Sheldon Whitehouse: “H.R. 5860 was the continuing resolution signed into law on September 30. It narrowly averted an extremist-led government…”

“H.R. 5860 was the continuing resolution signed into law on September 30. It narrowly averted an extremist-led government shutdown. That act included $16 billion in disaster relief for States like Florida, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Louisiana, and others that suffered tremendous losses from extreme weather events exacerbated by fossil fuel emissions causing climate change. It also provided funding for the thousands of firefighters who protect our communities from the ravages of wildfires. Because that was designated as emergency funding, the Budget Committee chairman--i.e., me--is authorized to increase the Appropriations Committee's top line by the same amount. With this adjustment, the emergency funding will not supplant nondefense discretionary funding--which includes important investments for climate mitigation, environmental protection, infrastructure, education, job training, national parks and forests, and law enforcement--that is subject to the fiscal year 2024 discretionary spending limits. That funding was designated as emergency funding pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. Section 314(a) of the Congressional Budget Act allows the chairman of the committee to revise the allocations, aggregates, and levels consistent with the amount of emergency funding. Today, I am making that adjustment.…”