With elections looming, the Congressional calendar is tight. Right now, Congress is locked in a funding battle. Emily Buckman, director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation, says the deadline is quickly approaching.

“September 30 marks the end of fiscal year 2024. This means Congress has roughly two weeks to pass government funding legislation to avoid a government shutdown. The activities of most federal agencies are generally funded on an annual basis through the enactment of regular appropriations bills, so the annual appropriations process governs the discretionary portion of the federal budget. To date, the House has passed a handful of individual funding bills, and the Senate has not passed any.”

Buckman says that, at this point, a continuing resolution is likely necessary to avoid a shutdown, but the two chambers are at an impasse.

“Well, the House and Senate have not agreed on how long they would like a continuing resolution to be. The House of Representatives is expected to consider legislation that would fund the government through March 2025. Now on the other side, the Senate would like to see shorter continuing resolution that would punt the discussion into December. It is an election year, and the congressional calendar is very limited.”

She says government funding is the first step in getting to work on a growing list of must-pass legislation.

“Time is limited for the rest of the year to take up legislation, which is why it’s imperative that Congress funds the federal government beyond September 30, so that we avoid a government shutdown and work on other efforts, including passage of a new farm bill. Updating the farm safety net to help farmers manage risk is necessary for America’s food supply.”