Today on the Hill: Lawmakers Introduce Short-Term Funding Extension

Congressional appropriators have released a two-week funding bill that would delay a partial government shutdown until Friday, December 21. The bill includes a clean extension for outstanding government funding, as well as an additional extension for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which was also set to expire this Friday. Leaders from both parties — as well as President Trump — agreed to delay the impending budget fight after the death of former President George H.W. Bush.

House lawmakers plan to pass the stopgap funding by voice vote sometime later this week — likely after the funeral proceedings for President Bush. The Senate is then expected to pass the measure shortly thereafter by unanimous consent and send the bill to President Trump’s desk for signature by Friday. The two-week extension provides Congress additional time to iron out a solution over President Trump’s demand for $5 billion in funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border — an issue that has deadlocked lawmakers. 

On the floor, Senators have pushed a vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Bernard McNamee to be a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission — originally scheduled for today — to Wednesday afternoon. Meanwhile, the House has cancelled its previously scheduled votes for the week. The next votes in the lower chamber will be Monday, December 10.