Congress

Congress reaches a deal on how much to spend for 2024 as shutdown deadline nears

The deal is an important step to averting a government shutdown, but the threat isn't extinguished yet

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 12: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) listen during remarks at a Capitol Menorah lighting ceremony at the U.S. Capitol Building on December 12, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Hanukkah reception was the first of its kind at the U.S. Capitol Building that featured bipartisan congressional leadership.
Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced a deal Sunday on how much the U.S. government will spend in the new year, a significant step toward avoiding a shutdown.

But while the agreement on a “topline” spending level breaks a logjam that had stalled the process, it doesn’t necessarily extinguish the shutdown threat as the first of two deadlines nears on Jan. 19, when some parts of the government will run out of money.

“The bipartisan topline appropriations agreement clears the way for Congress to act over the next few weeks in order to maintain important funding priorities for the American people and avoid a government shutdown," Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both New York Democrats, said in a statement.

The deal would establish an overall spending level of $1.59 trillion in fiscal year 2024, reflecting the bipartisan budget deal struck last year by President Joe Biden and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Johnson, R-La., told colleagues in a letter. The breakdown is $886 billion for the military and $704 billion for non-defense spending, Johnson said.

Read the full article at NBCNews.com here.

Contact Us