The Senate on Thursday passed a stopgap bill to fund the government for an additional week, staving off Friday's looming government shutdown as lawmakers race to finalize a broader funding package before the holidays.
The Senate voted to fund the government for a short time.
The continuing resolution was passed late on Thursday evening.
The weeklong measure averts a government shutdown ahead of a midnight deadline on Friday and gives negotiators time to work on a full-year spending package.
The measure was approved by a wide margin.
The bill was approved by the House on Wednesday and will now go to the president for his signature.
If the government funding is not extended for another week, there will be a lot of work left to do and not enough time to do it.
Schumer said it's the responsible step to make sure we finish the year without any problems.
The Republicans have a strategy. Lawmakers have more time to finish work on a full-year spending package. The upcoming holidays and the House flipping to Republican control in January add to the pressure to negotiate. Democrats want to pass a year-long omnibus package before the chamber flips, but Republicans are not sure if they should push for an extension into the new year or stall for time. Senate Minority LeaderMitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the ranking Republican in the Senate, has said he will support a broader funding package if it is finalized by December 22 and does not contain any "poison pills" He said that a full-year spending bill with a large boost for defense spending is better than alternatives.
A total of 1.7 trillion dollars. The size of the funding package is being negotiated. Money will be given to different government agencies.
Negotiating teams have not given much detail on overall spending levels, broken down where the funds will go or outlined specifics of the agreement. Support for the bill is said to be in danger. Bipartisan support for an omnibus package is hard to come by. The two parties are locked in a stalemate of $26 billion due to disagreements over non-defense, domestic spending and climate initiatives. Democrats spending on domestic issues like Covid and climate change is wasteful and bad for the economy, according to Republicans.
There are just five days left for Congress to prevent a government shutdown.
The Senate passed a defense bill that will lift the military vaccine mandate.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
