House Republicans introduced a bill late Wednesday to fund the government through the middle of November — saying they want to remove the threat of a government shutdown.
The temporary resolution is necessary because Congress has yet to act on most budget bills — with the House leaving six of 12 unfinished, and the Senate acting on just one. It sets spending for fiscal year 2012 at $1.043 trillion — the maximum amount allowed under the August debt ceiling bill.
If a new funding bill is not passed by October 1, the beginning of the 2012 fiscal year, then much of the federal government would be without the funds to stay open. The GOP proposal would reduce spending by just over 1.4 percent over the current year.
The measure includes $3.65 billion in disaster relief — $1 billion for immediate needs to pay for hurricane, flood, and tornado relief from the current fiscal year after, and the rest for 2012.
The House is hoping to vote on the bill by the end of the week.
Speaker of the House John Boehner said in a statement that the continuing resolution would decrease uncertainty for businesses – and thereby create jobs.
"The first priority for both parties in today’s economy must be removing government barriers to private-sector job growth. By preventing a government shutdown and once again cutting spending below last year’s levels, this bill gives Congress more time to complete work on legislation that stops the Washington spending binge and provides more certainty for job creators. It also ensures those Americans impacted by natural disasters get the assistance they need in a way that’s best for families and taxpayers. This is a straightforward bill that keeps our focus on creating jobs and cutting spending, and eliminates the uncertainty caused by the specter of a government shutdown. It deserves swift passage in both the House and Senate."
Neither Senate Democrats nor the White House had immediate comment on the proposal Wednesday night.