The measure would keep federal agencies funded at current levels as lawmakers head toward August recess, with disputes still unresolved over defense, grants and White House exceptions.
Key senators on Sunday unveiled a short-term spending bill that would fund federal agencies past the midterm elections and into early December, giving Congress more time to avoid a shutdown during campaign season. The Senate is likely to vote before leaving Washington for its August recess, and the bill generally extends funding at current levels through Dec. 11. The House has already passed a similar measure, but without several White House exceptions that senators have been negotiating over, including the administration's request for $1 billion to build "Trump-class" battleships, which Democrats said did not make the cut. The timing is unusual because Congress typically waits until the last days or hours before a deadline, but lawmakers are acting two months ahead of the fiscal year end on Sept. 30. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the bill was his top priority going into recess and warned that Americans have already faced two record-breaking shutdowns in the past 10 months. The broader funding fight remains unsettled: Republicans want a sharp increase in defense spending and a reduction in non-defense programs, while Trump proposed a 10% cut in non-defense spending and a roughly 44% increase in defense. Democrats are also pressing to extend an expiring health insurance tax credit, a separate dispute Republicans say belongs in another fight. The measure comes as both parties try to avoid another shutdown after last fall's 43-day standoff, when polling showed neither side escaped blame, and after a 76-day fight over Department of Homeland Security funding. Senate Republican chair Susan Collins and Democratic senators are also trying to delay a new White House grant rule that would require senior political appointees to review proposals against the president's policy priorities, with Collins and Sen. Patty Murray saying it would not take effect during the stopgap period. Democrats say the rule could politicize grants and weaken Congress's power of the purse, while the White House Office of Management and Budget says the goal is better accountability and less waste.