Congress has just weeks to avoid a partial government shutdown after Thanksgiving

After Congress returns from Thanksgiving break in December, they will have just weeks to approve continued government spending past the Dec. 20 deadline. 

In floor remarks last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said, “When the Senate returns after Thanksgiving, senators can expect a very busy few weeks to finish our work before the end of the year.

“Both sides must continue working together to keep the government open beyond the Dec. 20 deadline.”

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The Senate was not able to pass the section 702 FISA renewal before its deadline last year, despite the support of both party leaders, Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell. (Getty Images)

“Letting the government shut down just before Christmas would be asinine, plain and simple, and nobody wants that to happen,” he said. “Well, there may be a few in the other chamber who do, but they’re a distinct minority.”

While nearly all the appropriations bills have passed through committee and are ready to be voted on, Schumer hasn’t brought any to the floor. His office has not answered questions from Fox News Digital about whether he will in the time that Congress has left. 

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Schumer hasn’t said whether he will bring the appropriations bills to the floor. (Reuters)

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has noted Schumer’s inaction on individual appropriations bills, suggesting its likely that lawmakers will ultimately put forward a short-term stopgap spending bill into next year. This would be preferable to some Republicans, who would like the GOP and the incoming Trump administration to contribute to a spending bill as soon as possible. 

If appropriations measures are passed during this Congress while Democrats control the Senate and President Joe Biden is still in office, Republicans will have much less leverage in influencing bills that will dictate the entire rest of the 2025 fiscal year. 

Biden will need to sign off on a spending bill passed this year.  (Reuters)

A short-term spending bill, known as a Continuing Resolution (CR), would give Republicans much more authority much earlier. But it’s unclear whether Democrats will let this happen and those who have discussed the forthcoming deadline have expressed an expectation of a large appropriations bill known as an omnibus, or smaller groups of spending bills known as minibuses. 

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Lee warned of an omnibus bill. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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However, some Republicans have vocally opposed this type of bill. In fact, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, penned an open letter to the American people recently, warning them that their representatives and senators are poised to push through a large, omnibus bill ahead of Christmas. He urged people to call lawmakers and urge them not to. 

If Congress does not pass some form of stopgap bill or appropriations package prior to Dec. 20, the government will enter into a partial shutdown until they do so.