Biden issues veto threats for two more Republican funding bills

The White House issued veto threats Monday for HR 4821 and HR 4820, House Republicans‘ appropriations bills for the Department of the Interior, Department of Transportation, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and their related agencies.

President Joe Biden‘s Office of Management and Budget argued that the packages violate the spending agreement brokered by the president and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) over the summer and criticized Republicans for seeking to additionally strip past appropriations for programs included in the Inflation Reduction Act.

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OMB said that Biden will strike them down should Congress pass either bill.

“House Republicans had an opportunity to engage in a productive, bipartisan appropriations process, but instead are wasting time with partisan bills that cut domestic spending to levels well below the FRA agreement and endanger critical services for the American people,” the White House wrote. “These levels would result in deep cuts to clean energy programs and other programs that work to combat climate change, essential nutrition services, law enforcement, consumer safety, education, and healthcare.”

The administration additionally claimed that the cuts to domestic funding will jeopardize reproductive and LGBT rights, endanger marriage equality, block the president’s climate and clean energy initiatives, and generally hinder the administration “from promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

“The Administration stands ready to engage with both chambers of the Congress in a bipartisan appropriations process to enact responsible spending bills that fully fund Federal agencies in a timely manner,” the White House closed.

Congress has until Nov. 17 to pass spending legislation, or approve another temporary funding package, in order to avoid a government shutdown.

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Biden met with newly minted House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in late October at the White House to discuss both the appropriations process and his supplemental funding requests for Israel and Ukraine.

Johnson said Sunday that avoiding a shutdown was his “first priority” and would support another stopgap bill should Republicans fail to agree on top-line appropriations numbers ahead of the Nov. 17 deadline.