Congressional leaders have agreed to pass a short-term funding bill to keep the government running until Dec. 20 to avoid a government shutdown. Existing funding for the government expires Nov. 21.
The news came after the meeting between House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., and her Senate counterpart Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala. They’re hoping that the additional month will give negotiators enough time to reach an agreement on full-year appropriations.
Lowey told reporters that lawmakers “expect to get our work done” before the Dec. 20 deadline.
The House has already passed 10 of the 12 annual appropriations bills. The Senate has passed funding bills for six agencies but disagreements over U.S.-Mexico border wall funding have stalled funding for Defense, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, and Military Construction, and consideration of funding for other large departments such as Health and Human Services is pending.
“It is heartening that lawmakers are taking action to avert a shutdown before Thanksgiving,” said National Secretary-Treasurer Everett Kelley. “We implore Congress to use these coming weeks to agree to spending bills that fully fund the government for 2020, include a modest pay raise for federal employees, and provide due process protections for federal employees.”
