The U.S. Senate is expected to vote at 11:30 a.m. today to extend stopgap funding for fiscal 2020 and avoid a shutdown of the federal government.
A series of three votes are expected on the continuing resolution that would keep the government open until Dec. 20, according to the official Twitter feed for Republican Senate staff.
Fiscal 2020 began on Oct. 1 without Congress having sent any appropriations bills for President Donald Trump’s signature. The Energy Department and other agencies are currently operating at fiscal 2019 spending levels under a continuing resolution that expires today.
After much discussion Wednesday, the Senate no longer plans to change the legislative vehicle for the stopgap funding, so that it can send a package directly to Trump, Roll Call reported. The newspaper cited a Trump administration official as saying the president is expected to sign the measure.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) earlier on Wednesday told reporters on Capitol Hill that he and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had hoped to hold a vote that day on the continuing resolution, according to Defense Daily, an affiliate publication to Weapons Complex Morning Briefing.
The House of Representatives passed its amendment to H.R. 3055 Tuesday by a vote of 231-192.
The Senate and House are preparing to take a one-week recess for Thanksgiving.
