TEXAS, USA — Congress recently gave itself some additional time to keep the government funded through next year when it recently passed a stopgap funding bill that would keep the lights on until Dec. 23, when Congress will recess for the holiday.
That means lawmakers only have a few days left in 2022 until the deadline to agree to an omnibus spending bill.
When lawmakers return in 2023, the U.S. House will be under narrow GOP control. And some House Republicans have even called for a delay on any vote until the new year when they are in control.
But a bipartisan group of lawmakers have already agreed to the framework of a $1.7 Trillion spending package.
While no details of this agreement have been released publicly, North Texas Congressman Colin Allred says he wants to make sure the Electoral Count Reform Act remains in the spending bill, and as of now, he says it is.
The measure would change and clarify the way we cast and count electoral votes for presidential elections. Supporters from the both the right and the left say it’s necessary to insure an orderly presidential transition and avoid another Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.
Outside of that priority, the Democrat from Dallas says lawmakers have a responsibility to keep the government open and make sure those who need the funding get it.
“I’ve been meeting with our diplomatic folks, with our military folks, they need to be able to plan long term around the world, and make important investments for us to compete with China, deal with the war in Ukraine, have all kinds of international priorities that we really need to be able to set, that are based on predictable and understandable funding levels and it’s not just wondering if the money is going to be there,” the Congressman said on Inside Texas Politics.
Congressman Colin Allred is returning to North Texas for the holiday with a big present for the city of Dallas: nearly $20 Million for several community projects, from DART to Children’s Health to the city of Dallas itself. Listen to his full interview to learn more.