House passes shutdown-averting spending bill to give contentious talks more time

Senate and Donald Trump have until midnight Friday to make the one-week bill a law, or funding will lapse

The House has approved a one-week spending measure to avert a government shutdown, as both chambers look to buy time to strike a massive appropriations deal that also could include more federal Covid-19 relief.

Lawmakers and Donald Trump have until midnight on Friday to pass and sign into law the stopgap measure. If the Senate does not follow suit and send the bill to Mr Trump, or if he opts against signing it, government funding would lapse. It passed the House 343-67.

But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has signalled the votes are there to give appropriations leaders and Covid-19 negotiators more time to finish their work.

“I am disappointed that we have not yet reached agreement on government funding. The House will vote on Wednesday on a one-week CR to keep government open while negotiations continue,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the chamber’s No. 2 Democrat, tweeted earlier this week.

He had wanted to finish all remaining work for this Congress and send members home by Friday so they could quarantine for two weeks and still spend Christmas with their loved ones.

But Washington has slipped into an annual tradition of holiday season government shutdown dramas, and the final year of the Trump administration is no different.

House and Senate leaders are haggling over what should be in – and out – of a potential Covid-19 economic recovery package they want to attach to a year-end spending bill that would fund the entire federal government through 30 September.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday morning accused Democrats of “delaying” and “moving the goal posts” in the Covid talks.

Richard Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said he is worried there is no bill a group of moderates who are working on a $908m relief proposal or Democrats might bring to him that he would accept.

Just when the Senate might vote on the one-week spending bill has yet to be determined.