After successful negotiations behind closed doors with two of the three Republican holdouts, Mike Johnson of Louisiana has been elected as Speaker for the 119th Congress by securing the 218 votes he needed.
News and updates
Johnson Comes Up Short… for Now
Today is the first day of the 119th Congress, with Members of both chambers of Congress scheduled to be sworn in. Members of the Senate have been sworn in. In order for that to occur in the House, it must first elect a Speaker. During the first round of voting earlier this afternoon, Mike Johnson of Louisiana could not muster enough votes to win re-election to the position. There are currently 434 Member-Elects in the House and he was able to win 216 votes in the first round; 218 votes are needed.
With this vote still technically open and negotiations now taking place between Johnson’s team and the holdouts, it remains to be seen whether enough minds can be changed in the near future.
Please continue to check back for updates.
CR Adopted, Government Funded… At Least Through March 14
Just after midnight Saturday, the Senate cleared by a vote of 85 to 11 the continuing resolution that had been approved by the House just a few hours earlier, sending the measure to The White House for the President’s signature. The legislative package keeps the government funded through March 14, meaning that Congress will need to tackle the question of how to fund the remainder of FY2025 once again the first part of next year.
Now, It’s the Senate’s Turn
After a frantic day of discussions, just after 6 PM ET, the House was finally able to pass a continuing resolution to keep the government funded past midnight. The House leadership brought the bill up under the suspension of the rules, meaning that it needed the support of two-thirds of those Members who voted. It was eventually agreed to by a vote of 366 to 34, with one Member voting “Present.”
This version of the continuing resolution is a much smaller package than the one that was defeated earlier this week. Although there are other provisions, its main contents are: 1) an extension of government funding through March 14, 2025; 2) funding for disaster relief; 3) sections related to a set of health-care programs; and 4) one-year extensions of programs funded by the Farm Bill.
It is now up to the Senate to clear the bill and to send it to President Biden’s desk before the clock strikes midnight.
Government Shutdown Update
The three-month Continuing Resolution (CR) was unveiled late Tuesday. Early Wednesday were digested, the dynamics around the CR passing changed drastically last night. A government shutdown starting at midnight Saturday now a very real possibility. While a shutdown is possible, it is important to keep in mind that only certain parts and functions of the federal government would be shut down and federal employees will be furloughed. Many parts of the academic research community will feel the impact of the shutdown.
A host of basic federal functions and services will be temporarily shut down, with federal employees furloughed. For example, while National Parks may remain open (they have been closed during shutdowns), they will be devoid of staff and services. Visa processing will cease and State Department employees in consulates overseas will not be able to do screening.
Many of the functions related to the federal research enterprise, such as the processing and reviewing of grant applications, will be temporarily unavailable. Significant portions of the funding agencies’ staff will be furloughed, and they will be legally prohibited from performing any of their duties, so all work products including emails, phone calls, etc. is prohibited. Questions related to proposals, applications, and other issues will not be answered during the shutdown.
Activities deemed essential will continue, even during a shutdown. Employees of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will continue to screen passengers at airports. Members of the military will continue to be on duty and serve, but those who manage shipbuilding will be furloughed. The Social Security Administration will continue to process monthly checks to seniors. However, none of these essential workers will be paid for their efforts during the shutdown.
Even at the agencies forced to shut down many of their functions, a number of employees and activities are classified as “essential” employees, meaning that they would still be working and functioning throughout the shutdown to maintain the agencies’ critical services. In the academic context, examples include continuing to support labs with animal subjects. Agencies prepare for shutdown scenarios and each agency updates its policies regarding employees and functions that are considered “essential.” Each agency is prepared for this latest potential shutdown.
As a result of change in law after the last shutdown, each federal employee is guaranteed back-pay from their furlough. Unfortunately, federal contractors have no such guarantee.
Please continue to check this space for updates.