Bill Samuel, Director of Government Affairs for the AFL-CIO, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the passage of a Federal budget for this fiscal year, and how the political division in Congress has led to the least amount of legislation passed during a Congressional Session in history.
The Federal Budget for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY 24) has been approved but that ends Sept. 30, leaving only six months before the new budget deadline. It’s been a long journey to this point, Samuel said. He has no hope that the current Congress will be able to get a budget figured out before the deadline.
There are several renewals coming up for various federal programs, including the Federal Aviation Association’s recertification. Because the current members of Congress don’t seem to be able to reach a consensus, Samuel is concerned that the remainder of this session will see no new legislation approved. He outlined the issues with the Republican Party’s divide in Congress and why he believes that is the driving force behind the lack of action.
The election year has created an environment where the recently released budget proposals from President Joe Biden and the House Republicans won’t mean anything until after the general election on Nov. 5. On the reverse side of the conversation, the Republican budget proposal has left Samuel with several concerns. He then discussed the differences between the proposals, including the obvious difference in potential program cuts. Samuel said that both proposals have their issues but will likely be fixed depending on the November election results.
Hear more from Samuel by listening to the show above.