menu_open Columnists
We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

Congress Is Aiming To Avoid Another Shutdown by Spending More on Almost Everything

15 9
24.01.2026

Government Waste

Eric Boehm | 1.23.2026 4:35 PM

With the possibility of another government shutdown looming before the end of the month, Congress appears likely to take the easy way out: spend more money on everything.

The House of Representatives passed a set of spending bills on Thursday afternoon that would keep the government open through the end of the fiscal year in September. If those bills make it through the Senate and become law (a process that could be complicated by a major winter storm that is approaching Washington, D.C.), they would hike total discretionary spending to $1.7 trillion this year. That would be a $24 billion increase from a year ago.

The........

© Reason.com