Rep. Glenn Ivey Considers Stopgap Spending Bill as House Reconvenes

The House of Representatives is back in Washington, D.C., following a five-week recess. The main priority is to keep the government functioning. The Senate has already approved a temporary funding measure to ensure government operations continue through December, avoiding a shutdown during the midterm elections. Now, the proposal awaits the House’s decision.

Democratic Representative Glenn Ivey from Maryland, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, discussed the situation on Morning Edition. He expressed there’s a ‘very good chance’ the bill will pass, although he remains undecided about his vote. His decision is influenced by the potential impact on federal employees in his district, who would suffer significantly from a government shutdown.

With midterm elections in November, his decision also holds political weight. Ivey mentioned, “You can’t get everything you want, so there’s a chance that I might vote for it to keep the government open.” He emphasized that Democrats prefer focusing on health care, tariffs, and affordability issues instead of engaging in another shutdown conflict.

Ivey also criticized the previous administration’s approach to the appropriations process. He pointed out that the Office of Management and Budget had failed to provide Congress with necessary information for funding decisions.

The full interview with Rep. Ivey is available for listening via the provided link.