December 13, 2015

Congress Extends Government Funding Until Wednesday

By ExchangeMonitor

Congress prevented a government shutdown Friday afternoon, as the House agreed in a voice vote on a continuing resolution that gives lawmakers until Wednesday to hammer out an omnibus appropriations bill that includes defense.

Government funding was slated to expire at midnight Friday, but has been extended at current levels until the end of Dec. 16.

Lawmakers are making “good progress” on a final appropriations package, but need more time to hammer out a deal, said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.).

“While I had hoped that we would be done by this point, there are still many moving pieces,” he said on the House floor, adding that he expects a final spending bill would be complete by the Wednesday deadline.

The Senate passed the CR Thursday evening by voice vote, after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (RKy.) brought the measure to the floor by adding it as a “substitute amendment” to a House appropriations bill.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said the House would conduct its first votes on Tuesday. “I thought we were closer than that” to an agreement, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said during a Friday press conference.

The budget agreement reached by the White House and congressional leaders spells out a $607 billion defense topline. However, Republicans and Democrats are fighting over other government spending as well as “policy riders” that allow lawmakers to chance to change laws on abortion, environmental regulations, Syrian refugees, and tax benefits. Pelosi noted that Democrats are seeking to lift a 19-year ban on gun research.

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