GOP Fires Starting Gun On FY25 With Numbers Likely To Lead To CR In Sept

House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) yesterday released his USD$1.6 trillion interim allocation for FY25, which includes a major (6%) cut to non-defence spending and a boost to the Pentagon and DHS. The non-defence numbers, which fall well below acceptable levels for the Senate and White House, are near-certain to lead to a Continuing Resolution to punt federal government funding beyond the general election.

• Punchbowl News reports: “Based upon what we’re hearing so far — and it’s very early — things aren’t great. Part of the reason is that House Republicans hope Donald Trump wins the presidency on Nov. 5 so that he can dictate what these bills look like.”
• Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), ranking Democrat on Appropriations, countered that Cole’s allocation falls well short of the Fiscal Responsibility Act which dictates a 1% increase in both defence and non-defence spending.
• DeLauro: “House Republicans know that these delay tactics amount to a sham process that overpromises to their most extreme Members and leads us from one continuing resolution to another, or worse, a shutdown.”
• Cole said: “It’s an opening position in negotiations, the way you always start. If somebody above me wants to do side deals later on down the line, that’s up to them.”
• Punchbowl notes: “…a CR with a February end date would give Trump — if he wins on Nov. 5 — the chance to weigh in on the issue. This would undermine Democrats’ ability to push for more domestic spending.”