Senate advances plan to fund government through December

The U.S. Senate is moving forward with a plan to keep the government funded until December 11, seeking to avert a shutdown ahead of the fall.

“

This bill includes important extensions and language that House Republicans' CR did not, and it rejects Trump's frivolous war spending wish list.

Senate appropriators unveiled a continuing resolution on Sunday that maintains current funding levels with some modifications. This measure aims to secure bipartisan support, a necessity given the Senate's 60-vote threshold for most legislation. The Senate's approach contrasts with a separate stopgap measure passed by the House, which faced partisan opposition.

The Senate's continuing resolution incorporates "anomalies," or funding adjustments, for critical areas like nutrition, national security, and disaster relief programs. Senator Patty Murray highlighted the Senate's version as an "improved CR" that avoids a shutdown and rejects "Trump's frivolous war spending wish list." Notably, it closes a loophole that could have allowed the Trump administration to reallocate funds intended for other programs to the Border Patrol.

“

Importantly, we closed the loophole in House Republicans' CR that would have allowed the Trump administration to transfer funding provided for other programs to Border Patrol, which desperately needs reform, not more money.

Democrats in the House had previously expressed dissatisfaction with their chamber's measure for lacking such a provision. Representative Rosa DeLauro, the top House Democrat appropriator, called the Senate's bill "a clear improvement." The Senate's proposal also includes language to temporarily halt a controversial grants rule that Democrats feared could be used to "take even more federal funding hostage."

“

a clear improvement over the House Republican continuing resolution.