Congress narrowly avoided a government shutdown Saturday, sending the $1.2 trillion government funding bill to President Biden after a frantic week of negotiations, which will likely be the focus of this week’s Sunday talk shows.
The House passed the legislation Friday with a bipartisan 286-134 vote. The legislation, which includes six funding bills, was sent to the Senate hours before various agencies and programs were set to run out of funding. In the early hours of Saturday, the Senate passed the package in a 74-24 vote.
The successful vote bookends the fiscal 2024 appropriations process, which dragged on for months after extensions, the historic ousting of a Speaker and bitter battles in the GOP. But Friday’s vote didn’t come without its own drama.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) filed a motion to oust Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) as the House voted to pass the package and called it “a warning.” Greene will appear on Fox’s “Sunday Morning Futures” this week, where she will likely discuss her frustrations about the legislation and Johnson’s leadership.
Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who was booted from his leadership position in October after hard-line conservatives filed a motion to vacate him, will appear on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” where he will likely talk about his endorsement of the trillion-dollar spending package and what’s in store for his successor.
Ahead of the vote Friday, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said Republicans who vote for the spending package are putting the GOP majority at risk. Roy will join CNN’s “State of the Union” where he will likely talk about the conservative effort to stop the bill from passing.
The House GOP-related theatrics don’t stop there. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) announced Friday that he would resign from Congress before his term is up, further shrinking the already thin Republican majority in the lower chamber.
Last week, Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), who already announced his retirement, said he would leave Washington before the end of his term. Buck’s last day was Friday. He is set to appear on ABC’s “This Week,” where he will likely talk about the Republican Party and his decision to depart Congress ahead of the election.
On Monday, former President Trump faces a deadline to secure a bond or pay the massive sum due in his New York civil fraud case. He was ordered to pay nearly $355 million in penalties plus interest after a judge found he, his adult sons and others in the Trump Organization conspired to lie about his net worth to receive favorable treatment from banks and insurers.
His total sum is now worth more than $454 million, with $112,000 in interest added each day. Earlier this week, Trump’s lawyers indicted that it would be “impossible” for them to secure the bond. Critics have questioned if the former president will secure the funds from a foreign source if he’s unable to secure a bond before Monday. New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) said she may seize some of his assets if Trump fails to meet the deadline.
Trump’s adult son, Eric Trump, is set to join Fox’s “Fox News Sunday,” where he may talk about his father’s campaign and mounting legal fees.
Here’s the full list of guests schedule to appear on this week’s Sunday talk shows:
ABC’s “This Week” – Vice President Kamala Harris; Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.).
NBC’s “Meet the Press” – Former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel; retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer; civil rights activist Ruby Bridges.
CBS’ “Face the Nation” – Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas); former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
CNN’s “State of the Union” – Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.).
“Fox News Sunday” – Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.).
NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday with Chris Stirewalt” – Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.).
Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” – Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.); Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R-Texas); Senate candidate Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio); Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
