Congress on verge of approving temporary spending bill to avert government shutdown
Updated at 12:55 p.m. ET
The threat of a partial government shutdown this weekend may be diminishing. Congressional leaders from both parties signaled support Wednesday for a temporary funding bill that will keep the federal government open into 2019. Funding currently expires at midnight on Friday.
After Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., introduced the measure, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Senate Democrats would support it. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi also issued a statement of support. Still, it’s unclear whether President Trump will sign the bill.
If it becomes law, the spending measure will postpone the day of reckoning over the final bits of the federal budget until the new Congress is sworn in and Democrats take control of the House.
In a tweet, McConnell said the funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, would last through Feb. 8, 2019.
Later this morning, we’ll introduce a continuing resolution that will ensure continuous funding for the federal government. The measure will provide the resources necessary to continue normal operations through February 8th.
— Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) December 19, 2018
Last week, Trump said he would “proudly” shut down the government unless he got an additional $5 billion for a border wall. But Democrats in the House and Senate balked at that, and with Democrats taking the House majority as of January, it appears Trump’s plans for a wall are, if not dead, on life support.
The continuing resolution means spending on the nine government agencies that have yet to receive their budgets would remain at current levels.
While congressional leaders decried the inability to reach agreement on a longer term spending measure, as Christmas approaches lawmakers are eager to wrap up their work and go home.