SAVING THE APPROPS PAIN Before House Republicans leave Washington for recess on Friday, they’ll likely have churned through one-third of fiscal 2025’s dozen government funding bills. But the hard part comes after the Fourth of July parades. First things first: The GOP is set to win appropriations brownie points this week with the anticipated passage of their Defense, Homeland Security and State-Foreign Operations spending bills. That trio would join the Military Construction-VA measure – which passed with four Democratic votes earlier this month, lending party leaders what they hope is more leverage in the bipartisan, bicameral government funding talks that are expected to happen after Election Day. Yet it could be a short-lived victory for House Republicans, whose greatest source of suffering is last in the lineup next month. They’re slating their toughest spending bills for tentative floor action at the end of July — including five that divided the GOP conference so severely last year they never made it off the floor. Even after Speaker Mike Johnson tried again to pass the stalled bills when he took over the top post last fall, it couldn’t get done. The GOP’s margin for error is even smaller now. That said, Republicans are already working to ensure they avoid an embarrassing repeat of last summer’s pushback from both conservatives and moderates. Their proposal to fund the Agriculture Department and FDA, for example, omits a provision aimed at blocking mail-order abortion pills that dealt a fatal blow to last year’s version of the spending bill. “One step at a time. I think we’ve learned from some of the problems we had,” said Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.), a senior party appropriator. “Hopefully we can deliver [the bills].” The counterpoint: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a conservative hardliner and fiscal hawk, described the goal to pass a dozen spending bills on the floor before August recess as “aggressive.” Asked if Republicans have learned from their mistakes, Massie simply replied: “No.” Here are the flashpoints that remain in each of the five funding bills that House Republicans couldn’t get done last time: Financial Services: The bill to fund the Treasury Department and the IRS is going to be a heavy lift again, thanks to steep funding cuts and reproductive rights issues. The House GOP bill would block a D.C. law that prevents employers from discriminating against workers who seek contraception or family planning services. That provision played a big role in Johnson’s decision to pull last year’s version of the bill from the floor in November, after the House already voted on dozens of amendments. This time cannabis policy is also a sticking point. House Republicans included language in this year’s bill that would bar federal agencies from penalizing financial institutions for serving legal cannabis businesses. But they ditched that provision before approving the measure in committee this month, and GOP appropriators are already predicting a robust floor debate. Agriculture-FDA: In addition to the abortion pill issue that squeezed swing-district Republicans last summer, rank-and-file GOP lawmakers representing agriculture-heavy districts were roiled by proposed spending cuts demanded by conservatives. The funding picture looks a little, but not much, better this year – Republicans are pursuing about a 1 percent cut over current levels for the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1. Commerce-Justice-Science: Swing-district Republicans thinking about voting “yea” this year should be prepared for attack ads highlighting their support for cutting funding for the FBI and federal prosecutors. Democratic campaign arms teed off on vulnerable GOP incumbents over that, piling on with DCCC criticism of Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) for supporting the initial House GOP debt limit plan well over a year ago. House conservatives also wanted this year’s bill to defund the state and federal prosecutors going after former President Donald Trump. But the measure stops short, setting up a dramatic potential clash with Trump-aligned conservatives once the measure makes it to the floor. The ongoing throwdown over the FBI moving its headquarters to Maryland also dogs this one – the fiscal 2025 bill would block that relocation. Labor-HHS-Education: House Republicans will unveil the text of their largest domestic spending bill on Wednesday morning. And like last year, GOP appropriators are eschewing tens of billions of dollars negotiated by both parties outside of fiscal 2025 funding caps that could be used to bolster non-defense programs. Moderate Republicans chafed at those lower levels last summer, hesitant to defend cuts to popular education and workforce programs back home, along with anti-abortion policies. Transportation-HUD: GOP leaders were forced to yank their transportation funding bill from the floor twice last year amid a revolt from lawmakers representing districts around Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor who were unable to stomach a proposed $1.5 billion cut to the rail company. The measure is also an enormous source of earmarks, and there’s already bipartisan consternation over a recent change that blocks nonprofits from getting specific economic development money. Democrats are accusing GOP leaders of hurting popular nonprofits like Boys & Girls Clubs in the interest of freezing out other groups that help the LGBTQ+ community. Republicans will debut the latest text for the Transportation-HUD bill on Wednesday morning, alongside the Labor-HHS-Education measure. — Caitlin Emma and Jennifer Scholtes GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, June 25, where you can always bet against yourself.
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