White House seeks to push government shutdown deadline to Jan. 31

The White House has asked Congress to extend government funding until Jan. 31, a four-month delay that would keep agencies running at current levels past the Sept. 30 expiration, Politico reported Sept. 9.

The request was part of a wish list the White House sent detailing special exceptions it wants lawmakers to include in any stopgap. The guidance would keep federal agencies open past the Sept. 30 expiration of current government funding, according to the report.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said the Jan. 31 date is a suggestion from the White House and that an exact date for a funding extension is still under discussion, according to the report.

Some lawmakers in both parties have already criticized the four-month extension, with Democrats warning it would box Congress into a corner and Republican leaders urging a “cleaner” stopgap, according to the report.

The special exceptions list is important to crafting any short-term spending bill, as it informs lawmakers about what funding and authority the White House wants Congress to alter, according to the report.

Several critical healthcare provisions hang in the balance as Congress works to avoid a government shutdown, including telehealth, Medicaid DSH cuts and renewal of ACA subsidies.

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