Last-minute wrangling

Biden administration letting Congress take the lead on reaching spending deal amid last-minute wrangling

From CNN's Kayla Tausche

The Biden administration is putting the onus on Congress to reach a funding deal that can pass with just days before a possible shutdown could take effect.

“It’s in the Hill’s hands,” a senior White House official told CNN when asked about the possibility that a deal brokered by House Speaker Mike Johnson could collapse in the face of opposition from Republican members and President-elect Donald Trump’s inner circle.

Last Friday, the Biden administration made initial contact with government agencies about contingency planning for a potential shutdown, an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) official told CNN. Such communication is customary one week before funding is set to lapse, even if an appropriations agreement appears imminent.

Since then, the White House has remained quiet on its outlook for a potential deal, instead opting to “leave it up to Congressional leaders to decide how to accomplish that,” an OMB official said.

Some background: President Joe Biden has, so far, avoided a government shutdown during his term, but the re-entry of Trump — now accompanied by his wingman, Elon Musk — has complicated Republicans’ negotiations. Trump and Musk have expressed opposition to the bipartisan deal that resulted from weeks of negotiations, throwing congressional leadership into a last-minute frenzy to allay concerns — or reach a new deal.

Trump has shown a stronger tolerance for government shutdowns, even over the winter holidays, as a way to exact pressure on Congress. The last and longest government shutdown occurred in December 2018, stemming from a standoff over more than $5 billion in funding to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. It ended 35 days later when Trump reversed his position as the economic effects of the shutdown intensified.