There are less than two months until the next government funding deadline on March 14, and House lawmakers are growing increasingly concerned about the speed of their progress on spending talks.
‘I think it’s a complete failure for us to not have a topline number,’ said Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla.
Congressional Republicans have been busy negotiating a massive conservative policy and budget overhaul via a process called ‘reconciliation,’ which allows the party holding both the House and Senate to enact sweeping changes by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51.
But all the while, Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital are worried about falling behind on the federal appropriations process for fiscal year (FY) 2025, with no topline funding numbers to work from yet and just 19 days left in session until the deadline.
Congress has extended the FY 2025 deadline twice since the period began Oct. 1 – most recently passing a short-term funding extension of FY 2024 funding levels, known as a continuing resolution (CR), in late December.
‘Appropriation bills have to get done. If we end up with another CR, that would be catastrophic. That would mean, in essence, a reduction on defense [funding],’ said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. ‘But for us to start doing it, we need a topline number. But I’m optimistic we’ll get there.’
If nothing is done by March 14, Congress could be forced to contend with a partial government shutdown in the middle of their reconciliation talks – and within the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Other members of the committee suggested they were similarly in the dark about a topline number, but were cautiously hopeful.
‘We are less than eight weeks away from the CR expiring. We need to be able to get those toplines as soon as possible and get to work,’ said Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla. ‘I have full faith and confidence that Tom Cole will be able to make that happen in the next week or two.’
Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., has been ‘in consultation’ with his counterparts on a towline number.
Asked about the possibility of another CR, he said, ‘We have several things going on at once – the reconciliation package, raising the debt ceiling, and the appropriations process. So let’s just hope for the best and deal with the worst if we have to.’
Republican leaders have previously been forced to seek Democratic support to pass CRs, which normally hit a wall of opposition among a cross-section of the GOP.
Conservative hardliners told Fox News Digital they’re bracing for another CR or, worse in their eyes, a massive package combining Congress’ 12 regular appropriation bills into one massive ‘omnibus.’
Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said he and other conservatives were working on a bill to keep border security operations funded in the event of a government shutdown.
‘We’re running out of time,’ he said, adding that Republicans should ‘probably stay in next week’ instead of flying to their annual issues conference in Miami.
Rep. Keith Self, R-Fla., pointed out that House lawmakers have just over two weeks’ worth of days in session to come up with a plan.
‘I’m very concerned. I’m also concerned that if we screw up the CR on March the 14th, does it poison the reconciliation negotiations?’ Self posed.
But not all conservatives are concerned. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, R-Md., said he would be in favor of a full-year CR if ‘we write it properly.’
‘You tell me what the topline is, and I’ll tell you whether I’m concerned,’ he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to congressional Republican leaders and the House Appropriations Committee for comment.
