The House GOP offer is unusually long at 515 pages. Why?
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House Republicans said the spending bill would provide much-needed certainty to USA military planners who have expressed deep frustration with Congress’ inability to pass a long-term spending bill.
Once a deal on those spending levels has been reached, lawmakers can put together a long-term funding bill that would stretch for the rest of the fiscal year.
Republicans are trying to win Democratic votes on the stopgap measure Tuesday by attaching a 2-year extension of funding for Community Health Clinics and other provisions.
But several Republicans said they weren’t optimistic the extra defence spending could get through the Senate.
Congress will return this week to the political cauldron of immigration policy, and nearly every lawmaker will claim he or she is a player.
Senate leaders said they don not want to bring the government to the brink of a shutdown and see little risk that it would occur.
While Republicans lauded the White House’s decision to release the memo, saying it highlights underlying problems with United States surveillance and provides greater transparency, Democrats slammed the decision.
There are concerns that the resolution will not be approved by the Senate, however, as the Republican-drafted measure boosts military funding without a corresponding increase in civilian expenditures.
While the House will vote on Tuesday on another spending bill to prevent the government from running out of cash, Democrats continue to insist on connecting DACA legislation to funding the government.
As of right now the increase for defense funding but no increase for domestic programs appears to be a non-starter for Senate Democrats.
However, he has wavered in meetings with Democratic leaders, pushed back on support of Republican leaders, and left Congress with a deadline in March to deal with the Dreamers (illegal immigrants brought to America as children, protected by DACA).
It would extend government funding for non-defense programs to March 23.
While it’s true that Democratic votes are necessary to help pass the funding bill, it’s an illusion that DACA legislation gives them any leverage with the public.
Democrats blasted the Republicans’ move, arguing that a compromise measure could have gotten votes from both parties.
The sticking point has been that Republicans want higher military spending and Democrats oppose that unless there is additional money for domestic accounts. House members are expected to take up the bill on Tuesday. “We’ll be here to vote if we need to vote”.
House Republicans said the bill provides certainty to USA military planners who were frustrated during last month’s three-day partial government shutdown.
“I think we’re on the way to getting an agreement and on the way to getting an agreement very soon”, McConnell said during a weekly press briefing. “I’d love to see a shutdown if we don’t get this stuff taken care of”.
What about immigration? For now, negotiations on the issue are moving along on a separate track. The situation particularly infuriates defense hawks, who argue the Pentagon is being deprived of necessary resources.
Republicans want a deal, too, to avoid an ugly post-Feb.
Democrats have refused to sign on to any defense spending increase absent an agreement to hike nondefense spending alongside it.
The latter has been the real hang-up, and sources tell CNN they are pretty much there on topline funding numbers for the deal. The Senate is expected to begin debate on immigration next week. “It doesn’t surprise me from Gen. Kelly”, he said.
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According to senior aides – and lawmakers – in both parties, in both chambers, no. “You can let the legislative process work and they will be adjudicated along the way”. Once a budget deal is reached, appropriators then would quickly work to craft a omnibus spending package that would last through at least September.
