The leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee have reached an agreement to add $13.7 billion in emergency funding for fiscal year 2024 above spending levels set by the debt ceiling agreement, to include $8 billion for defense.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), chair of the Appropriations Committee, said on Thursday the deal is aimed at addressing “serious bipartisan concerns” over the cuts to non-defense programs and defense spending caps included in the debt ceiling agreement.
“Vice Chair [Susan] Collins (R-Maine) and I have discussed how to best address those concerns and we have agreed to make use of additional emergency appropriations, just as we do every year and as is fully allowed under the debt ceiling deal, to address in a bipartisan way some of the pressing challenges our nation faces. In order to take those concerns regarding our defense and non-defense needs seriously and to ensure that we deliver the strongest bills possible with the broadest bipartisan support possible, Vice Chair Collins and I agreed to add $13.7 billion in additional emergency appropriations, including $8 billion for defense and $5.7 billion for non-defense, spread across four subcommittees,” Murray said.
Murray said the additional emergency spending is aimed at addressing “urgent challenges our country faces,” in remarks during the panel’s markup of its Energy and Water Development, State and Foreign Operations and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee’s FY ‘24 spending bills.
The debt ceiling bill passed in June locked in an $886 billion defense topline for FY ‘24, the level requested in the president’s budget and a 3.3 percent increase over FY ‘23, and authorizes a one percent increase in FY ‘25 to the defense and non-defense toplines.
The emergency spending agreement follows remarks from Murray and Collins in late June signaling interest in supplemental spending measures to boost defense dollars above the cap set by the debt ceiling agreement (Defense Daily, June 22).
“We can and we absolutely should have a conversation about how the debt ceiling agreement also limits our investments on defense. And we can and we should talk about how we can address the danger posed by those limits. I’ve heard those concerns loud and clear from leaders across the board, like Vice Chair Collins and Sen. [Lindsey] Graham (R-S.C.), whose expertise and perspective on national security I value deeply. I’m certain this is a conversation that we will continue to have,” Murray said at the time. “Just as we do every year, we can and we will consider supplemental and emergency appropriations to address key challenges.”
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) voiced his opposition to the emergency spending agreement and offered an amendment during Thursday’s markup to reverse the measure and “protect the bipartisan debt limit deal.”
“Unfortunately, it looks like yet another gimmick is being pursued this time outside the purview of the debt ceiling agreement right here in our own committee,” Manchin said. “It’s just plain wrong. It takes us off the promising path that we have started on to get our fiscal house back in order.”
Manchin ultimately withdrew his amendment, adding he believed it would be a “poison pill” to moving forward on the spending bills being considered.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has reportedly pushed back on talk of supplementals to boost defense, echoing similar comments to Manchin that it would be a workaround for the spending caps negotiated for the debt ceiling agreement.