House to take up bill combining short-term spending with disaster aid

The House will take up a temporary spending bill combined with an $81 billion disaster relief package as soon as tomorrow, Republican leaders told GOP lawmakers Tuesday.

The spending package includes year-long defense funding that is likely to be stripped out in the Senate, where lawmakers are expected to add a measure to bolster Obamacare subsidies.

Republicans Tuesday began grappling in earnest with what is developing into a partisan showdown over year-end spending.

In addition, the House will consider a short-term measure extending a key anti-terrorism surveillance tool.

The year-end spending bill has been complicated by the Senate’s plan to add to it a measure to shore up Obamacare subsidies in a deal carved out for Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

Many House Republicans oppose the subsidies legislation, which could make it harder to for it to pass in the House.

“That would be a problem,” Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said Tuesday.

The showdown will begin as soon as House and Senate Republicans pass a major tax reform bill Tuesday.

A House vote on the tax bill is slated for about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Senators will vote on the package later in the day.

Republicans will be eager to celebrate the passage of tax reform, which was among their top 2016 campaign pledges, but they face a Dec. 22 deadline to pass a new spending measure before government funding authority expires.

Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told lawmakers Tuesday he’ll combine a new disaster relief package to the spending bill, which would fund the government until Jan. 19.

However, Senate passage is unlikely.

Senate Democrats oppose the addition of the defense funding, which will likely be stripped out in order to avert a filibuster.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is expected to then add a measure authored by Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., to bolster federal cost-sharing subsidies to help keep Obamacare premiums lower.

The legislation will then head back to the House and an uncertain future.

Republicans are uncertain about how they'll get the bill across the finish line and onto President Trump's desk.

"I've got a plane reservation on Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday morning," Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, said. "I am going home for Christmas. I might be back the day after."