Congressional leaders in the House and Senate announced they will take up a short-term funding bill to keep the government operating beyond a Sept. 30 deadline, which will avert a shutdown at the end of the fiscal year.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday the Senate has started consideration of fiscal 2020 appropriations measures and will pass a short-term measure to ensure there is no gap in funding.
“The short-term bill keeps federal budgets operating at 2019 levels,” said the Kentucky Republican. “I’m confident that we can make significant progress on regular appropriations this month and then pass an interim continuing resolution to prevent any funding lapse while work continues.”
Last week, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced the House this week will take up a short-term funding measure to keep the government operating beyond the Sept. 30 deadline while the two chambers work out a deal on fiscal 2020 spending.
Neither the House nor the Senate has announced the length of the short-term funding measure but it is likely to last well into the fall because Congress hasn’t yet passed a single fiscal 2020 spending bill.
Both Democrats and Republicans are eager to avoid a spending standoff that leads to a shutdown.
The two parties have already agreed to a two-year deal setting spending levels above federally imposed caps, which will help ease passage of many of the spending bills.
