Congressional appropriators in charge of energy and environment programs are gearing up to restart work on fiscal 2025 spending bills after months of stagnation.
House and Senate leaders are expected to announce a deal on a top-line spending number as soon as Monday, moving appropriators one step closer to being able to negotiate funding allocations for a wide swath of federal programs — from the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office to wildland firefighter salaries.
“What the number is will make all the difference in what we get in there,” said Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), chair of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee.
It will take several more weeks for Appropriations leaders to hand down final funding allocations for each of the 12 annual spending bills, but the recent progress on top-line talks bodes well for lawmakers eager to get the protracted — and at times contentious — fiscal 2025 spending fights over with. The funding deadline, which was extended under a December stopgap bill, is March 14.