The Senate on Thursday afternoon passed a five-day continuing resolution that will extend government funding until Dec. 16.
Photo: U.S. Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) brought the measure to the floor by adding it as a “substitute amendment” to a spending bill already passed by the House. It was passed unanimously by voice vote.
The House, which introduced their own CR extension yesterday, is slated to pass the stopgap bill on Friday before government funding expires at midnight.
The passing of the CR will allow most senators to go home a day early, but leadership will still be working over the weekend to try to hammer out an omnibus spending deal, said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).
“I’ll be here this weekend. I’m working morning until night. Beyond, really,” he told reporters shortly after the passing of the bill.
Unlike most of the government spending that will make up the bulk of the omnibus bill, the Bipartisan Budget Act spells out appropriation levels for defense—$607 billion total for base budget and wartime expenditures. However, lawmakers are at odds over the numerous policy riders that Republicans and Democrats are trying to add to the bill on issues such as abortion, oil exports, tax cuts, environmental issues and Syrian refugees.
White House Spokesman Josh Earnest said Wednesday night that the president would sign a short-term CR extension, but only one with enough time to allow Congress to come to an agreement. Republicans must drop “ideological riders,” he added.
Negotiations are progressing steadily, said Senate Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) in a statement.
“This short-term funding resolution allows time for the House and Senate to complete work on pending appropriations legislation,” he said. “I expect that senators will soon be able to consider a bill that will meet the funding needs for our national defense and other priorities.”