Washington — The Senate has hit a speed bump as it scrambles to meet a midnight deadline to pass six bills to fund parts of the federal government through September and avoid a partial shutdown. .
The Senate cleared a procedural hurdle Friday afternoon, but a final vote to send the bill to President Biden's desk could come as early as Saturday as negotiations over votes on amendments are delaying passage of the bill. be.
Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-South Dakota, said there is a risk of a government shutdown, but “I'm hopeful that if we can find a path forward, we can avoid it.”
“Unfortunately, things are getting a little complicated,” he said, urging Democrats to allow the amendment to be voted on.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, called on Republicans to work with Democrats on “a reasonable agreement to get this funding package done today.” Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, called on his colleagues to “stop playing with fire.”
the house handed over the package On Wednesday, Democrats won the majority of votes needed to cross the finish line. Conservatives remained steadfast in their opposition to all recent funding extensions that lacked the spending cuts and policy riders they desired.
The latest measures to keep the government open cover agriculture, energy and environment, housing, transportation, veterans affairs and the Department of Justice through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.
meeting There are 2 weeks left, through March 22, to pass the remaining six spending bills to fully fund the government within the same period. But Congress is expected to pass a second package that includes funding for the Departments of Defense, State and Homeland Security, which is expected to be more contentious.
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If lawmakers can overcome this hurdle, it would resolve the spending dispute that has brought the government to the brink of shutting down multiple times since last fall and allow Congress to shift its focus to approving next year's spending bill.
“We are on target and on track to meet that March 22 deadline,” Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said Wednesday of the March 22 deadline. .
DeLauro said the bill is “going through various stages.”
The current six bills include cuts to the FBI, Environmental Protection Agency and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which House Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, welcomed. But the conservative House Freedom Caucus said it “ignores nearly all Republican policy priorities.”
Democrats sidestepped restrictions on abortion access sought by Republicans, secured investments in infrastructure and veterans programs, and fully funded nutrition programs for low-income women, infants, and children, known as WIC. .
Alan He contributed to the report.
