumer delayed the vote for two reasons. First, because Speaker Johnson’s CR did not include highly partisan budget cuts, which Democrats had warned against. Second, because it saves the Defense bill for the second batch of bills to be resolved by February, which retains some leverage for Democrats over the Labor-HHS-Education bill and other bills that will fund domestic agencies.
References:
Senate leaders give green light to Johnson stopgap funds plan, Roll Call, 11/13/2023
Johnson offers up two-tiered stopgap funds plan, Roll Call, 11/11/2023
Senate stopgap plan might extend to January, jettison war funds, Roll Call,11/11/2023
Mike Johnson Finally Unveils His Plan To Keep Government Open, Huffington Post, 11/11/2023
Scalise releases House calendar for 2024, Roll Call,11/07/2023
ICYMI: Murray Leads Senate Appropriations in Passing All 12 Bills Out of Committee in Overwhelming Bipartisan Votes, Senate Appropriations Committee, 6/23/2023