Why It Matters

The Senate Appropriations Committee is moving forward on four fiscal year 2027 appropriations bills after weeks of deadlock over spending levels in a markup scheduled for June 25. It's an attempt to restart negotiations that have stalled amid disagreements between Republican and Democratic leaders over the overall budget topline, even as a major deficit-increasing tax bill already signed into law complicates the fiscal landscape.

A previous markup was cancelled in early June. Now, with the committee preparing to move bills covering appropriations for agriculture rural development, military construction, commerce, justice, science, and the legislative branch, Republicans are signaling they're ready to proceed unilaterally if necessary. Democrats have made clear they won't cooperate on spending bills, according to Chair Susan Collins (R-ME), setting up a confrontation that could determine whether Congress passes a full appropriations package or defaults to a continuing resolution.

The Fiscal Backdrop

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is projected to increase the deficit by $3.4 trillion and trigger a Medicare sequester of up to 4 percent. That fiscal reality looms over any appropriations negotiations as lawmakers try to determine spending levels for individual agencies and programs.

The House has already moved on some bills. Its Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill carries $157 billion in discretionary allocation. The House Appropriations Committee approved its Agriculture Rural Development FDA bill at $26.27 billion, representing a $380 million cut (1.4 percent) below fiscal year 2026 levels. The Commerce Justice Science bill came in at $77.341 billion, a $670 million reduction from the prior year.

Chair Collins and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) remain at odds over the overall spending topline. Murray stated she and Collins are "miles apart" on a spending number, underscoring the fundamental disagreement blocking progress.

Republicans forewent markups for the second week in a row due to negotiations stalling. The committee's previous attempt to move forward, scheduled for June 4, was cancelled. By proceeding now, Collins is attempting to move the process along despite Democratic opposition and unresolved disputes with her own ranking member over baseline spending levels.

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