The US Senate’s top Republican on Wednesday issued a downbeat assessment of talks on a US government spending bill, warning that it would require a “laser focus from both parties and both chambers” to meet next week’s deadline and avert a federal shutdown.
Across the Capitol, US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Hispanic lawmakers about the upcoming appropriations measure, which is likely to largely maintain US President Donald Trump’s tactical ability to increase spending on security on the border with Mexico.
It is part of an effort to solidify support for the emerging catchall funding bill, which promises to deliver plenty of small-bore victories for lawmakers in both parties and is seen as preferable to the alternative of simply keeping the government on autopilot.
“To be frank, only a laser focus from both parties and both chambers on getting results will create a path to pass appropriations bills this year,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. “There simply is not time left for my Democratic friends to continue haggling over ... poison pills, partisan policy riders and presidential transfer authorities.”
As is often the case, Pelosi and US Representative Kevin McCarthy are feuding, this time about a McCarthy bid for additional funding for a dam project that would provide more water for farmers in California’s Central Valley.
A government shutdown is possible with a stopgap spending bill to expire at the end of next week and negotiations must close in time for the US Senate to process a year-end spending package.
Another temporary funding bill, called a continuing resolution, could be needed to avert a repeat of last year’s 35-day partial federal shutdown.
At issue is the almost one-third of the federal budget passed by the US Congress each year for day-to-day operations of federal agencies. This year’s annual appropriations cycle was supposed to be relatively easy after this summer’s budget and debt deal reversed a sharp set of spending cuts that would have otherwise struck both the Pentagon and domestic agencies.
However, a Senate move to more than triple a key border wall account sparked a two-month stalemate. Negotiations are back on track, with most of the US$5 billion for wall spending being returned to other domestic accounts.
Trump is likely to refuse to sign any bill that denies wall funding or curtails transfers from Pentagon accounts to border work.
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