Congress Ends Longest Shutdown, Extends Funding Through September; Kaine Pushes War Powers Vote
Lawmakers funded government components through September, postponing major spending decisions to January 30, while Sen. Tim Kaine seeks a Senate vote reasserting Congress’s war powers.
Overview
Lawmakers approved funding for select government agencies through September, ending the historic shutdown and preventing an immediate funding lapse, while setting a deadline for broader appropriations.
Major funding decisions are postponed to January 30, leaving key programs and agencies awaiting new funding battles in the new year.
Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia is pushing a resolution to reaffirm Congress's war powers, aiming for a Senate vote within the week.
The effort would clarify checks and balances on military action, responding to concerns about executive branch authority since past conflicts.
The developments unfold as lawmakers navigate a political climate with competing priorities and ongoing negotiations that shape the size and timing of future budgets.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this as a politics-first agenda: spotlighting timing, competing health-care subsidies, and the Venezuela action as catalysts, while emphasizing deadlines and potential electoral consequences. They foreground an unusual bipartisan push on the stock-trading ban and describe a 'populist' coalition, signaling how framing shapes audience perceptions of urgency and responsibility.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Lawmakers approved funding for select government agencies through September, ending the historic shutdown and preventing an immediate funding lapse.
Major funding decisions are postponed to January 30.
Sen. Tim Kaine is pushing a resolution to reaffirm Congress's war powers, aiming for a Senate vote within the week to clarify checks and balances on military action.
The resolution requires explicit congressional authorization for hostilities with Iran, ensuring public debate and vote, while not preventing defense from imminent attack.
Kaine has led bipartisan efforts, including passing resolutions in 2020 and 2023 to repeal old AUMFs and prevent unauthorized escalations with Iran and other nations.
History
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