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What government funding week will look like

Dems say Alsobrooks should do more to raise profile

Ukraine pushes Congress to reject China’s ‘peace’ plan

What we’re watching

THE TOP

What government funding week will look like

Happy Monday morning.

Welcome to government funding week. House and Senate appropriators released a 49-page continuing resolution on Sunday that will keep federal agencies open through Dec. 20. We scooped the details for you early, although it had been clear for days where this was going to end up. Now we’ll get into what it all means.

Here’s Speaker Mike Johnson’s “Dear Colleague” letter on the bipartisan bill. Johnson says that while the “very narrow, bare-bones” CR is “not the solution any of us prefer, it is the most prudent path forward under the present circumstances.” Johnson added that a shutdown right now “would be an act of political malpractice.”

This is true. But now the last big vote that House Republicans take before heading home will be on a funding package that former President Donald Trump has opposed because it doesn’t include the SAVE Act, which requires voters to prove they’re U.S. citizens before registering for a federal election. That’s the closing House GOP message. Which perfectly sums up the 118th Congress.

In addition to extending the shutdown deadline for nearly three months, there’s $231 million in new money for the embattled Secret Service, which is still reeling following two assassination attempts against Trump.

And there are also tens of millions of dollars in additional funding for the presidential inauguration and to help out the transition period for whoever will be the commander in chief.

But there are some omissions that Democrats don’t love. There’s no disaster aid, and there’s no new money for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA got some new funding recently yet still wants another $12 billion. Democrats had pushed for both and received neither.

The House GOP leadership has added the bill to the Rules Committee’s Monday afternoon agenda. We’ll be interested to see if they can get it out of Rules given that the panel includes several hardline conservative Republicans. House GOP leaders could fall back on passing the bill under suspension, which would require a two-thirds majority on the House floor. Either way, they’ll need a lot of Democratic help.

Once it passes the House — and it will — the Senate will take up the stopgap funding package. How long will the Senate take? Conservative Republicans could drag out the process for a while seeking votes on the SAVE Act or spending cuts, but everyone knows what the final outcome will be here. Lawmakers want to go home and campaign for reelection. So count on some Senate magic and don’t get bogged down on procedural silliness. The CR will pass. The federal government won’t shut down. Breathe. Heads up, eyes downfield.

There are lots of other legislative items set to be taken up on the House floor, so make sure you read “What We’re Watching” below.

Now let’s talk about the big picture.

While the November elections will have a huge impact on the final FY2025 package — we could see a change in control for the House, Senate and White House — the basic outlines are already clear. It’ll be the Fiscal Responsibility Act funding levels plus the agreement worked out by Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer earlier this year. Maybe some more money for both the Pentagon and domestic spending will be added on. House Republicans have wanted to get out of the deal since former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden signed onto it last year. It cost McCarthy his job. Now we’ll see what happens to Johnson.

Will there be an omnibus? Probably. Will it include more Pentagon funding or Ukraine money? Maybe. Francis Scott Key Bridge help? Maybe. Other odds and ends, including disaster aid and VA money? Certainly.

Congress also will have to deal with the must-pass annual defense authorization bill and the expiring farm bill during the lame-duck session, as well as some new Cabinet nominations. There will be lots to do.

On Johnson. Johnson and House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) had a weak hand in this government funding fight and they didn’t play it particularly well. Johnson and Cole wanted Democrats to negotiate, but House Republicans had nothing to move them off their starting point.

Johnson made his move — a six-month stopgap funding bill with the SAVE Act attached — and couldn’t get his conference to follow him. Johnson’s problem was every time he pushed in one place — say a six-month CR to win over conservatives — he lost votes somewhere else (see defense hawks.) The SAVE Act hasn’t been the political hammer that Johnson or Trump hoped it would be.

Thus Johnson ends up with little here. Not empty handed but close. And he’ll be negotiating a spending deal during a lame-duck session held in what’s certain to be a highly polarized post-election period with his own political future on the line.

— John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman

Happening tomorrow! Join us at 9 a.m. ET for an extended conversation on the importance of small business policy and its impact on the nation’s economic future.

We’re speaking with Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) for conversations focused on the news of the day and their legislative priorities when it comes to small business issues and the economy. This event is the culmination of a partnership with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices program and the final event in the series for 2024. There’s still time to RSVP!

SENATE MAP

Dems say Alsobrooks should do more to raise profile

With a month and a half to go until Election Day, top Democrats are warning that Maryland Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks needs to improve her recognition among voters statewide as she runs against popular former GOP Gov. Larry Hogan.

Alsobrooks, the executive of Prince George’s County in the D.C. suburbs, beat Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) in a competitive primary back in May. In the months since, Democrats have poured millions of dollars into ads attacking Hogan’s moderate image, especially on abortion. But there’s still a widespread feeling among Democrats that Marylanders simply aren’t as aware of Alsobrooks when compared to the former two-term Republican governor.

Earlier this week, DSCC Chair Gary Peters made a striking admission that Alsobrooks “needs to be known by folks across the state.” We spoke with Maryland Democrats to see if they agreed with Peters that their Senate candidate could be messaging better in the final stretch of campaigning.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) echoed Peters’ concerns, noting that “polls are showing that she’s not as well known as we’d like to have her in Maryland.”

Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), a mainstay of Baltimore County politics for decades, told us that he hasn’t campaigned with Alsobrooks in Baltimore. However, Ruppersberger said he’d be holding an event with Alsobrooks soon.

“First thing, she’s from the Washington suburbs. So is the former governor, but she’s been really active there,” Ruppersberger said of Alsobrooks. “I think she wins it, but it’s going to be close.”

Connor Lounsbury, a senior adviser to the Alsobrooks campaign, said in a statement that “as people get to know Angela, the more excited they get.”

“We will continue to meet people across this state and introduce both Angela and the high stakes of this race,” Lounsbury said.

Democratic optimism: Every Democrat we spoke to still predicted that Alsobrooks would come out on top in November, despite concerns over her statewide image.

“She’s going to win. She’s ahead in the polls,” Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told us. The RealClearPolitics average has Alsobrooks leading Hogan by seven points.

Maryland is a deep-blue state, after all, and electing a Republican governor versus electing a Republican senator are two very different propositions for voters. Plus, Democrats feel good about the energy created by Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign.

“The top of the ticket is bringing out exactly the kinds of people who would be Alsobrooks supporters: Women, minorities and progressives,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) — who was once courted to run for Senate this cycle — told us.

Democrats also said the onslaught of ads slamming Hogan on abortion rights and his GOP issue positions will sway voters.

“The ads are pretty powerful and I think they’re going to be very effective as far as getting the message across about his previous record, especially with respect to the abortion issue,” Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) said.

— Max Cohen

WASHINGTON X THE WORLD

Ukraine pushes Congress to reject China’s ‘peace’ plan

NEW YORK — The Ukrainian government is seeking to mobilize U.S. lawmakers as part of its bid to discredit China’s so-called “peace” plan as the United Nations General Assembly gets underway this week.

Over the weekend, Ukrainian officials were circulating materials to members of Congress outlining Kyiv’s strong opposition to the Beijing-authored plan, according to a senator who was contacted on the issue.

Several lawmakers are expected to be in New York for meetings as part of the annual U.N. gathering. And the outreach shows that Ukraine is looking to U.S. lawmakers to help make their case against China’s plan, which has drawn praise from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The expectation is that China’s top officials will be making a strong pitch for their proposal here at the U.N. meeting.

Why Congress? It should go without saying that Congress is one of the Ukrainian government’s most important constituencies beyond its borders. Without congressional backing, Ukraine wouldn’t get critical weapons and equipment in its still desperate struggle with Russia.

And the last thing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to see is an effort to restrict his military’s ability to ultimately defeat Russia. That’s exactly how Zelensky views Beijing’s plan, which calls on Western countries to stop enabling Ukraine’s military strikes into Russian territory, among other recommendations.

Of course, bipartisan majorities in Congress are actively urging the Biden administration to lift existing restrictions on Ukraine’s ability to strike into Russia. So it makes sense that Ukraine would want to enlist lawmakers to help make their case to the dozens of world leaders and thousands of diplomats who will be at UNGA this week.

What’s the argument? Kyiv’s opposition to China’s efforts focus in large part on what Ukrainian officials say is their short-term goal: pushing the United States to allow it to strike inside Russia as a way to establish a “buffer” against attacks on Ukraine.

According to the senator briefed on the issue and a Ukrainian official, the materials shared with U.S. lawmakers have warnings about China’s intentions, including to “take advantage of the uncertainty caused by the U.S. presidential election.”

Beijing’s plan is described by the Ukrainian government as self-serving, with the goal of strengthening China-Russia ties by forcing Moscow to increase its dependency on China. Kyiv also warns that Beijing will try to enlist “one of the powerful European players as mediators.”

Here’s more:

Also: Zelensky will be at the U.N. General Assembly meeting, followed by a White House visit with President Joe Biden later this week. We’re told it’s possible that Zelensky will visit the Capitol to meet with lawmakers, but these plans are still fluid.

— Andrew Desiderio

WEEK AHEAD

What we’re watching

Monday: The House Rules Committee will meet to prepare several measures for the floor.

Tuesday: The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will have a hearing on Boeing’s comprehensive action plan. FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker will testify.

The House Financial Services Committee will have SEC Chairman Gary Gensler and several SEC commissioners for an oversight hearing.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will testify at the House Foreign Affairs Committee about the Biden administration’s handling of the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The Senate HELP Committee will have Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen to testify about the high price of Ozempic and Wegovy.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will have a hearing on the Supreme Court’s immunity decision, with witnesses including former Attorney General Michael Mukasey.

Wednesday: Gensler will be at Senate Banking. Whitaker will testify at Senate Homeland Security about Boeing.

Thursday: The task force investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump will have a hearing on the shooting in Butler, Pa.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy will testify in front of the House Appropriations Committee about the USPS’ role in the 2024 election.

Legislation to watch: The House has an incredibly busy legislative week.

On the suspension calendar: The House will consider a reauthorization of NASA.

Under a rule: The GOP leadership has bills to sanction members of the Chinese Communist Party, create a system that strengthens criminal background reports and another that condemns a host of Biden administration officials for their role in the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

— Jake Sherman

… AND THERE’S MORE

New ads: Will Rollins, the Democrat challenging Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), has two new ads up seeking to shore up support among Hispanic voters. California’s 41st District is roughly 30% Latino.

The first digital ad features actress Eva Longoria, who calls Rollins a “fresh, bold leader” who will fight to reduce housing costs and protect reproductive rights. Longoria spoke at the DNC earlier this year, encouraging Latino voters to turn out for Democrats in November.

The second ad focuses on lowering housing costs for Latino families. The ad shows Rollins walking through a local neighborhood vowing to crack down on corporate investors and increase tax credits for families.

Endorsement watch: Democrat Sam Liccardo, who’s running against fellow Democrat Evan Low in California’s 16th District, is rolling out a big list of endorsements from Latino political leaders. The members backing Liccardo include Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), CHC BOLD PAC Chair Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) and California Democratic Reps. Salud Carbajal, Tony Cárdenas, Lou Correa, Raul Ruiz, Mike Levin and Robert Garcia.

The campaign trail: Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), a rising star in the House Democratic Caucus, spent Saturday campaigning for the Harris-Walz ticket in New Hampshire at a tailgate at the University of New Hampshire. On Sunday, Jacobs stumped for Josh Riley, the Democrat challenging Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) in Otsego County, N.Y.

— Mica Soellner and Max Cohen

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